Through the lens of horror—from Halloween
to Hereditary—queer
and trans writers consider the films that deepened, amplified, and
illuminated their own experiences.
Horror movies hold a complicated space in the hearts of the queer
community: historically misogynist, and often homo- and transphobic,
the genre has also been inadvertently feminist and open to subversive
readings. Common tropes—such as the circumspect and resilient
“final girl,” body possession, costumed villains, secret
identities, and things that lurk in the closet—spark moments of
eerie familiarity and affective connection. Still, viewers often
remain tasked with reading themselves into beloved films, seeking out
characters and set pieces that speak to, mirror, and parallel the
unique ways queerness encounters the world.
It Came from the Closet features twenty-five essays by writers
speaking to this relationship, through connections both empowering
and oppressive. From Carmen Maria Machado on Jennifer’s Body,
Jude Ellison S. Doyle on In My Skin, Addie Tsai on Dead
Ringers, and many more, these conversations convey the rich
reciprocity between queerness and horror.