Viewers are turning to queer horror for their Halloween fix, from stylish slashers and vampire dramas to apocalyptic television. Whether you want sharp scares, messy romance or a gloriously bloody night in, these LGBTQIA+ favourites offer plenty to watch before the candles burn down.
Essential takeaways
- Best new slasher: Teenage Sex And Death At Camp Miasma brings sapphic and trans representation to a campy, violent setting.
- Best binge-watch: Yellowjackets combines survival drama, fractured timelines and a large ensemble.
- Best chaotic thriller: Love Lies Bleeding mixes desire, crime and muscular action.
- Best cult classic: Jennifer's Body remains a witty, bisexual horror favourite, with a sequel now in development.
- Best apocalyptic pick: The Last Of Us delivers infected monsters, emotional weight and jump scares.
Queer horror is having a deliciously bloody moment
There’s something especially satisfying about a horror film that understands queer audiences want more than a token character who disappears before the opening credits. This season’s strongest picks put LGBTQIA+ desire, identity and friendship right at the centre, often with a generous helping of blood.
At the sharpest end is Teenage Sex And Death At Camp Miasma, a sapphic and trans slasher led by Hannah Einbinder and Gillian Anderson. The film has attracted attention for its audacious mix of sex, fear and theatrical violence, with reviews collected by MUBI and Rotten Tomatoes offering useful starting points for curious viewers.
The Week described it as a “sexy and slaughterous spectacle”, a phrase that neatly captures its appeal. It’s not a quiet, fireside ghost story. Expect something louder, stranger and considerably messier. According to The Atlantic, the film has also prompted discussion around contemporary horror’s fascination with queer identity and extreme genre play. (Sources: MUBI, Rotten Tomatoes, The Atlantic and The Week)
Start with the new camp slasher
If you’re choosing one fresh release for a Halloween weekend, Teenage Sex And Death At Camp Miasma is the obvious conversation starter. Its camp setting creates the familiar slasher pressure cooker, while its cast and queer perspective give the formula a more contemporary pulse.
The film is available through MUBI, making it a natural choice for viewers who enjoy adventurous cinema alongside more traditional horror. It also suits a group watch: there’s enough style, shock and outrageousness to keep everyone talking once the credits roll.
For the best experience, go in knowing as little as possible. Turn the lights down, keep snacks within reach and accept that the atmosphere may become rather less relaxing than planned. Reviews gathered by MUBI and Rotten Tomatoes suggest it’s a film built to provoke a reaction, whether that’s laughter, discomfort or a delighted wince. (Sources: MUBI, Rotten Tomatoes and The Week)
Which queer thrillers deserve your next binge?
For a longer commitment, Yellowjackets remains one of the most compelling choices. The series moves between a teenage survival ordeal and its adult aftermath, using shifting timelines, secrets and a sizeable cast to keep the tension simmering.
It’s ideal for viewers who like their horror with character drama and a generous dose of mystery. The story is less about a single creature lurking in the dark and more about what people become when fear, hunger and power collide. Spanish newspaper El Pais has highlighted the series as a major television phenomenon, particularly for its unsettling blend of survival, memory and psychological pressure.
Meanwhile, The Hunting Wives offers a different kind of danger. Its appeal lies in glamour, scandal and wildly bad decisions, making it a brisk option for anyone who prefers their queer television glossy, addictive and morally untidy. With another instalment due in November, catching up now could save you from future spoilers. (Sources: El Pais and Tom's Guide)
From vampire romance to end-of-the-world dread
Vampire fans should make time for Interview With The Vampire, now continuing under the title The Vampire Lestat. The adaptation leans into its source material's sensuality and gothic melodrama, while its queer relationships give the familiar immortal-romance formula real emotional bite.
It’s the pick for a slower, richer night of viewing, especially if you like velvet, candlelight and characters who treat eternal life as an excuse for spectacularly poor decisions. The series offers a more lush alternative to the quick shocks of a slasher.
At the opposite end, The Last Of Us is built around infected creatures, bleak landscapes and sudden bursts of danger. Bella Ramsey anchors a story that pairs survival horror with grief, loyalty and difficult moral choices. It’s worth choosing when you want the scares to land, but also want the story to linger after the episode ends. (Sources: Tom's Guide and El Pais)
The cult favourites still deliver
Some titles don’t need an introduction, but they do deserve another watch. Jennifer's Body remains a standout for its blend of horror, dark comedy and charged friendship, with a bisexual sensibility that feels even more visible in today’s viewing culture.
Its combination of sharp dialogue and supernatural revenge makes it an easy choice for a group screening, particularly if the room enjoys quoting every line. News of a sequel in development has only renewed interest in the original, which still feels deliciously ahead of its time.
For something newer and more openly chaotic, Love Lies Bleeding offers romance, crime and explosive violence in equal measure. Bodies Bodies Bodies takes a different route, trapping privileged young people in a remote house as a party game turns into a murder mystery. Both films work brilliantly when you want horror with jokes, tension and characters making decisions that would have everyone else shouting at the screen. (Sources: Tom's Guide, The Atlantic and The Week)
Pick the title that matches your preferred flavour of fear, then settle in for a gloriously queer night of thrills.
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