When it comes to documenting the history of horror, most people point at a picture of John Carpenter and call it a day. But Donna Davies and Alexandra Heller-Nicholas are here to remind you that while the men mostly get the spotlight, women have been busy building the genre you love. Together, Davies and Nicholas are the powerhouse duo behind the 1000 Women in Horror documentary, and their partnership is essentially the “prestige horror” version of a supergroup, out to shine a light on the women behind the screams.
I had the pleasure of sitting down with the two amazing creators for an interview about 1000 Women in Horror. Their shared passion for giving women in the genre the recognition they deserve is something I can truly respect. I also happened to give the doc a glowing review.
The Director: Donna Davies (The Visionary)
If you’ve ever gone down a late-night rabbit hole watching horror documentaries, you’ve likely seen Davies’ work. The ward-winning filmmaker is the brain behind cult-favorite docs like Zombiemania and Nightmare Factory.
Davies doesn’t just “report” on horror; she lives it. She rings a “fan-first” heart to her projects, meaning she knows exactly which practical effects clips will make a cinephile’s heart skip a beat. With 1000 Women, she’s moving past the “Final Girl” trope to highlight the writers and directors who have been the genre’s backbone since 1895.
The Writer: Alexandra Heller-Nicholas (The Scholar)
You can’t have a definitive documentary without a definitive text, and that’s where Heller-Nicholas comes in. The documentary is based on her exhaustive, deep-dive book of the same name. She’s a respected horror historian and critic, with a specific focus on the “feminine perspective” in cult cinema.
She’s the person you want in your corner when someone tries to tell you that women only started directing horror in the 2010s. She had the receipts, the dates, and the filmography to prove that women have been delivering scares since the silent era.
Why This Duo Works
The magic of 1000 Women in Horror is the balance between Davies’s cinematic flair and Heller-Nicholas’s academic rigor. It’s a smart, visceral, and—let’s be honest—a long-overdue look at the architects of fear. By the time the credits roll, they’ll have you convinced that the “future of horror” isn’t just female—the past was, too.
Watch our interview below, and be sure to watch 1000 Women in Horror when it debuts on Shudder on March 20.
