Trailer Released For 1000 WOMEN IN HORROR Documentary Heading to Shudder
Shudder has released the trailer for 1000 Women In Horror, a documentary that digs deep into the long and often overlooked history of women shaping the horror genre.
The film premiered at the 2025 Melbourne Film Festival and later screened at the Brooklyn Horror Film Festival, and now horror fans will finally get to stream it when it arrives on Shudder later this month.
Inspired by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas’ acclaimed book 1000 Women In Horror, 1895–2018, the documentary explores the impact women have had on horror since the very beginning of cinema.
From the earliest days of filmmaking in 1895 through modern genre storytelling, the film highlights the directors, actors, and creators who helped define horror across generations.
The documentary features interviews with several notable voices working in horror today, including Akela Cooper, Mary Harron, Cerise Howard, Kier-La Janisse, Nikyatu Jusu, Roseanne Liang, Annalise Lockhart, Sara Risher, Gigi Saul Guerrero, Kate Siegel, Jenn Wexler, Roxanne Benjamin, and more. Together they reflect on the genre’s evolution and the women whose work helped push it forward.
Heller-Nicholas, whose book inspired the film, shared her excitement about seeing the project brought to the screen:
“Like so many women and femme-identifying horror fans, horror is in my blood: I live and breathe it, and it has helped me navigate the real-life horrors of the world more times than I can count.
“Having dedicated my career as an author and a film critic to the genre, watching my 2020 book, 1000 Women in Horror, come to life on screen has been a dream.
“This has been rendered even more magical not just through our collaborations with the horror royalty interviewed on screen, but the unwaveringly supportive Shudder team themselves, without whom this film literally would not exist!”
The documentary is directed by Donna Davies, whose previous work includes Fanarchy and Tesla's Children. Davies approaches the film with a mission to shine a light on the contributions the industry has too often overlooked.
“Horror's not a boy's club.” She continued: “In my films, I like to rip back the curtain and expose the raw underbelly of stories that obsess me. I love horror because it drags our deepest, darkest fears into the light.
“Women have been shaping this genre from day one, but the industry has too often ignored or erased their contribution. This film finally sets the record straight, and Shudder is the perfect place for horror fans to discover the voices and films that have too often been overlooked.”
Produced by Davies alongside Giles Edwards and Nicola Goelzhaeuser, 1000 Women in Horror serves as both a celebration and a correction to the genre’s historical record. It highlights the creators who helped shape horror into what it is today while also spotlighting voices that deserve far more recognition.
After making its festival debut in 2025, 1000 Women In Horror will officially begin streaming on Shudder starting March 20th, 2026.
