Showtime’s ambitious hit survival seriesYellowjacketshas become a cultural phenomenon, garnering a devoted fandom worldwide. This hardly comes as a surprise with a star-studded cast that includes Melanie Lysnkey, Christina Ricci, Tawny Cypress, and up-and-comers Sophie Thatcher and Sophie Nélisse.
The female-led thrillerbroke out in 2021 with an intriguing debut season centered around a girls' high school soccer team whose plane crashes in the Canadian wilderness on their way to a national championship tournament in 1996. The compelling story flashes back and forth between their time stranded in the wilds and their adult counterparts in the present. Lost and cut off from civilization, they’re forced to resort to horrific lengths to stay alive, slowly going down a dark descent into madness. Exploring the breakdown of societal norms, the show teases a supernatural aspect to the wilderness, with many of the girls believing in the powers of “It,” which has become an ongoing debate among characters and viewers alike. Back home, 25 years later, the survivors are haunted by what they experienced out there — what they did — and must come together to keep their secrets from surfacing.
Yellowjackets
Yellowjacketsseamlessly blends a coming-of-age story with psychological horror, depicting the impact of trauma, complexities of female friendship, the dark side of human nature, and identity struggles. With the third season having just ended and the news of a Season 4 renewal still pending, fans must already be feeling the void the series has left behind after an explosive finale.
Here are 10 horror movies you can watch if you’re already missing theYellowjacketswomen.
10’Battle Royale' (2000)
Battle Royale
BeforeThe Hunger Games, there was the Japanese dystopian action horror filmBattle Royale, based on a book of the same name. In an attempt to curb juvenile delinquency,a totalitarian governmentpasses the “BR Act”, in which a randomly-selected junior high school class is sent to a remote island for three days and must fight to the death until a single victor emerges. A map, compass, food, water, and a random weapon are provided for each student, as well as a fitted collar that will explode if they refuse to participate. If there’s more than one survivor, everyone dies.
Blood-Soaked, Biting Social Commentary
Battle Royalecaptures the same emotionally-charged teen environment, overwhelming paranoia, and high stakes asYellowjackets. Just like the Wiskayok High School girls' soccer team, the youth in this movie are driven by the desperation to stay alive. Forced to hunt down their own classmates, class 3-B from Shiroiwa Junior High School partakes in extreme violence as a means of survival.
9’The Descent' (2005)
The Descent
The British horror movieThe Descentfollows Sarah (Shauna Macdonald), who, after a year of losing her husband and daughter in a traumatic car accident, reunites with her two best friends and three others for an adventure. The thrill-seeking women travel to the Appalachian Mountains to go spelunking. Without telling the others, Juno (Natalie Mendoza) leads the group into an unexplored cave system, where they soon find themselves trapped and fending off subterranean sightless carnivorous creatures, referred to as “crawlers,” that rely on hearing to hunt their prey.
Trauma, Betrayal, Complex Relationships
Similar to the Yellowjackets team in the wilderness, the six female explorers inThe Descentcome across the otherworldly, sinister side of nature, and find themselves wondering if they can truly trust one another. Underlined with treachery that eventually comes to light, the friendships in the film reflect some of those in the Showtime TV series. Additionally, the film also explores trauma, loss, and the bonds between women.
8’Jennifer’s Body' (2009)
Jennifer’s Body
This film, which likely doesn’t need an introduction, follows a high school cheerleader, Jennifer Check (Megan Fox), who turns into a succubus with an appetite for teenage boy flesh. Needy (Amanda Seyfried), her bestie, is torn between her love for Jennifer and putting an end to her carnage. The whole world owesJennifer’s Bodyan apology.Initially, it was misunderstoodand met with poor reception, largely due to the studio marketing a smart feminist film to the male gaze. Since then, it has become a cult classic, exploring the objectification and exploitation of women, trauma, and female agency.
“The Slumber Party Makeouts, The Jealousy, The Betrayals”
In the Season 3 finale, Travis (Kevin Alves) confronts a tyrannical Shauna (Nélisse), bringing up her friendship with Jackie (Ella Purnell) and referencing “the slumber party makeouts, the jealousy, the betrayals” to get under her skin, all three of which are also present inJennifer’s Body. Needy and Jennifer’s co-dependent, all-consuming friendship parallels the one between Shauna and Jackie. They both desperately need each other, yet destroy one another. Just like Jackie, Jennifer presumes to know what’s best for Needy, constantly trying to control her and make decisions for her.
