So you’re a wimp. A big gay baby. Even the thought of watching a horror movie makes you want to cuddle up with Steven Universe like the scaredy cat you are.
Okay, I’ve had my fun. I promise I’ll be nicer from here on out. As Them’s resident horror aficionado, I have been tasked with helping you hunt down spooky films that won’t make you squeamish. And that’s something I’m happy to do, despite the fact that I inhale the freakier stuff. (My trick is remembering that any blood I see on screen is actually corn syrup.) Some horror fans like to play gatekeeper, shutting out anyone who can’t watch movies more harrowing than Saw. But the genre is better with more eyes on it, so I want everyone to be able to enjoy horror. Yes, even queer cowards like you.
Fortunately, there are quite a lot of horror movies that aren’t too scary to choose from, even if you don’t want to get all gory. And many of them are queer because the genre itself has always been queer. My goal with this guide is to give you a few options that can still quicken your pulse without upsetting your stomach. Sometimes that requires tightrope walking: a few of these movies have core horror ingredients like death and a bit of blood, but I’m not picking anything I wouldn’t show to someone who covered their eyes during the “girl crawls out of the TV” scene in The Ring. On the safer end of the spectrum, I’ll include some totally mild cartoon options as well.
As an extra precaution, I’ve added content notes so you know what you’re getting yourself into. If I’ve done my job right, you should be able to watch any of the movies below without losing sleep at night.
The Haunting (1963)
The word “damn” is about the harshest thing you’ll find in one of my favorite horror films of all time. On its surface, this classic adaptation of Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House (yes, the same inspiration for the 2018 Netlfix series) is about a group of people who stay in a spooky old mansion at the behest of a paranormal investigator. But what truly makes this movie stand out is its obvious lesbian subtext. Although one of the visitors, Theodora, is only ever referred to as being “unnatural,” it’s clear from the writing — and her whole vibe — what that descriptor actually means. This is a horror masterpiece you can enjoy without having to watch it through your fingers.
Watch out for: There is an implied hanging — a shot of some dangling feet is the most graphic scene — and lots of supernatural suspense.
The Blackening (2023)
The Blackening looked at first blush like it was going to be Scream-esque in both content and tone. But while it did end up having lots of delightful meta humor about the horror genre, it turned out to be much less gory than its R-rating would have allowed. To be sure, there’s still some violence in this film about a group of friends gathering at a cabin for Juneteenth — substantially more than many other entries on this list. But the tone remains comical throughout, nothing is ever too graphic, and some bloody crossbow wounds are about as bad as it gets. If you can use my “corn syrup” trick a couple of times, I recommend giving this one a go. Among the film’s many delights is Dewayne Perkins’ take on the gay best friend trope, which ultimately becomes The Blackening’s emotional core. Watch it with a straight friend (if you have any) for added resonance.
Watch out for: Anytime the crossbow gets fired.
Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (1988)
Cassandra Peterson (a.k.a. Elvira) is officially one of us. And what better way to show your love for this queer horror icon than to watch her classic 1988 solo film? In this delightfully campy madcap comedy, Elvira heads to small-town Massachusetts to receive an inheritance from her dead aunt, only to find out that the villagers aren’t fans of her cleavage, nor of her penchant for double entendre. I won’t spoil where Elvira’s adventure takes her, but I can reveal that overt sexuality (oodles of it, in fact) is Mistress of the Dark’s most risqué element. Any violence is incredibly mild.
Watch out for: Someone takes a high heel to the dome and loses a hand, but I promise it’s not very graphic. There’s a light patina of blood on the hand; otherwise it’s about as scary as Cousin Itt from the Addams Family running down the hall.
Wendell & Wild (2022)
Jordan Peele and Keegan-Michael Key teaming up for a stop-motion film from the director of The Nightmare Before Christmas? If that doesn’t sell you on Wendell & Wild, I don’t know what can. This spooky Netflix comedy tells the story of demon brothers (the eponymous Wendell and Wild), an orphan (Lyric Ross), and her trans best friend Raúl (Sam Zelaya). The plot is complicated, but this is a fun romp, and as visually satisfying as director Henry Selick’s résumé might lead you to expect.
Watch out for: Relax. This one’s a very mild PG-13.
Trap (2024)
M. Night Shyamalan’s Trap is silly, ridiculous, and requires a truly heroic suspension of disbelief. Why is a pop star on par with Olivia Rodrigo playing an arena show in the middle of the day? Don’t ask questions. Just go along with it. The joy of Trap is truly in the journey as we watch Josh Hartnett’s serial killer character slip his way through a series of schemes designed to take him into police custody. (Plus, there’s a memorable cameo from Kid Cudi as a gay kombucha-obsessed rapper named The Thinker. Yes, really.) Structurally, this is not a conventional horror movie, but thematically, it hits all the right notes to make for good spooky season viewing.
