Happy Pride, Bitches!!! It’s that time of year when the entire queer community shows our collective asses and celebrate our right to exist in this world. In between the continued fights to protect our rights, I’ve compiled a list of movies to watch in the traditional fashion of the double feature for Pride month. Yes, this is partly in honor of the queerest movie ever, The Rocky Horror Picture Show. However, it is also because Memphis has just lost its drive-in theater, which I woefully didn’t get a chance to experience myself. Without further adieu, here are some queer horror double-feature suggestions for your viewing during Pride!
Daughters of Darkness and The Hunger
I like to call this double feature “The Ms. Will Take Your Girl Competition” because Delphine Seyrig and Catherine Deneuve didn’t come to play in these queer vampiric roles. Both films are not your quintessential vampire movies. Not because of the queer aspect but because fangs are not how these vamps get down. However, the lack of fangs does not deter the sheer eroticism displayed throughout both films. Daughters of Darkness’ Countess Bathory (Seyrig), who is actually based on the actual Elizabeth Bathory, has her eyes on the newlywed Valerie (Danielle Ouimet), whose husband has his own demons to work through.
Meanwhile, in The Hunger, Miriam Blaylock (Deneuve) turns her attention to a new prospective companion in Dr. Sarah Roberts (Susan Sarandon), after her human-vampire hybrid husband John (David Bowie) begins to deteriorate after 100 years. Saying any more will give the plots away for both films. However, trust that you will end up rooting for Bathory and Miriam to get the girl by the end of their respective films.
Spiral and The Obituary of Tunde Johnson
If you saw my last blog post about these films and are wondering why I’m including them in this list, I don’t blame you. However, as I stated in that same article and my podcast episode, The Obituary of Tunde Johnson and Spiral deserves more eyeballs. If for nothing else, a discourse on how not to do queer horror films with Black leads. Or rather, how to not repeat these particular narratives. Again, I have no issue with interracial dating in horror. As long as the minority in said relationship is not the one seeing/experiencing the horror, while the white counterpart is either oblivious, unhelpful, or complacent in said minority’s torture through gaslighting. Future Maliks (of Spiral) and Tundes deserve better. While their stories matter, it is still imperative to elevate these narratives to proper representation in queer horror.
Death Drop Gorgeous and Slay
Category is: Drag Queens in Peril and Kicking Ass! These two lovely indie pics showcase drag queens in horror, and we seriously need this genre to be expanded immediately. In Death Drop Gorgeous, someone is killing off gay men and drag queens in the Providence area, and no one is safe from the blade. Serving cunty camp and biting commentary on how the ageist aspect of queer culture is more a detriment than a shady read, Death Drop Gorgeous is a must-see for any queer horror fan. There is one death scene in the film that will make you think twice before engaging in a specific sex act ever again.
While the queens in Providence have to deal with a slasher, the gurls in Slay have to literally slay vampires. A traveling troupe of drag queens end up performing at a bar unwelcoming to the queens. They end up having to pair with some of the bigoted patrons to survive the night when vampires show up. Slay stars four RuPaul’s Drag Race alums (Heidi N’ Closet, Trinity the Tuck, Crystal Methyd, and Cara Melle). This comedic horror tale has some damn good shady moments from the queens and even the bar patrons. It pairs well with Death Drop Gorgeous in tone, campiness, and, clearly theme.
The Fear Street Trilogy*
The asterisk notates that while this selection isn’t necessarily a double feature, the love story at the center of two of the movies (arguably all three) is sapphic AF. While the third entry, 1666 is kind of a chore to get through, it all works out in the end. This is also another excuse to watch the trilogy after Fear Street: Prom Queen…
Knives and Skin and Perpetrator
This Jennifer Reeder duo does not get enough love for my liking, and I’m going to fix that. If you love David Lynch, then Knives and Skin is just for you. A young teenage girl’s disappearance sends a surreal shockwave throughout her small town. As secrets are unveiled, her classmates face their own personal demons. Two of those classmates are Laurel (Kayla Carter) and Colleen (Emma Ladji), who are falling in love throughout the chaos.