The third season ofYellowjacketsconfirmed what many fans already knew to be true — that Jackie and Shauna are canonically queer, having harbored suppressed romantic feelings for each other. Many film theorists have explored this same aspect inJennifer’s Body, with many arguing that at the movie’s core, there’s aqueer love storybetween its two main characters.
10 Most Important Friendships in ‘Yellowjackets’ (For Better or Worse)
In ‘Yellowjackets,’ trauma can bring friends together, but it can also tear them apart.
7’We Are What We Are' (2013)
We Are What We Are
We Are What We Areis a remake of aMexican horror filmof the same name. It’s centered around the Parkers, a reclusive religious family living in the Catskill Mountains undergoing a period of ritual fasting. Their faith and long-held customs are tested after the sudden death of their matriarch. As the slow-burn horror progresses, more light is shed on the Parkers' religion, revealing that their holiday “Lamb’s Day” revolves around the murder and consumption of a human being. When teen sisters Iris (Ambyr Childers) and Rose (Julia Garner) begin questioning their family’s dark traditions, they put themselves and their younger brother in harm’s way at the hands of their father, Frank (Bill Sage).
Growing Up With Murder, Ritualistic Cannibalism, and Trauma
The movie shares plenty of elements withYellowjackets, like cannibalism, a coming-of-age facet, and a ritualistic aspect. Similar to the adult timeline in the series, the picture delves into the moral and psychological consequences of the family’s cannibalistic practices, examining the toll it has taken on Iris and Rose. The narrative is reminiscent of the show’s, presenting the mysterious backstory slowly and piece by piece.
6’The Blackcoat’s Daughter' (2015)
The Blackcoat’s Daughter
This bleak horror film follows two separate threads that eventually intersect in a chilling, shocking manner. The first follows two girls who are forced to become roommates when they’re the only students left behind during their boarding school’s week-long February break: Kat (Kiernan Shipka), a lonely young girl who soon becomes susceptible to dark forces, and senior Rose (Lucy Boynton), who fears she’s pregnant. Then there’s Joan (Emma Roberts), who’s on her way to the same academy for mysterious reasons.
A Dark, Eerie Tale
Written and directed by Osgood Perkins in his feature debut, A24’sThe Blackcoat’s Daughteris an underrated work of art. Thewintery, remote settingis reminiscent of the cold months the Yellowjackets spent in the wilderness. More than that, the film explores the same themes of isolation, trauma, loss, grief, and the seductive nature of darkness. Much like the wilderness, the movie teases sinister, supernatural forces, which are also left ambiguous. No matter how viewers choose to interpret it, its ending is one of the most tragic in the genre. It will leave you feeling cold long after watching.
5’Raw' (2016)
The gory feminist French filmRawis amasterpiece in body horror.Written and directed by the brilliant Julia Ducournau, the grotesque, visceral coming-of-age tale follows Justine (Garance Marillier), a young vegetarian in her first semester of veterinary school. During one of her college’s hazing rituals, she’s forced to consume raw meat. Soon after, it awakens not just an appetite for animal meat, but an insatiable, uncontrollable desire for human flesh.
Growing Up, Cannibalism, and Sisterhood
Exploring female agency and entering adulthood,Rawutilizes cannibalism as a metaphor for Justine’s sexual awakening and a stand-in for unbridled desire free from repression. Although its use of cannibalism may differ fromYellowjackets', both examine a descent into more primal, baser instincts. Like the show, the film also explores sisterhood and its complexities, delving into the combative dynamic between Justine and her sister Alexia (Ella Rumpf). If you’re craving another compelling story about growing up with a serving of human meat, this one’s for you.
10 Brutal Moments When the ‘Yellowjackets’ Were at Their Most Savage
The ‘Yellowjackets’ have committed their fair share of ruthless acts in and out of the Wilderness, including hunting Pit Girl and animal abuse.
