2016 is hereby declared the year of the female filmmaker.
A few exceptions aside, for several years, a spot in the director’s chair seemed like a seat reserved only for those in the boys’ club. However, a revolution has been quietly brimming beneath the surface, with more and more women stepping behind the camera as of late and genre films leading the way in this massive reconstruction. Game changers like Jennifer Kent, Marjane Satrapi and Veronika Franz have been stepping up and proving themselves as not only worthy contenders when it comes to noteworthy women who make movies, but equally as skilled as any male photographer.
While there are many exciting projects on the horizon to be helmed by talented ladies, this list is dedicated to a few of the most striking pictures that are set to release soon. Read on to learn about these thrilling new prospects, and find out why these films won’t just prove these women to be important because they’re ladies in the industry, but because they’re talented filmmakers on par with any other moviemaker—male or female—in the business.
The Bad Batch – Ana Lily Amirpour
A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night is a unique vampire tale from another world. A cross between a western, a commentary on a war zone, a slick film noir, a touching romance, and a horror movie, the directorial debut from up-and-comer Ana Lily Amirpour is above and beyond impressive. This 2014 black-and-white picture about an aloof, eyeliner-smudging, skateboard-riding creature of the night shedding her cynicism and falling for a local boy who makes her cold heart feel warm isn’t just extremely endearing, it proves something: Amirpour has a vision, and she knows how to execute it.
Coming up, this talented lady is bringing audiences a tale that’s arguably even more twisted and complex than her previous endeavor—it’s called The Bad Batch, and it’s a movie about cannibals in love. Starring Jim Carrey and Keanu Reeves, one can assume that Amirpour’s latest will be an English-speaking film, but not much else is known about the project at this point, other than it takes place in Texas. Honestly, though, with Amirpour’s previous project as a showcase of her abilities, and her name attached as both the writer and director, there’s not much more information needed to know that The Bad Batch will be both a captivating and very original work of art.
The Craft – Leigh Janiak
Sony has decided to call the corners and reboot The Craft, and they have wisely chosen the perfect director to conjure up a rehashing of the beloved ’90s witch flick. Leigh Janiak, known for her directing debut, Honeymoon, displayed just the right amount of dreamy atmosphere and metaphorical genre tropes to ensure her a spot behind the camera in the upcoming reboot. This became especially true when she shared her perspective with the studio that this time, the story should be approached with more of a female empowerment mojo pushing the plot along.
In the original movie, a sweet and shy teen named Sarah Bailey starts attending a new school after moving to Los Angeles with her father, and quickly draws the attention of notorious coven members Bonnie, Rochelle, and Nancy, who are looking to complete their Wiccan clique. Together, the girls find that their powers combined can unleash even the most powerful of furies, but their fun is viciously snuffed out when Nancy takes the games a bit too far, and the squad is forced to stand trial for their crimes against the occult.
Will Janiak be able to earn the same intense devotion from her sorcery-loving target audience? Only time will tell, but with the previous notch on her belt, it seems that luck will be on her side—and perhaps a little magic, too.
Coin Heist – Emily Hagins
Coin Heist, an unproduced screenplay from Miramax films that was recently green-lit, has been reported as a mix between The Breakfast Club and Ocean’s Eleven. Given this mash-up, it only makes sense that the John Hughes of horror comedy, Emily Hagins, would be at the helm to bring the project to the big screen. Her previous ventures, My Sucky Teen Romance and Grow Up, Tony Phillips exhibit Hagins’ unusual ability as a filmmaker to carefully walk the line between comedic jabs at common genre tropes and heartfelt sentiment extracted by characters worth investing in.
In today’s pop culture, where horror movies are often plagued with merciless villains and brutal, bloody violence, it’s kind of nice to know that there’s still someone out there making sweet little scary movies like Gremlins and The Monster Squad. In her newest endeavor, Coin Heist, Hagins will follow a ragtag team of kids from every clique in high school, all banding together to overcome their differences and rob the US Mint. With Hagins on board, it’s sure to be a movie as endearing as it is entertaining.
XX – St. Vincent, Mary Harron, Karyn Kusama, Sofia Carrillo, Jennifer Chambers Lynch, Jovanka Vuckovic
When it comes to theatrical releases, saying that XX has been a long time coming would be putting it mildly. Although horror anthologies have been much more prominent as of late (which probably has something to do with XX making major strives forward recently), this title was originally announced long before Southbound or Holidays or even Tales of Halloween started making the rounds at film festivals.
For a while, it seemed like this all-female powerhouse project might never be seen by its eager fans. Luckily, news started circulating again once musician-turned-filmmaker Annie Clark, aka St. Vincent, officially signed on, and now the horror anthology has been firmly stamped with a 2016 release date. Aside from it being another fun addition to an exciting resurgence of anthologies, what makes this movie so distinct is the fact that every single chapter is directed by a woman and stars a woman. With talent like Karyn Kusama, Mary Harron, and Jennifer Chambers Lynch behind the camera, this will definitely be one collection of stories worth watching.
Rabid – Jen & Sylvia Soska
It’s difficult to name a harder-working duo in Hollywood than Jen and Sylvia Soska. Twin sisters born with identical faces and a matching affinity for horror movies, the two stand as a united front and are partners in everything: acting, stunts, writing, and directing. After a bad run at their film school in Vancouver, the girls joined forces in 2009 to make their first feature-length movie, Dead Hooker in a Trunk, for a measly $2500.
After making waves at festivals, the twins came back in 2012 with a very bold and special take on body horror, American Mary. The film tells the story of a med student gone mad, who tumbles down the rabbit hole into the underground world of body modification and the black market. With its peculiar approach into taboo territory, American Mary officially put the Soska sisters on the map, and soon, many more projects followed.
Together, the girls snagged the WWE slasher See No Evil 2, a spot in the horror anthology The ABCs of Death 2, the 2015 film Vendetta, and now, the remake of David Cronenberg’s Rabid. It’s very fitting that the girls who became known for their love letter to body manipulation flicks of the ’80s wound up with the keys to the kingdom of the much-coveted Cronenberg remake, especially because they’ve been fans of the man their entire lives. Since the original 1977 sci-fi thriller is meant to be a commentary on humans’ tendencies towards violence, and the pair has already tackled a similar scenario in the past, it will be interesting to see what they bring to the table with their new vision.
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