Beyond the Lesbian Vampire: Reclaiming the Violent Lesbian in Contemporary Queer Horror

A study of the rebirth and subversion of the violent lesbian trope in queer horror.

Beyond the Lesbian Vampire is a groundbreaking dive into the pervasive archetype of the violent lesbian in cinema. This book examines this historically problematic figure within cultural and cinematic imagination--from witch to vampire to murderer--and identifies her resurgence in seven critically acclaimed queer horror films of the late 2010s, including The Neon Demon (2016), Thelma (2017), Knife + Heart (2018), and The Perfection (2019). Each case study depicts multidimensional lesbian characters whose violence is theoretically more justifiable due to their narrative motives. In addition, this new iteration of the violent lesbian self-consciously references earlier portrayals, including her popular vampiric form, despite shedding her literal fangs. The combination of excessive citation alongside a meaningful narrative shift gestures towards a reclamation of the violent lesbian within queer horror.

The author weaves textual analysis and scholarly debates around assimilation and the legibility of lesbianism's queerness to reveal the cultural salience of the violent lesbian and the fears and pleasures she evokes. Beyond the Lesbian Vampire is a vital contribution to lesbian studies, horror studies, queer studies, and feminist studies.