I’m sure there’s a better name for it floating around which I just haven’t heard, but I like the sound of Aphrodite Anathema. It's what I call the genre which examines the horror, trauma, and assorted forms of violence that come with upholding the aspects of that beloved goddess on her seashell.
You must be beautiful. You must be desired. You must love. You must be loved. You must be a balm. You must be a smiling servant-mother-lover. You must be pure. You must be sexy. You must pursue these pretty features. You must do everything you can to shed these ugly features. You must pursue affection. You must accept when others pursue. You must wish to be pursued. You must be mild, palatable, weak. You must conform. You must comply or suffer. And when you do, suffer anyway.
Taking these barbs and scrubbing the pink off to reveal the blood underneath has always been one of the tastier horror flavors to me. Some of my favorites are as follows:
SPOILERS BELOW
Belladonna of Sadness (1973) – A gorgeous Faustian treat. Luscious psychedelic art abounds, ranging from erotic to idyllic to gothic to purely acidic. Too bad for Jeanne, the dazzling visuals really don’t soften any of the hell she gets dragged through during the tale; literally or figuratively. Really hits the nail on the head when it comes to the core of, ‘If you’re a woman who draws attention, you will never win dignity or respect from a society that calls for your blood whether you’re a virgin, a whore, a saint, a witch, or anything other than a martyr.’
Carrie (1976) – Carrie White, my friend, my daughter, my girl of all time. While Stephen King’s novel really gets into the layers of all the misery this girl went through, I have to admit I like the film a little better than the book. It pares everything down to the meat of Carrie’s torment. A teenage girl brutalized into a monster for the sin of not being the kind of girl anyone around her wants her to be, even as she desperately tries to appease everyone and belong. When she finally does seem to succeed in the desired performance, all the prom-pink shimmer and acceptance gets washed away in a tide of blood.
Grafted (2024) – Lots of layers in this one. The plot revolves around a young woman with a prominent birthmark, a factor in her awkwardness among shallow peers. She manages to perfect the science of instant flawless skin grafts. And wouldn't you know it, the bodies of her bullies begin to pile up. Thankfully with their pretty faces still intact. As a whole it amounts to a grisly monkey's paw answer to 'What if I could just have a prettier/preferred-by-society look?' Peak body horror on display and a massive knife twist of a tragic ending.
Hard Candy (2005) – Starring a pre-transition Elliot Page, this is one of my few favorite non-supernatural and/or fantastical thrillers. It’s beautifully shot and brutally bitter. It seems to take real pleasure in ripping a number of familiar infuriating arguments out of murky what-aboutism and into stark reminder of blunt facts regarding older men on the hunt for dangerously young girls as their company (or corpse) of choice. Barely a drop of blood to be seen in the whole thing, but one of the most intense and stressful watches I can recall.
Perfect Blue (1997) – Haven’t seen another film yet that so excellently highlights the knife’s edge that girls and women balance on. The cutting line between Am I a girl or am I a woman? Is it better to be one or the other? Is one happier, one sadder? The world wants me (the Girl) young and sweet and sugar-pink perfect forever. The world wants me (the Woman) sexually engaging and punished for being sexual, for being mature. Do I want one more than the other? If I do, am I wrong? If I don’t, am I making a mistake by not trying to cling to the performed innocence of girlhood identity, or by failing to grow up and get free of it? Who am I? Who am I? Who am I?
The Substance (2024) – The self-destruction element is really the part I love beyond the body horror and general message of anti-youth/beauty obsession. You are one, the Substance sellers warn. Despite Elisabeth and Sue’s denials, it’s true. Elisabeth is Sue, but ‘Sue’ happily disassociates herself from the increasingly haggard and abused elder self of Elisabeth. The version of herself she grows to hate and will hide at any cost. The lesson isn't just about toxic treatment by external societal and commercial factors, but internal abuse. If Elisabeth's self-loathing wasn’t there, if she hadn't invested all her self worth in admiration and accolades, if she had simply loved herself from the start, she could have dodged the whole nightmare. But where's the movie in that?
Teeth (2007) – She’s got teeth up in there. They're very sharp and they have opinions. And she makes it the problem of everyone who deserves it.
The Ugly Stepsister (2025) – Oh, this goddamn gem of a film. It’s a period piece. It’s fantasy. It’s tragedy. It’s psychological horror. It’s the dark fairy tale twist I thought I’d never get to have. I can’t laud enough all the detailed dissections of the torture endured for beauty, approval, and frantic scrambling towards love and independence that are on display in here. It has one of the most nauseating climaxes I’ve ever seen and that is a compliment. Bonus points for having multiple climaxes in which you dare to think, Surely it can't get any worse! You're proven wrong each time. Utter masterpiece of a commentary and a retelling.
Honorable Mention -The short film, Kalley’s Last Review. A vicious treat to wash out the psychic damage caused by overexposure to beauty influencers.
