unsung hero Archives | Womentainment

Queer Women Are Shaping Horror and Shudder Documentary Proves It

Karina H. Adelgaard — Fri, 20 Mar 2026 13:11:54 +0000

Shudder’s 1000 WOMEN IN HORROR proves how LGBTQ women are shaping horror. We probably always have, but now we’re front and center in the new Shudder Documentary. Whether as actors or creators (both even), we are everywhere. Read why you should watch the new release – as if the title alone wasn’t enough?!

1000 WOMEN IN HORROR is out on Shudder, and you should absolutely check it out. First and foremost, because it pays a long overdue tribute to women. Sure, the Final Girl has always been a key element of slashers, but female writers and directors have also been involved for decades.

And yes, this includes queer women!

Horror has always been a genre for outsiders. For anyone who has ever felt too weird, too loud, too much — or simply not enough — horror understood you long before mainstream culture caught up. So it should come as no surprise that queer women have been at the heart of the genre for well over a century.

What is surprising is how rarely that story gets told. A new Shudder documentary is here to change that.

WANT TO READ A REVIEW OF THE DOCUMENTARY?

Head on over to Heaven of Horror, where I reviewed this already >

1000 Women in Horror, streaming now on Shudder as part of Women’s History Month, is a 96-minute celebration of the women who built, shaped, and continue to revolutionize horror cinema from 1895 to the present day.

Directed by Donna Davies and written by horror historian and film critic Alexandra Heller-Nicholas — based on her acclaimed 2020 book of the same name — the documentary brings together actors, directors, writers, and producers who have all left an indelible mark on the genre.

Here at Womentainment, we also wanted to highlight that this documentary focuses on all women. This includes queer women, who are woven throughout this story in ways that deserve their own spotlight.

Horror Has Always Been Queer – Whether We Called It That or Not

Long before anyone used the word “queer” in a positive context, horror was doing something quietly radical: centering outsiders, giving power to those society deemed monstrous, and letting the “Other” win.

Alexandra Heller-Nicholas has written that horror at its best gives a voice to those who would otherwise struggle to be heard. Also, how its “Others” include anyone whose identity is defined by negations: Not-white, Not-male, Not-straight.

This is the philosophy baked into the DNA of 1000 Women in Horror – the book as well as this new documentary on Shudder.

While the documentary does not wave a pride flag explicitly, it does something arguably more powerful. This documentary presents a community of women horror creators. Women who have built spaces for themselves precisely because those spaces did not exist.

They wrote what was missing.

Then they directed what no one else would greenlight.

And it was all made possible because they produced films from sheer necessity and desire.

That is, at its core, a profoundly queer impulse.

Why Shudder Keeps Getting It Right for LGBTQ Women in Horror

It is worth noting that 1000 Women in Horror is hardly Shudder’s first foray into this territory. The platform previously released Queer for Fear. This is a docuseries exploring the history of the LGBTQ+ community in the horror and thriller genres, all while tracing queer influence.

From its literary origins with Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker, and Oscar Wilde, through to contemporary genre filmmaking. The Queer for Fear series was a landmark, and now 1000 Women in Horror continues the conversation. However, this time, it shifts the lens specifically onto women.

In doing so, Shudder’s 1000 Women in Horror documentary also makes space for the many queer women whose contributions have been overlooked or undervalued.

As a horror critic (over at Heaven of Horror), I found it genuinely moving to watch this documentary. It truly treats the women who make horror with the same reverence usually reserved for the male auteurs who dominate the conversation.

And as someone who covers entertainment for audiences who care about representation, I find something else thrilling as well. The simple fact that so many of the women featured are queer or queer-adjacent. Whether in their storytelling, or simply unapologetically themselves in ways that resonate far beyond genre. Often both!

Womentainment recommendation: Should you watch it? Absolutely!

Despite its title, 1000 Women in Horror is not a niche documentary for hardcore horror fans only. It is a film about creativity, resilience, and the radical act of making art that reflects your own experience.

