A
LOS ANGELES TIMES
MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK OF 2025
AN
ELLE
BEST BOOK OF FALL 2025
“
Convincing and illuminating.
” —
The Atlantic
A compelling, intelligent, and timely exploration of the horror genre from one of Columbia University’s most popular professors, shedding light on how classic horror films demonstrate larger cultural attitudes about women’s rights, bodily autonomy, and more.
In May of 2022, Columbia University’s Dr. Eleanor Johnson watched along with her students as the Supreme Court reversed Roe v. Wade. At the same time, her class was studying the 1968 horror film
Rosemary’s Baby
and Johnson had a sudden epiphany: horror cinema engages directly with the combustive politics of women’s rights and offer a light through the darkness and an outlet to scream.
With a voice as persuasive as it is insightful, Johnson reveals how classics like
,
The Exorcist
, and
The Shining
expose and critique issues of reproductive control, domestic violence, and patriarchal oppression.
Scream with Me
weaves these iconic films into the fabric of American feminism, revealing that true horror often lies not in the supernatural, but in the familiar confines of the home, exposing the deep-seated fears and realities of women’s lives.
While on the one hand a joyful celebration of seminal and beloved horror films,
is also an unflinching and timely recognition of the power of this genre to shape and reflect cultural dialogues about gender and power.