Beyond the Lesbian Vampire by Sam Tabet

A study of the rebirth and subversion of the violent lesbian trope in queer horror cinema. Tabet examines this historically problematic figure, from witch to vampire to murderer, and her resurgence in seven acclaimed queer horror films of the late 2010s, including The Neon Demon (2016), Thelma (2017), Knife + Heart (2018) and The Perfection (2019). These films give their lesbian characters complex motives that make their violence more understandable, while knowingly citing earlier portrayals, including the vampire, even without literal fangs. Combining textual analysis with debates about assimilation and the legibility of lesbian queerness, the book argues for a reclamation of the violent lesbian and explores the fears and pleasures she evokes.