For LGBTQ women, for women who love women, for anyone who has ever felt like a monster in a world that prefers them invisible; This is your documentary!

Stream it on Shudder now. Then go and watch everything the women in it have ever made. You will not run out of great horror anytime soon.

The post Queer Women Are Shaping Horror and Shudder Documentary Proves It appeared first on Womentainment.

Stranger Things’ Robin as a Queer Elder

Karina H. Adelgaard — Fri, 28 Nov 2025 12:49:11 +0000

On Netflix, Stranger Things Season 5 has Maya Hawke’s “Robin Buckley” be the Queer Elder. Warning: this piece includes spoilers to Stranger Things season 5 volume 1, so read at your own risk. No details are revealed – unless they are related to anything LGBTQ+. Consider yourself warned!

Who saw this coming on Stranger Things season 5: Robin Buckley (Maya Hawke) becomes the Queer Elder to Will Byers (Noah Schnapp), and helps him tap into the powers he had all along. Obviously, it’s made even better by the fact that these two actors are both part of the LGBTQ+ community in real life.

No, not both as queer people, though both are outspoken advocates for the community. Noah Schnapp is gay, and Maya Hawke is a fierce ally who fought to make Robin Buckley a lesbian in the first place.

A beautiful “Friend of Dorothy”-moment

You know how in The Wizard of Oz, when Glinda tells Dorothy: “You’ve always had the power“?

Well, that’s pretty much what happens in Stranger Things Season 5. Only it’s the lesbian Robin Buckley, who talks to Will Byers, as she senses that the two have a lot more in common than just being part of the kids responsible for saving Hawkins from the Upside Down.

Basically, Robin becomes the Queer Elder and helps Will realize that there is immense power in being true to oneself. In the case of Robin and Will, this means their gay self. As long as they are hiding their own truth, they are holding back.

The power of coming out to oneself

Rather than Will Byers having a classic “Coming out” moment, it’s Robin recognizing Will and allowing him to have someone who relates to him as a gay person. It shows the power of coming out to oneself, which is always the first step.

Sure, it seems Will knew he was gay, but he didn’t feel safe or recognized as such. Until now!

It all begins when Robin is kissing her love interest, Vicki (out queer actor Amybeth McNulty), and Will catches a glimpse of them. To many, this might look like Will is being a perv, checking out some girl-on-girl kissing. To those who have been paying attention (and/or are gay), it’s obvious something else is going on.

From fear to acceptance

Robin is out to Steve Harrington, which happened in Season 3, when Robin entered as a character and became friends with Steve. Both worked at the ice cream shop Scoops Ahoy, and Robin initially loathed Steve because her first girl crush fell for the hunky Steve, and not her.

Anyway, Robin isn’t out otherwise and is nervous that Will saw her kissing Vicki. However, this changes when Robin recognizes something else is going on. She starts paying more attention to where Will looks and how he acts. As one does when recognizing a fellow gay.

Realizing Will Byers is gay, and trying to accept this about himself, she starts talking to him about her own experience with realizing she was gay. The two bond, and in the final showdown of Stranger Things Season 5 Volume 1, Will is finally able to lean into the power inside himself.

It truly is a “You’ve always had the power” moment, and it seems Will Byers, accepting himself, is as powerful as Eleven… maybe even the supervillain Vecna!

How powerful is Will?

In Stranger Things Season 5 Volume 2, we will likely see just how powerful Will Byers is now. One thing is for sure: Being true to himself was a real power boost.

Maybe Robin Buckley will also tap into that courage she awakened in Will. As Volume 1 ended, she was forced to cancel a second planned date with Vicki. Obviously, Vicki is probably quite upset by now. In fact, it’s possible Robin simply stood up Vicki this second time around.

Personally, I can’t wait to see just how powerful Will is now, and how Robin will make it up to Vicki.

Stranger Things Season 5 Volume 2 is coming to Netflix on December 25, 2025.

