NATIONAL BESTSELLER An indispensable work of feminist criticism. Elle Convincing and illuminating. The Atlantic A compelling, intelligent, and timely exploration of the horror genre from one of Columbia Universitys most popular professors, shedding light on how classic horror films demonstrate larger cultural attitudes about womens rights, bodily autonomy, and more.When the Supreme Court decided to reverse Roe v. Wade in the spring of 2022, Dr. Eleanor Johnson and her class were in the middle of studying the 1968 horror classic Rosemarys Baby, a film that understands reproductive coercion as the soul of horror. Teaching this film to her distraught students led Johnson to an epiphany: horror cinema engages directly with the combustive politics of womens rights and the despotic atmosphere in America, both in the 1970s and today. In ten riveting, enlightening, and occasionally scream-inducing (Shelf Awareness) essays, Johnson reveals with intellect and empathy how classics like Rosemarys Baby, The Exorcist, and The Shining expose and critique issues of reproductive control, domestic violence, and patriarchal oppression. By weaving these iconic films into the fabric of American feminism, Johnson reveals that true horror often lies not in the supernatural but in the familiar (and all too often, lethal) confines of the home. With wit and relish (BookPage), Scream with Me is an accessible and thought-provoking (Library Journal) recognition of the power of the horror genre to shape and reflect cultural dialogues about gender and power.
