Call them psycho-biddy films, hagsploitation, hag horror, whatever you like, the sub-genre has been chugging along since at least the 60s, beginning with Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?. Once focused on aging starlets and wealthy recluses, the genre has evolved into a wide array of horrific tales centered around older women. Sometimes off-the-wall entertaining. Sometimes empathetic. And almost always featuring a memorable performance from the film’s star.
With the release this past Tuesday of the true-crime thriller Dorothea (based on the real-life story of the Death House Landlady), we thought we’d take a brief look at some contemporary psycho-biddy films so shocking, they’ll shatter your dentures.
The Taking of Deborah Logan (2014)
Directed by Adam Robitel (Escape Room), it would be fair to call The Taking of Deborah Logan the most terrifying entry on this list. The film hopped on the found footage trend that exploded around the early aughts, presenting a faux documentary about a woman named Deborah (Jill Larson) and her horrific descent into the jaws of Alzheimer’s. What starts as an empathetic observation of a tragic disease transforms into something hideous, with imagery you won’t be able to scrub from your mind.
The Visit (2015)
Following a series of critically panned outings (The Happening, The Last Airbender, After Earth), things weren’t looking great for the career of M. Night Shyamalan. And then he released The Visit. Another found footage film, it follows a pair of kids who are sent to visit their grandparents. But when they get there, they find Nana (Deanna Dunagan) and Pop Pop (Peter McRobbie) have some rather unsettling habits. It may not be Shyamalan’s best film, but The Visit reminded audiences of the talented filmmaker’s ability to scare the wits out of us.
Greta (2019)
Perhaps the closest in style to the psycho-biddy films of old, Neil Jordan’s Greta remains a bit of a hidden gem within the sub-genre. In it, Frances (Chloë Grace Moretz) befriends lonely widow, Greta (Isabelle Huppert). But as the two grow closer, Frances discovers that the old woman’s intentions for her aren’t so friendly. A tense battle of wits with knockout performances from Moretz and Huppert, Greta deserves your eyeballs.
Relic (2020)
Similar to The Taking of Deborah Logan, Natalie Erika James’ Relic takes a much more sympathetic approach to the hagsploitation genre than most. Rather than lean into over-the-top camp, this tale centers around the tragedy of Edna (Robyn Nevin) as she slips into dementia. Her daughter, Kay (Emily Mortimer) and granddaughter, Sam (Bella Heathcote) do their best to take of her, but soon learn something supernatural may also be at play. Heartfelt and atmospheric, this one haunts you long after the credits roll.
X (2022)
A24 and Ti West surprised us all when they announced that the director had signed on to bring audiences a trilogy of new films beginning with X. We never could’ve imagined just how popular they’d become. Set in the late 70s, X sees a group of porno filmmakers rent a shack at an old farmhouse, where they plan on shooting their first dirty movie. But the old woman who lives there, Pearl (Mia Goth), and her husband have other ideas. A Texas Chain Saw Massacre meets hagsploitation hybrid, X is one goddamned fucked up horror picture in all of the right ways.
Dorothea (2025)
Not all horror is reserved to film. Unfortunately, we see plenty of it in real life. Based on the true crime case of the Death House Landlady, Chad Ferrin’s Dorothea centers on the title character, played by Susan Priver. During the 1980s, Dorothy Puente ran a boardinghouse in Sacramento, CA, where she was later accused of killing nine people. This film adapts her story into a chilling narrative featuring an electric performance from Priver. Further proof that while psycho-biddy films may have evolved, the appetite for them hasn’t gone anywhere.
You can now rent/buy Dorothea on VOD, available from Epic Pictures’ horror label, Dread.
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