The post Stranger Things’ Robin as a Queer Elder appeared first on Womentainment.

Top 7 reasons Tina Belcher should be your Spirit Animal

Karina H. Adelgaard — Thu, 25 Aug 2016 07:45:40 +0000

If you’re not watching Bob’s Burgers, then you missing out on the awesome character of Tina Belcher

Or actually, even though Tina Belcher is special, they’re all awesome characters. Everyone in the Belcher family has quirks and personality that often goes deeper than many sitcoms. I mean, the live action, living and breathing kind of character. But before this turns into some kind of “I love Bob’s Burgers” story, we better get back on track.

There are many reasons why Tina Belcher should be your spirit animal, but after much consideration – and some intense bargaining – we’ve decided on a Top 7.

So, without any further ado, here you go:

Top 7 reasons Tina Belcher should be your Spirit Animal

#1 – She is always keeping it real

#2 – She can always find a way to pay someone a compliment

#3 – She’s very fond of LGBTQ representation

#4 – She’s awesome and she knows it (well, most of the time anyway)

#5 – She is always ready with some words of wisdom for you…

#6 – She is intensely honest – especially with herself

#7 – She would never kink shame anyone. In fact, she’d probably just have really honest and relevant questions for you.

And there you have it, seven perfectly good reasons why this girl is all kinds of amazing.

Are you ready to accept Tina Belcher as your spirit animal yet?

Otherwise, here’s a little thought-starter for you to get into the right mindset:

The post Top 7 reasons Tina Belcher should be your Spirit Animal appeared first on Womentainment.

It Took a Woman to Tell the World About These Women

Karina H. Adelgaard — Tue, 16 Aug 2016 15:05:39 +0000

Margot Lee Shetterly is the woman, who researched and wrote Hidden Figures. A book that has already been adapted for a major movie before its release.

The trailer for Hidden Figures is blowing up the Internet, while the release of the book being adapted is next month. The author of the book is Margot Lee Shetterly, and her father worked as a research scientist for NASA while her mother was an English professor at Hampton University. Shetterly herself moved to Mexico with her husband in 2005, where they founded an English language magazine called Inside Mexico for expats. The magazine ran until 2009, and from 2010 till 2013, they worked with content marketing and as editorial consultants for businesses in the Mexican tourism industry. It was also in 2010, Shetterly began researching and writing Hidden Figures, which she sold the rights to in 2014. So far, this is her first and only book.

But her mission to honor the women, who have been grotesquely overlooked, doesn’t stop there. In 2013, she also founded The Human Computer Project, which is an organization with a very clear mission; To archive the work of all of the women who worked as computers and mathematicians in the early days of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). There’s no doubt that stories like the one about Katherine Johnson will finally be known.

This is an excerpt from Margot Lee Shetterly’s own website:

You’ve heard the names John Glenn, Alan Shepard and Neil Armstrong. What about Katherine Johnson, Mary Jackson, Dorothy Vaughan, Kathryn Peddrew, Sue Wilder, Eunice Smith or Barbara Holley? Most Americans have no idea that from the 1940s through the 1960s, a cadre of African-American women formed part of the country’s space work force, or that this group—mathematical ground troops in the Cold War—helped provide NASA with the raw computing power it needed to dominate the heavens.

Margot Lee Shelley’s book Hidden Figures will go on sale September 6, 2016, and you can watch a presentation she gave at NASA Langley Research Center in March 2014 below here!

Also, watch the trailer for the film adaptation of Margot Lee Shetterly’s book Hidden Figures in our story on the movie over here.

The post It Took a Woman to Tell the World About These Women appeared first on Womentainment.

