Join us for an interactive evening talk, exploring the origins of well loved tropes in the horror genre

In this session, we will dive into the world of the 'unlikeable female character' - We will examine the complex portrayals of strong female leads in thriller and horror cinema, uncovering the layers of misogyny that often shape their narratives. We'll dissect why society labels these women as antagonists and how these characters challenge our perceptions of femininity and power.

Through a series of in-depth discussions and critical analyses, we'll explore a range of iconic characters and their impact on the genre. Films such as Pearl (West, 2022), Fatal Attraction (Lyne, 1987), Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte (1964, Aldrich), Misery (Reiner, 1990), The Guardian (Friedkin, 1990), and Jennifer’s Body (Kusame, 2009), will help us uncover the underlying themes of these characterisations and their broader implications in media and society, as well as gaining a deeper understanding of the 'unlikeable' female lead and a new appreciation for the narratives they drive.

Feeding The Monster, Anna’s new book, is a captivating look at what draws us to the shocks and thrills of horror.

Horror has been embraced by mainstream pop culture more than ever before, with horror characters and aesthetics infecting TV, music videos and even TikTok trends. Yet even with the commercial and critical success of The Babadook, Hereditary, Get Out, The Haunting of Hill House, Yellowjackets and countless other horror films and TV series over the last few years, loving the genre still prompts the question: what’s wrong with you?

In Feeding the Monster, Anna Bogutskaya dispels this notion once and for all by examining how horror responds to and fuels our feelings of fear, anxiety, pain, hunger and power.

Anna Bogustskaya is a London-based author, critic, freelance film programmer, podcaster and creative producer. She is a co-founder of the horror film collective The Final Girls and Film Programmer for the Edinburgh International Film Festival and Fantastic Fest. Her previous book- Unlikeable Female Characters– was about the history and evolution of unlikeable female characters in film, TV and pop culture

Join us on Friday, 22nd March 2024, from 7pm to 11pm, at The Carousel in Nottingham, for a bone-chilling night of cinematic thrills at 'Bodycount,' a collaboration between Monstrous Flesh and Fortune & Glory Film Club.

Sink your teeth into a curated selection of horror short films celebrating female desire, rage, and sexuality, all while we playfully toy with the dual nature of the term 'bodycount.'

Whether you're here to celebrate your 'bodycount' in the bedroom or 'bodycount' in the graveyard, we're not here to judge or ask questions—just to provide an unforgettable experience.

A session dedicated to exploring the representation of women and non-binary people in the Horror, Fantasy and Sci-Fi genre

Monstrous Flesh x The Screen at Contemporary present Hideous Thing Inside

Delving into fairy tales and folklore to explore the wild feral, forbidden, feminine.

Help us come ashore, there's no need to fear, we won't eat you, my dear, eat you, eat you, eat you...

In Warsaw, two mermaids, Golden and Silver, are drawn to the land and all its sinful pleasures. Whilst Silver looks for love in all the wrong places, Golden sets off on a murderous rampage punctuated by incredible musical numbers, eviscerations and sexual experimentation.

Coalescing the elements of horror, comedy, romance, musical, fantasy and coming-of-age drama into an abstract and ambitious take on the Hans Christian Andersen tale, The Lure invites you to take a dive at the deep end.

Monstrous Flesh x The Screen at Contemporary present Hideous Thing Inside

Delving into fairy tales and folklore to explore the wild feral, forbidden, feminine.

She was marked with a curse of those who slink and court and kill by night!

A newly married woman is entranced by the idea that she is the descendant of a tribe of cat people that morph into black panthers when aroused. When she suspects her husband may betray her, the dormant feline is awakened!

The threat of the dark, unknown, and wild feminine is all at play—the suggestion of subtle terror that lingers in the shadows and threatens to take hold is a real treat to bask in. One of a series of Val Lewtons-produced low-budget RKO horrors that have been referenced, copied, and pastiched ever since.

Monstrous Flesh x The Screen at Contemporary present Hideous Thing Inside

Delving into fairy tales and folklore to explore the wild feral, forbidden, feminine.

And the little woman, whom we call hysterical, alone and unhappy, isn't she still a riddle for us?

Grave robbing, torture, possessed nuns, and a satanic Sabbath - Haxan is a darkly humorous witch’s brew. Through a series of phantasmagorical vignettes, Benjamin Christensen chronicles the development of witchcraft, from its pagan origins to the onset of understanding mental illnesses. A brave, insightful and enduring documentary about the destructive power of religious intolerance and mankind’s fear of the unknown.

Accompanied by a live score from Memorials, Verity Susman (Electrelane) and Matthew Simms (Wire)

Monstrous Flesh x The Screen at Contemporary present Hideous Thing Inside

Delving into fairy tales and folklore to explore the wild feral, forbidden, feminine.

People are both the devil and god—and are truly mysterious

In medieval, war-torn Japan, an impoverished widow and her daughter-in-law survive by killing samurai who stray into their swamp and selling their valuables. After learning of the death of their son/husband, the daughter in law begins an affair with a neighbour, threatening the fragile equilibrium of their lives… Dealing with themes of lust, envy, repressed sexuality, female power, grey morality and the fallout of war leading to societal breakdown, this atmospheric horror fairytale will haunt you long after the credits finish rolling.

Monstrous Flesh x The Screen at Contemporary present Hideous Thing Inside

Delving into fairy tales and folklore to explore the wild feral, forbidden, feminine.

Jezebel! Slut! Sinner! Satan’s Child! Delilah!

Lifelong friends Mari and Michele moonlight as vigilantes who roam the streets at night beating up women they deem sinful. After an attack goes wrong, leaving Mari scarred and unemployed, her view of community, religion, and her peers begin to shift…

Inspired by the rise of radical evangelical Christian factions and women-on-women violence in her native Brazil, director da Silveira’s film oscillates between satire and horror as it deep dives into the world of so-called piety, arguing that if women have been conditioned by the patriarchy to control each other, it’s only women who can also save each other.

Monstrous Flesh x The Screen at Contemporary present Hideous Thing Inside

Delving into fairy tales and folklore to explore the wild feral, forbidden, feminine.

A living nightmare of black magic... and unspeakable evil!

Part of the unholy trinity of British folk horror alongside The Wicker Man and Witchfinder General, The Blood on Satan’s Claw taps into uncanny currents in quaint rural corners of England, and the duality of the Witch: a synonym of feminine power, and a symbol that men will go to any lengths to resist and destroy. With an unforgettable folk-baroque soundtrack and an array of superb character actors, it reflects on the societal unease felt post sexual revolution.

For the second year running, Emma and Clelia are collaborating with Non Such Studios on a special International Women's Day event celebrating ALL Women in Horror, and all horror-loving women!

Bringing together the official themes of IWD23 #embraceequity and LGBTQ+ History Month #behindthelens, we are proudly presenting an evening showcasing the talent and strength of the Horror fan community in Nottingham: a curated selection of international short films directed by women centering of the female experience, guest speakers, live music from local DJs, and local artists stands... don't miss it!

Ticket Link

Double bill screening: Catcalls (Kate Dolan, 2017) + Assassination Nation (Sam Levinson, 2018), followed by a panel discussion with local artist Kim Thompson and writer Dr Amy Harris