Written by Cat Wilson, catthewilson.com
What makes a horror movie feminist? There is the Bechdel test, which is passed if two named female characters talk about something other than a man… but that is just one diagnostic tool. While many protagonists in slasher films are female there is the argument that by using violence to defeat their tormentors female characters masculinize themselves. Fair point. So today’s pick is Ringu the Japanese horror film and its english remake The Ring. In each movie the lead is a investigative journalist and mother. In the end our heroine's survival depends not upon violence or destruction of the antagonist, through luck and critical thinking she finds a solution.
This film also contains themes on the hidden stories of women. Warning: There are jump scares in The Ring as well as animal violence and suicide.