Project: Monstrous Motherhood

Springboard 2025-2026: This project builds on existing research in “Monstrous Motherhood,” by authors Kelsey E. Henry and Jaylan Salah, a term used to encapsulate both wicked mothers and women battling the constructs of motherhood by adding yet another dimension to the term. I argue that monstrous motherhood can equal villainous women, or how society villainizes women through motherhood. I have applied the same conversation, which appears in research, to three films: The Babadook (2014), Longlegs (2024), and The Woman in The Yard (2025) to argue that these films follow a similar structure with alternate endings fostered by the decisions made by these mothers. They are examples of horror films that shape the “horror” around motherhood rather than the fear of having a monstrous mother. “Mother” is no longer just the root of horror; motherhood, as defined by society, is the new horror. For this paper, I refer to these endings as different outcomes of the mother: the healing mother, the passing mother, and the doomed mother. And I discuss if these films continue the trope of villainizing these mothers or if they allow us to view them from a distinct perspective. Understanding this gives power and control back to the viewer by saying that, despite these factors, we can make different choices that either repeat the cycle or break it.