'Hidden Figures' Trailer is Heartbreak and Inspiration

Karina H. Adelgaard — Mon, 15 Aug 2016 10:52:22 +0000

When watching the trailer for Hidden Figures you’ll probably be overwhelmed with feelings of both heartbreak and inspiration

Hidden Figures is the story of three black women, who are the masterminds behind some of NASA’s most amazing moments. You know, things like getting people (of the male variety, naturally) to travel in space, to make sure the Soviet Union didn’t win the Space Race. Of course, it’s not like we heard about the importance of their work at the time. Or anytime after that really. Talk about unsung heroes!

Here’s the official plot for Hidden Figures:

A team of African-American women provide NASA with important mathematical data needed to launch the program’s first successful space missions.

More specifically, it’s the story of Katherine Johnson, the African American physicist, space scientist, and mathematician who calculated flight trajectories for Project Mercury and the 1969 Apollo 11 flight to the Moon. Along with her two colleagues, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson, their calculations helped John Glenn become the first American astronaut to make a complete orbit of Earth.

The world is finally ready to sing their praises – well, after another woman wrote a book about what Katherine Johnson and her colleagues accomplished. The author of the book is Margot Lee Shetterly, and you can read more about her in Womentainment’s story here.

Still, the new trailer for Hidden Figures is a beautiful way to begin acknowledging these amazing women of color, who were brilliant scientists. And it doesn’t hurt that the movie stars some of the most popular and respected black women. Oh yeah, this movie has the star power to make headlines, so let’s talk a bit about these amazing leading ladies.

The Hidden Figures cast is pretty perfect

First up, there’s Taraji P. Henson, who was Academy Award nominated for her role in David Fincher’s The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and is currently ruling the TV screen as Cookie Lyon on the FOX drama series Empire. Playing the role of Cookie, she’s already won a Golden Globe and Critic’s Choice Award, while also being nominated for an Emmy. Previously, she portrayed the best detective in New York City, Joss Carter, on Jonathan Nolan’s CBS show Person of Interest. On a more personal note, Henson is a huge supporter of both animal welfare and the LGBT community. She has done campaigns with PETA [People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals] in both 2011 and 2013, as well as the NOH8 Campaign. She’s bold, outspoken and beautiful inside and out. A woman after my own heart!

Next, we have Academy Award winner Octavia Spencer. She won her Oscar for her amazing portrayal of Minny Jackson in The Help. In fact, that role also won her the BAFTA, Golden Globe, SAG and Critic’s Choice Award. Spencer made her feature film debut in Joel Schumacher’s 1996 movie A Time to Kill, which was based on the John Grisham book. More recently, she played a key role in the film adaptations of Insurgent and Allegiant (the second and third book in the Divergent trilogy).

Finally, we have Janelle Monáe, who has made a career as a singer primarily. Her music has racked up six Grammy Award nominations so far, so she’s yet another immensely talented artist. Almost as much as her music – in some cases, probably even more – Monáe is known for her clothing style. Which, in a word, is stunning! She tends to wear a tuxedo, which could be seen as a very androgynous style, but in Monáe’s case it only serves to further boost her pride in being a strong woman. While she’s done voice work in the animated movie Rio 2, she has two movies coming out in the next six months. First up is Moonlighting, which will premiere at TIFF [Toronto International Film Festival] in September 2016, and then Hidden Figures in January 2017.

Also, the supporting cast includes Kevin Costner, Kirsten Dunst, Jim Parsons and Mahershala Ali (House of Cards). In other words, the entire cast is pretty starstudded and this should ensure that Hidden Figures will be a huge Blockbuster. And come award season, it should rake up plenty of nominations and – if the trailer is any indication of the final film – a lot of wins.

As previously stated, the movie Hidden Figures is based on the book (non-fiction, of course) by Margot Lee Shelley and the script was written by the director of the movie, Theodore Melfi, in cooperation with Allison Schroeder. Theodore Melfi previously wrote and directed St. Vincent, which starred Bill Murray, Melissa McCarthy and Naomi Watts.

Hidden Figures will be released on January 13, 2017.

The post 'Hidden Figures' Trailer is Heartbreak and Inspiration appeared first on Womentainment.