Matriarchs of Horror

Hello, Matriarchs! If you're sick of AI popping up everywhere, join the club. Honestly, at this point, it's getting a little creepy. Between AI-generated influencers and the growing obsession with creating the perfect digital version of ourselves, it's starting to feel like we're living in a horror movie. This week I'm joined by acclaimed horror author Alma Katsu to talk about...

Hello, Matriarchs! The midterms are just a few days away and if you thought Republicans were done coming after abortion rights, think again. This week, I'm joined by Nourbese Flint, President of All* Above All to talk about the many ways Republicans are working to chip away at reproductive freedom and the tactics you might not even know about. We get into what's happening behind the scenes...

Hello, Matriarchs! The Brooklyn Horror Film Festival kicked off last week, and I was fortunate enough to catch some truly incredible screenings. This year’s lineup features an exciting selection of films directed by women, including one that quickly became a personal favorite: Ópi , the debut feature from today’s guest, filmmaker Marta Giec. Her film is an eerie exploration of generational trauma,...

Hello, Matriarchs! Today we're going down the perplexing rabbit hole that is trad wife culture. I've been dying to do an episode on this topic, but struggled to find an angle that feels nuanced enough rather than recycled. I'm joined by author Sarah Langan whose new horror novel, 'Trad Wife' explores that exact distinction, where we try and figure out how a lifestyle, that was...

What makes a woman monstrous? For centuries, women who refused to behave the way society expected them to have been labeled either a witch, or a slut, or even a bitch, and get roped into being monsters. And horror has been particularly fascinated with turning those anxieties into something literal. In this episode, I’m joined by Eleanor Johnson, whose new book Monstrous Bitch , examines the long,...

Hello, Matriarchs! Today, I want to do something a little different. If you followed me on TikTok before I started this podcast, you might remember that I used to regularly spotlight women throughout horror history whose work had been forgotten or overlooked. Those women were the original Matriarchs, in my opinion. In fact, that series is where the name for this podcast came from. So I thought I w...

Hello, Matriarchs! The topic of today’s episode is something that has been weighing on my mind a lot lately. Because despite all the progress we’ve supposedly made when it comes to gender equality, Hollywood still has a massive problem with actually giving women opportunities behind the camera. According to an annual study from USC Annenberg, women directed just 8% of the films that reached the do...

Hello, Matriarchs! This week's episode includes a recycled conversation with Haley Piper because it coincides with the release of Jane Shoenbrun's latest film, Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma. In this episode I unpack the complicated relationship between female fantasy, desire, and shame, and how horror has long played a role in judging women for what they want. From forbidden fantasi...

Hello, Matriarchs! This week, author Cynthia Gomez joins the podcast to discuss her new novel, Muñeca which is a haunting exploration of identity, class, race, and the price women pay for inheriting legacies they never chose. We also dive into what it means to be third-generation Mexican American, the complexities of navigating two cultures at once, and the feeling of existing in a cultural limbo...

Hello, Matriarchs! Single mothers have long occupied a complicated place in horror, often portrayed as unstable or even monstrous. In this new episode, I unpack the history of the "single mom" trope, exploring how the genre has used motherhood and societal fears to shape some of its most memorable characters. Later I'm joined by author Emma Cleary to discuss her creepy debut novel, A...

In this episode I’m getting into the “good guy” trope in horror and why it never really feels as safe as it’s supposed to. I talk about how horror keeps showing us this familiar figure: the man who seems kind, steady, “different from the others”… until he isn’t. And how often that image is less about who he actually is, and more about what we want to believe about him. Later on I sit down with aut...

Hello, Matriarchs! In this episode, I’m diving into the horror of aging as a woman in Hollywood and the cultural fear that surrounds it. Using films like Sunset Boulevard and The Substance as a lens, I explore why aging men in film are often granted complexity and continued desirability, while aging women are pushed toward invisibility and ridicule.

Why do men rape women? It’s a question people have been asking for years and one that still doesn’t have an easy answer. In this episode, I’m digging into how we actually learn to recognize consent and how often that understanding is shaped by implication instead of clear communication. I start with a recent CNN article that exposed an online network of men sharing and encouraging content about dr...

In this episode I’m joined by author Rebecca Lehmann to discuss her new novel The Beheading Game, a chilling reimagining of Anne Boleyn’s story, where she rises from the dead after her execution to seek revenge on her husband, Henry VIII. We dive into the real history of Anne, the brutal realities women faced in the Tudor era, and how their stories have been distorted or sensationalized over time.

For a long time, marriage felt like something to fear rather than to desire. And historically, that fear wasn’t unfounded. In the 19th century, marriage often meant losing your independence, your identity, and your ability to leave. In this episode, I unpack the history behind marriage in the Victorian era, coverture laws, and how it shaped the way I approached dating in my twenties. I also share...

Before you press play, this episode does contain discussions on sexual assault. I examine a chilling trope that runs through horror and real life alike: when a woman’s love is weaponized. From Rosemary’s Baby to The Stepford Wives to Midsommar, I explore how devotion, trust, and emotional labor are twisted into tools of control. Then, I bring it all into the real world with Ryan Murphy’s Love Stor...

Hello, Matriarchs! In this episode, I’m unpacking the controversy surrounding Mia Ballard’s novel Shy Girl, from allegations of AI use to questions about editing and accountability. But instead of doing a typical takedown, I wanted to sit with the nuance. This situation isn’t just about Ballard or her book. It opens up bigger conversations about who gets to create, what ethical use of AI actually...

What happens when women stop trying to be likable? In this episode, I dive into the “unhinged woman” archetype in horror, and why they're often underperform at the box office. From The Bride to the cult classics that dared to center female rage, I explore why these stories are so often misunderstood. Later I’m joined by Virginia Feito, author of Victorian Psycho , to talk about repression, vio...

In this first episode of The Matriarchs of Horror, host Sandra Rose Salathe dives into the terrifying side of religion. Beginning by breaking down horror films like The Omen, The Witch , and Saint Maud , Sandra examines how each one reveals the patriarchal control lurking beneath strict religious structures. Sandra is then joined by author Linda Hamilton to talk about her upcoming feminist gothic...