Is horror a man’s world? You might assume so – but you won’t be thinking that way for long once you investigate the vast contribution women have made to horror movies for well over a century. In 2020, award-winning Australian critic Alexandra Heller-Nicholas released the definitive book on the subject: 1000 Women in Horror, 1895–2018, an encyclopaedic work celebrating the many women – filmmakers, actors, producers and technicians – who have shaped the genre since the moment cinema’s light first flickered.

Seemingly terrified of her own bed, Madeline locks herself in her room for weeks in an attempt to confront her fears. But what begins as an absurd, domestic quest turns into a genuine fight for redemption and revenge.