Women Who Kill: Gender and Sexuality in Film and Series of the Post-Feminist Era

Women Who Kill examines the female murderer as a figure that destabilizes order, the tension between criminal and victim, the relationship between crime and expression, and the paradox of a crime as an act of destruction and a creative assertion of agency. It assesses the influence of feminist, queer, and gender studies on mainstream television and cinema, particularly in film noir, horror, and melodrama.

Format: Hardback
Length: 368 pages
Publication date: 20 February 2020
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Women Who Kill delves into a captivating array of inquiries, shedding light on the enigmatic figure of the female murderer as a disruptor of societal order. It explores the intricate interplay between the criminal and the victim, delving into the complex relationship between crime and the absence or suppression of expression. Moreover, the book uncovers the paradoxical nature of a crime, where it can simultaneously be an act of destruction and a bold assertion of agency.

In their insightful contributions, the authors assess the profound influence of feminist, queer, and gender studies on mainstream television and cinema, particularly in the genres that have garnered the most critical attention from this perspective, such as film noir, horror, and melodrama. They also examine the politics of representation by contextualizing these fictional works and addressing the ambiguities raised by postfeminism.

The book is organized into three compelling parts: Neo-femmes Fatales, Action Babes, and Monstrous Women. Within these sections, a diverse range of films and series are analyzed, including:

White Men Are Cracking Up (1994)
Hit & Miss (2012)
Gone Girl (2014)
Terminator (1984)
The Walking Dead (2010–2018)
Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
Contagion (2011)
Ex Machina (2015)

These works of fiction serve as windows into the complex world of women who kill, offering a rich tapestry of narratives and themes that challenge our perceptions and ignite our curiosity. Women Who Kill is a groundbreaking exploration of the female murderer, the dynamics between criminals and victims, the relationship between crime and expression, and the paradoxical nature of destruction and assertion of agency. Through meticulous analysis and thoughtful consideration, the book sheds light on the profound impact of feminist, queer, and gender studies on mainstream television and cinema, while also providing a thought-provoking exploration of the politics of representation in the postfeminist era.

Weight: 580g
Dimension: 144 x 223 x 23 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781350115590