In Perpetrator, Jonny ‘s (Kiah McKirnan) already broken world is turned upside down when she discovers a literal change within her, prompting her father to send her to her Aunt Hildie (Alicia Silverstone). While figuring out all that personal drama, someone is snatching teenage girls. So, Jonny utilizes her street skills and her new supernatural abilities to prevent herself from being the next target. One of the biggest aspects from both of these movies that I love (outside of Reeder’s dreamlike directing and thought-provoking writing) is that the queer women in these stories are Black. I stan.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show and The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Let’s Do the Time Warp Again
You cannot have a queer midnight double-feature picture show without including the Granddaddy/Grandmama of midnight movies in this list. You know the story of Dr. Frank N. Furter, his muscle twink creation, and the Time Warp of it all. The 1975 cult classic should be on everyone’s Pride/Halloween/and NYE list of films to watch. It’s the perfect movie for almost every occasion. While Laverne Cox’s turn as the Sweet Transvestite from Transexual, Transylvania was toned down a bit for broadcast television, it is still a sight to see a beautiful Black transwoman take on the role and clear everyone around her.
Last Call: When A Serial Killer Stalked Queer New York and The Fox Hollow Murders: Playground of a Serial Killer
Now I may get some pushback for these selections. However, one thing about Pride that I believe many people forget is that it’s a celebration of life. One aspect of doing that is knowing our history, even the dark moments. Each docuseries chronicles a different serial killer’s reign of terror in the early 80s and 90s. The lack of response and the blasé ignorance by the police in both titles concerning the murders are jaw-dropping. It took the queer community mobilizing and making enough noise to get the attention these murders deserved. With the current political climate that we’re in, it’s imperative we study history. So, we avoid repeating the same mistakes while also continuing to hold law enforcement accountable when it comes to the queer community.
Those are my Queer Double Feature recommendations for Pride 2025. If none of these films tickle your fancy, I implore you to pick up a copy of Queer Horror: A Film Guide by Tyler Doupe and Sean Abley to find more Queer horror to feast on. That’s what I plan on doing this month.
What pairings would you suggest? Please share with me on the socials!
The Queer Horror Blerd: Queer Midnight Double Feature Picture Shows
Happy Pride, Bitches!!! It’s that time of year when the entire queer community shows our collective asses and celebrate our right to exist in this world. In between the continued fights to protect our rights, I’ve compiled a list of movies to watch in the traditional fashion of the double feature for Pride month. Yes, this is partly in honor of the queerest movie ever, The Rocky Horror Picture Show. However, it is also because Memphis has just lost its drive-in theater, which I woefully didn’t get a chance to experience myself. Without further adieu, here are some queer horror double-feature suggestions for your viewing during Pride!
Daughters of Darkness and The Hunger
I like to call this double feature “The Ms. Will Take Your Girl Competition” because Delphine Seyrig and Catherine Deneuve didn’t come to play in these queer vampiric roles. Both films are not your quintessential vampire movies. Not because of the queer aspect but because fangs are not how these vamps get down. However, the lack of fangs does not deter the sheer eroticism displayed throughout both films. Daughters of Darkness’ Countess Bathory (Seyrig), who is actually based on the actual Elizabeth Bathory, has her eyes on the newlywed Valerie (Danielle Ouimet), whose husband has his own demons to work through.
Meanwhile, in The Hunger, Miriam Blaylock (Deneuve) turns her attention to a new prospective companion in Dr. Sarah Roberts (Susan Sarandon), after her human-vampire hybrid husband John (David Bowie) begins to deteriorate after 100 years. Saying any more will give the plots away for both films. However, trust that you will end up rooting for Bathory and Miriam to get the girl by the end of their respective films.
Spiral and The Obituary of Tunde Johnson
If you saw my last blog post about these films and are wondering why I’m including them in this list, I don’t blame you. However, as I stated in that same article and my podcast episode, The Obituary of Tunde Johnson and Spiral deserves more eyeballs. If for nothing else, a discourse on how not to do queer horror films with Black leads. Or rather, how to not repeat these particular narratives. Again, I have no issue with interracial dating in horror. As long as the minority in said relationship is not the one seeing/experiencing the horror, while the white counterpart is either oblivious, unhelpful, or complacent in said minority’s torture through gaslighting. Future Maliks (of Spiral) and Tundes deserve better. While their stories matter, it is still imperative to elevate these narratives to proper representation in queer horror.
