5/31/2023 0 Comments From margin to center bell hooks![]() ![]() Horror movies are one of the few places women are told their fears are real. ![]() Male privilege, horror, feminism, domestic violence, relationships, fear I explore my argument in the opening sequence of Barbarian supported by the intersectional feminist commentaries of bell hooks in Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center and Sarah Ahmed in Living a Feminist Life. In this paper, I argue that in centering our gaze on the bloody surface of a film like Barbarian, we ignore its functionality as a home for female fear. Thus, Barbarian plays up the audience’s expectations of the genre in order to subvert them in a brilliant portrayal of the everyday horrors of gendered interactions under the patriarchy. ![]() At its core, however, I believe that the film pursues an intentional, feminist critique of white male privilege, gendered power dynamics in dating and our expectations of the horror genre itself. Some critics of the horror film marvel at its unapologetic embrace of mystery, imagination and gore, while others have argued that the project fell short on account of its implausibility and so-called gullible characters, namely the film’s female lead. To the untrained eye, Zach Cregger’s 2022 Barbarian is merely a story of outlandish coincidences, otherworldly monsters and casual chaos with its multiple points of view, elaborate special effects makeup and decades-long time jumps. ![]()
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