The Horrors Persist: A thematic analysis of female & AFAB horror fans' perception of gender and sexuality in horror cinema

Like cinematography, horror cinema can be described as a predominantly male-focus field in terms of filmmaking, representation as well as audiences. Historically, the horror genre often excludes or poorly represents the non-male multitude, particularly women and LGBTQ+ individuals. Even though in the past decades there have been made progressions regarding inclusivity, the horror genre remains to lack in intersectionality, thus sustaining patriarchal ideals. Despite that, there is a significant amount of non-male horror fans. As a result the following research question was formed and utilized as a basis for this study: How do female and assigned female at birth (AFAB) horror fans negotiate representations of gender and sexuality in horror movies? The choice of method for this study was qualitative research, specifically thematic analysis, as a means of understanding audience perception through means of pattern recognition. A total of even in-depth and semi-structured interviews were conducted with self-attested horror fans, comprising of cis women and individuals falling under the trans umbrella. During the interviews subjects such as horror preferences, relatability, impressions, feelings and fandom were discussed. The results highlighted that non-male fans are more inclined to consume feminist and queer horror, films which showcase more complexities like psychological genres, artistic horror which resonates more deeply with a queer audience, alongside films which don't focus on violence against women. Two main concepts were utilized when discussing representation, such as the final girl and the monstrous-feminine, both of which were analysed in a critical manner. Furthermore, the horror community aspect could be detected within the respondents' closeknit real-life circles, rather than engaging with it online, showcasing the preference for established spaces where preferences and freedom of expression was granted. However, passive consumption withing the online horror related communities and websites could be detected, as a way of meaning-making and further horror media consumption, To conclude, this research has emphasized that horror cinema is interacted with not only for recreational pleasure, but also as a means of meaning-making, self-exploration as well as political opposition. The results stress the need for intersectionality within representation regarding audience perception, drawing attention to cultural shifts and social justice.