4’The Ritual' (2017)
The Ritual
The Ritualis based on horror author Adam Nevill’s 2011 novel of the same name. Directed by David Bruckner, the original Netflix film follows four men who travel into the Swedish wilderness six months after the murder of their friend in a sort of tribute to him. One of them, having been present at his time of death, carries guilt for not having done more to help him. The others may not outright blame him (at first), but it’s evident they resent him. In the midst of unwavering tension, they become lost.
Survival Horror, Cult Worship, and Human Sacrifice
If you love the mysticism aspect offered byYellowjackets,The Ritualmakes for ideal viewing. In the forest, the backpackers encounter a sinister ancient presence. Some of the strange occurrences they experience include mysterious symbols and markings, much like the girls in the series, gutted animals, and a stag-like creature that very much screams Antler Queen. Employing the use of survival horror, cult worship, and human sacrifice, it’s a guaranteed thumbs-up forYellowjacketsfans.
3’Braid' (2018)
Braidmovie is a surreal, Lynchian experience that brings to life a visually lavish, psychedelic dreamscape. It follows two struggling artists who, after losing $80,000 worth of drugs in a bust, flee to the secluded estate owned and inhabited by their childhood best friend, an agoraphobic, psychotic heiress. Over the 48 hours they have to rob her and pay their supplier back, they’re forced to partake in a fantasy game of make-believe that they used to play when they were kids.
Unhinged and Aesthetically Pleasing
This lesser-known masterpiece is written and directed by Mitzi Peirone, a director whose future career every genre fan should follow. It stars Madeline Brewer, unlike you’ve ever seen her before, alongside Sarah Hay and Imogen Waterhouse. Although it may not be for everyone, this is arguably one of the most criminally underrated horror films of all time.Yellowjacketslovers will appreciate its exploration of the dangers of unchecked imagination and the darker aspects ofunbreakable female bonds.
10 Moments of Foreshadowing You Might Have Missed in ‘Yellowjackets’
In ‘Yellowjackets’ nothing is ever accidental, no matter how big or small. Here are some subtle moments of foreshadowing you might have missed.
2’The Other Lamb' (2019)
The Other Lamb
The Other Lambis a relentless, unforgiving coming-of-age horror drama that follows Selah (Raffey Cassidy), a teenage girl who has spent her whole life cloistered in a patriarchal polygamist cult composed of all women and a lone male member, messianic leader “the Shepherd” (Michiel Huisman). Selah is fated to eventually become another one of his wives, but when she begins questioning everything the faux-Jesus has ever taught the flock, her rebellion is set into motion, leading her down a path she could have never imagined.
A “Good for Her” Horror Film
The movie is a difficult watch, with heavy themes that include theterrors of cults, abuse of power, patriarchal oppression, and gendered power structures, but an important one. As Selah goes through various stages of grief, deconstructing everything she ever knew, she comes into her personal power and reclaims her identity.Yellowjacketsviewers will love the feminine rage built up over the course of the film. Some similarities they might appreciate include the nature of survival, the psychological toll of isolation, and the communal perception of reality.
1’Lovely, Dark, and Deep' (2023)
Lovely, Dark, and Deep
StarringBarbarian’s Georgina Campbell,Lovely, Dark, and Deepis written and directed by Teresa Sutherland in her feature debut. It follows Lennon (Campbell), a park ranger starting a new job in Arvores National Park, infamous as a location where many campers, tourists, and hikers have disappeared. From the beginning, it’s clear that she’s been eyeing this post for personal reasons. As a child, her own sister vanished in the same forest, and Lennon has forever carried that weight with her. During her time there, she plans to uncover the mystery, but the truth is far more sinister and otherworldly than she could have imagined.
A Slow-Burn Lovecraftian Horror
Lovely, Dark, and Deepis a mind-bending psychological mood piece thatinjects cosmic horrorinto the wilderness, in a vast natural setting evocative ofYellowajackets', depicting the beauty and dangers of the wilderness. Like the show, the movie explores isolation, trauma, and survivors' guilt, making it difficult to discern what’s real. Mirroring the series, the film uses the lurking presence in the woods as a personification of nature itself.