Death Drop Gorgeous and Slay
Category is: Drag Queens in Peril and Kicking Ass! These two lovely indie pics showcase drag queens in horror, and we seriously need this genre to be expanded immediately. In Death Drop Gorgeous, someone is killing off gay men and drag queens in the Providence area, and no one is safe from the blade. Serving cunty camp and biting commentary on how the ageist aspect of queer culture is more a detriment than a shady read, Death Drop Gorgeous is a must-see for any queer horror fan. There is one death scene in the film that will make you think twice before engaging in a specific sex act ever again.
While the queens in Providence have to deal with a slasher, the gurls in Slay have to literally slay vampires. A traveling troupe of drag queens end up performing at a bar unwelcoming to the queens. They end up having to pair with some of the bigoted patrons to survive the night when vampires show up. Slay stars four RuPaul’s Drag Race alums (Heidi N’ Closet, Trinity the Tuck, Crystal Methyd, and Cara Melle). This comedic horror tale has some damn good shady moments from the queens and even the bar patrons. It pairs well with Death Drop Gorgeous in tone, campiness, and, clearly theme.
The Fear Street Trilogy*
The asterisk notates that while this selection isn’t necessarily a double feature, the love story at the center of two of the movies (arguably all three) is sapphic AF. While the third entry, 1666 is kind of a chore to get through, it all works out in the end. This is also another excuse to watch the trilogy after Fear Street: Prom Queen…
Knives and Skin and Perpetrator
This Jennifer Reeder duo does not get enough love for my liking, and I’m going to fix that. If you love David Lynch, then Knives and Skin is just for you. A young teenage girl’s disappearance sends a surreal shockwave throughout her small town. As secrets are unveiled, her classmates face their own personal demons. Two of those classmates are Laurel (Kayla Carter) and Colleen (Emma Ladji), who are falling in love throughout the chaos.
In Perpetrator, Jonny ‘s (Kiah McKirnan) already broken world is turned upside down when she discovers a literal change within her, prompting her father to send her to her Aunt Hildie (Alicia Silverstone). While figuring out all that personal drama, someone is snatching teenage girls. So, Jonny utilizes her street skills and her new supernatural abilities to prevent herself from being the next target. One of the biggest aspects from both of these movies that I love (outside of Reeder’s dreamlike directing and thought-provoking writing) is that the queer women in these stories are Black. I stan.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show and The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Let’s Do the Time Warp Again
You cannot have a queer midnight double-feature picture show without including the Granddaddy/Grandmama of midnight movies in this list. You know the story of Dr. Frank N. Furter, his muscle twink creation, and the Time Warp of it all. The 1975 cult classic should be on everyone’s Pride/Halloween/and NYE list of films to watch. It’s the perfect movie for almost every occasion. While Laverne Cox’s turn as the Sweet Transvestite from Transexual, Transylvania was toned down a bit for broadcast television, it is still a sight to see a beautiful Black transwoman take on the role and clear everyone around her.
Last Call: When A Serial Killer Stalked Queer New York and The Fox Hollow Murders: Playground of a Serial Killer
Now I may get some pushback for these selections. However, one thing about Pride that I believe many people forget is that it’s a celebration of life. One aspect of doing that is knowing our history, even the dark moments. Each docuseries chronicles a different serial killer’s reign of terror in the early 80s and 90s. The lack of response and the blasé ignorance by the police in both titles concerning the murders are jaw-dropping. It took the queer community mobilizing and making enough noise to get the attention these murders deserved. With the current political climate that we’re in, it’s imperative we study history. So, we avoid repeating the same mistakes while also continuing to hold law enforcement accountable when it comes to the queer community.
Those are my Queer Double Feature recommendations for Pride 2025. If none of these films tickle your fancy, I implore you to pick up a copy of Queer Horror: A Film Guide by Tyler Doupe and Sean Abley to find more Queer horror to feast on. That’s what I plan on doing this month.
What pairings would you suggest? Please share with me on the socials!
Mark O. Estes
more horror
What’s your favorite scary movie? Dennis Heaton edition
Old School Horror // The influence of Public Domain
Join The Liminal Team For A Bonus Episode Featuring Ray Wise
The Blue Diamond // Do you even ski?
The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster // A SXSW Review