Recreational Terror: Women and the Pleasures of Horror Film Viewing

Interruptions: Border Testimony(ies) and Critical Discourse/s

by Isabel Cristina Pinedo

In Recreational Terror, Isabel Cristina Pinedo analyzes how the contemporary horror film produces recreational terror as a pleasurable encounter with violence and danger for female spectators. She challenges the conventional wisdom that violent horror films can only degrade women and incite violence, and contends instead that the contemporary horror film speaks to the cultural need to express rage and terror in the midst of social upheaval.

Genres: Horror, Film, Nonfiction, Feminism, Theory, Gender Studies, Gender

177 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 1997

Reviews

[Carla Remy · Rating 4 out of 5]

09/2016

An academic type book written completely by one person (as opposed to consisting of different essays by different scholars). I really liked what she has to say about horror and psychology. Things like "The horror film is an exquisite exercise in coping with the terrors of everyday life." She makes a good point about horror being for women because it's for everyone. Apparently a certain amount of criticism just assumes it is completely misogynistic? I did have to skim through the end though, because she writes about specific films, and I hate reading a synopsis.

[Autumn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is full of answers. Pinedo really nails the appeal of 80s horror and anticipates the 90s boom for self-aware horror. The text is readable and approachable. Great for any feminists who feel weird about loving horror movies sometimes.

[Cait · Rating 5 out of 5]

a book to read with pen and highlighter in hand; a book I loved so much that it is not humanly possible for me to include a list of favorite quotes here, as that would just involve typing up half the book. I worked through it slowly, reading it before bed on nights when I had the time to do so, as a treat for myself.

I've wanted to read this book for a long, long time. I finally got my hands on a copy via thriftbooks, who acquire a copy of the paperback version only very rarely, but you can add books to your "wish list" to be notified when a copy comes in. thanks, thriftbooks!

really, though, this was exactly the book for me. I screamed most of the way through. an utter delight. chapter titles, for the interested:

1. recreational terror and the postmodern elements of the contemporary horror film
2. the pleasure of seeing/not-seeing the spectacle of the wet death
3. ...and then she killed him: women and violence in the slasher film
4. the cultural politics of the postmodern horror film
5. race horror

ugh! ♡♡♡!

[Morgan Carey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this in 2025 and knowing that the Good For Her film genre was yet to be defined makes this book even more enjoyable. I love the author’s consideration of gender, queerness, and race. But this book has me convinced all final girls are lesbian.

[Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

The pleasure of recreational terror depends on the tension between not (fully) seeing, the pleasure of recoil, and seeing (more fully), the pleasure of the gaze. [54]

If pornography is the genre of the wet dream, then horror is the genre of the wet death. [61]

this book is a REVELATION!!

list of classic/recommended horror that is now about 60% recs from this book: https://letterboxd.com/diken/list/cla... (add me on letterboxd xoxo)

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Engaging, thorough, detailed yet efficient and economical. Bringing a feminist and social-justice-oriented perspective to fine-grained analysis of what is going on for the viewer of horror films. In-depth discussions of The Stepfather (1987) and Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986). Final section on "Race Horror" makes a good accompaniment to Robin R. Means Coleman's work on Horror Noire.

[Sophiaalmaria · Rating 3 out of 5]

More of the same 90s gender-based horror criticism...still...it's a hobby of mine.

[Octavia Cade · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three and a half stars, rounding up to four. I like that this book puts the focus on female audiences of horror films: what's in it for them, basically, as if the thought of enjoying blood and screams and slasher films is somehow unfeminine. Given that I'm part of that audience type myself, it's interesting to be analysed in this way! And it's safe to say that feminist criticism of some horror films does have valid points. It's pretty well known by now that when comparing male and female deaths in horror films, for instance, the latter tend to be longer and more explicit and more sexualised.

Pinedo, however, argues that women enjoy horror films like these because of the subversive lens of that horror. Slasher films may emphasise women's deaths, for instance, but the phenomenon of the Final Girl prioritises women's rage and vengeance as an explicit survival tool, allowing for a cathartic expression of emotions that are frequently less welcome in daily life. It's all very interesting and well-argued and I do feel somewhat understood, which is nice. The final chapter is a little bit disconnected, though - it's a very readable account of race in horror films, but the focus on the audience drops off, and there's very little acknowledgement of intersectionality going on there. Race is treated as separate from feminism, as if the intersection between the two doesn't manifest in a number of complex ways, so it would have been nice to see a little more done with that, I think.

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an extremely interesting book on horror theory. You'll learn the classical and postmodern paradigms of the horror genre (postmodern is the monster triumphs and the outcome is uncertain), the pleasure of seeing/not seeing the spectacle of the wet death, carnography, body horror, women and violence in the slasher film, culture politics, race horror. At you end you'll find notes for each chapter, bibliography and an index. There are also some illustrations of popular movies included. An interesting view behind the scenes how horror works and can be analyzed. Really recommended!

[Victoria Timpanaro · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this look at post-modern horror from the feminist lens that takes into account (and even argues with) both Clover and Creed. A book that points out the shortcomings of so many academic looks at horror films: the female audience! I was practically cheering as this is a topic I hope to explore in my own work.

[Amelia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved!! So refreshing to read an analytic assessment of horror that isn't seated in subtle sexist! I true celebration and analysis of female enjoyment of horror and the depth of reasons why women enjoy grisly entertainment!

[spookybooksonly220 · Rating 5 out of 5]

if you wanna analyze post 9/11 horror you gotta learn about what came before. the similarities and differences. really fascinating stuff.

[Heather Clitheroe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic resource for anybody working on cultural studies as it pertains to horror. Though Pinedo's book focuses on horror films, I think you could easily stretch her theories to cover gaming and fiction. I hope that she writes a revised edition...I'd be very curious to know what her thoughts on are the nature of horror in a post 9/11 context.

[David Maguire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally a film feminist who doesn't advocate that every movie is about penises and castration! Very refreshing, well written look at why women enjoy horror films just as much as men, without having to be labelled traitors to their gender. Heartily recommended.

[Ren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pinedo shatters a number of notions about horror movies and female spectatorship. I enjoyed her even handed tone and open minded critique.

[t.s. cronenberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

This could have been more developed... I think personal insight would have made it a lot more engaging and rich.