Barbara Creed's Monstrous Feminine

The Monstrous Feminine c. 1993

Barbara Creed is a Professor of Cinema Studies at School of Culture and Communication.

Developing her theory through the work of Mulvey's Male Gaze before developing her theory and concentrating on horror, specifically slasher, films.

Also basing her research and theory from Freud's psychological theory, she presented the idea that women are often portrayed in the media as monstrous which is most obviously shown in horror films.

An example of the 'Monstrous Feminine' would be the villain, Kayako Saeki. Dying under the hands of her husband, Takeo after he goes insane with cheating scenarios, Kayako lives on with her child, Toshio, a curse to further haunt those who enter her house or tangles with her unrested spirit. With a similar motherly aspect turned villainous as seen in other movies presenting monstrous females such as Carrie, Kayako and her son are onryōs (vengeful spirits). With Kayako's actions throughout the movie causing the death of many, she strongly presents the character of a monstrous female as suggested by Creed.

With the power of different storylines impacting the role of a monstrous female, I feel that I may use this theory when constructing my own trailer. This is because a character such as Kayako, although presenting a fearful image, exudes power which contrasts from feeble roles women play at times in horror.