Watch out for: When you see some tasers come out, look away for a little bit.
Rope (1948)
My most queer grandma-like opinion is that I’m worried the kids are losing sight of subtext. Watching Hitchock’s Rope should be required for anyone who thinks a character needs to stand up and literally wave a Pride flag for a film to contain LGBTQ+ representation. It is also an absolutely stunning cinematic achievement, made to look as though it was filmed in one shot (with a series of hidden cuts) long before the advent of CGI.
The premise of the film is simple, even if it requires some suspension of disbelief: two young men, Brandon (John Dall) and Phillip (Farley Granger), decide to commit a murder almost as a thought experiment, just to see if they can get away with it. But at a dinner party, their older friend Rupert (Jimmy Stewart) begins to suspect their plot. This one slipped past the censors, but it should be incredibly obvious to any modern viewer that Brandon and Phillip are both … friends of Dorothy, and that the slow-boiling guilt Phillip feels about the murder has a deeper meaning.
Watch out for: Someone gets strangled with the eponymous rope at the very beginning. It’s very gentle-looking, as far as stranglings go. After that, there is truly no reason to keep your guard up. Just enjoy the suspense.
I Saw the TV Glow (2024)
Jane Schoenbrun’s I Saw the TV Glow is emotionally harrowing, and plenty creepy in short bursts, but this is not the kind of movie you have to watch through your fingers. That makes this film a great compromise for couples composed of one person who wants to watch something spooky and another who can’t handle the tension of a protagonist hiding in a closet. (Well, a literal closet anyway.) A brutal allegory for the pain of denying who you really are, I Saw the TV Glow has already been rightly minted a modern trans masterpiece. Just remember: There is still time.
Watch out for: If you’re squeamish, close your eyes for a bit after Owen (Justice Smith) picks up a box cutter. There are a few other disturbing images, but they’re mostly presented in a stylized way that blunts their force.
Clue (1985)
Few films are as guaranteed a good time as Clue, a frequent rewatch in many a queer household. Based on the titular board game, this camp classic is jam-packed with puns, sight gags, and silly antics. The film is full of iconic quotable moments: “flames on the side of my face,” “I’m gonna go home and sleep with my wife,” and, of course, “I am your singing telegram!”
Clue’s most enduring pleasure by far, though, is Tim Curry’s performance as Wadsworth the butler. Curry’s facial acting alone is remarkable to watch; he can make you bust up with a slight wrinkling of the corners of his mouth. Even writing about this movie makes me want to put it on again.
Watch out for: This one’s about as gory as your average game of Clue. If you can handle blunt instruments and some Weekend at Bernie’s-style antics with dead bodies, you can just enjoy the show.
The Others (2001)
No, The Others is not a queer horror film, strictly speaking. But Nicole Kidman is (literally) mother in this 2001 modern classic, playing a woman living with her two photosensitive children in a big dark estate in Jersey — the island, not the state — during World War II. This is an excellent gateway horror movie in the sense that it’s incredibly atmospheric without any of the sort of visual triggers that might turn away more skittish viewers. Relax and enjoy Nicole Kidman walking through spooky hallways carrying candles. (Just think of it as a slightly more tense version of her strolling through the lobby of an AMC.)
Watch out for: There are some jump scares, but that comes with the territory. It’ll be good practice for watching something scarier next time!
Trick or Treat Scooby-Doo! (2022)
When any spy franchise goes on long enough, the writers eventually reveal that there’s been a shadowy overseer pulling the strings all along. In Mission: Impossible, it turns out to be the Syndicate, and in the James Bond movies, it’s Spectre. Well, Trick or Treat Scooby-Doo! follows suit by revealing an intimidatingly beautiful costume designer named Coco Diablo (Myrna Velasco) has been the one behind all the gangs’s minor villains to date. The animated movie also confirms what we’ve long known: Velma is a lesbian, and she has it bad for Ms. Diablo. When Velma first lays eyes on her she expertly analyzes her “incredible glasses,” “amazing turtleneck,” and her love of cats in a sort of lesbian-style RoboCop enhanced vision that is extremely relatable. Of course, the gang ends up having to partner with Coco to solve their biggest mystery yet. Who would expect anything less?
Watch out for: Nothing to fear here except some meddling kids!
Les Diaboliques (1955)
Released in 1955, Les Diaboliques is a clever Hitchcokican thriller about two women living under the thumb of a tyrannical boarding school principal, and the lengths to which they’ll go to end his reign. It’s twisty and turny, and most importantly for our purposes here, there’s almost nothing in the way of graphic violence or gore.
Watch out for: The scene with the bathtub, but again, any violence is very mild. This was 1955, after all.
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