Andrea Subissati and Alexandra West
173 episodes listed below
Andrea Subissati and Alex West read horror films through feminist, class, and historical criticism.
Faculty of Horror treats horror movies as pleasure, evidence, and argument. Alex West and Andrea Subisati move through synopsis, context, theory, and personal reaction with warmth, humor, and a taste for difficult films.
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Faculty of Horror is hosted by Andrea Subissati and Alex West, two horror scholars and writers who move between essay-style framing and conversational back-and-forth as they unpack a film's themes. Most episodes center on one or two horror films, using literary-to-film comparison (Stephen King's Apt Pupil novella versus its 1998 adaptation) or thematic pairings (teacher-student power dynamics, rape-revenge, class privilege) as an entry point into broader cultural and historical discussion. The hosts draw on secondary sources — academic books, magazine essays, news commentary — to ground their readings, citing writers like Richard V. Reeves and Alex Ross alongside directors such as David Lynch, Wes Craven, and Stanley Kubrick. Guests appear occasionally; genre critic Stacey Ponder, host of Final Girl After Dark, joined for the Eraserhead episode. Episode subjects span 1970s exploitation horror (Last House on the Left), 1990s teen slashers (I Know What You Did Last Summer), and recent releases covered in yearly best-of roundups (Weapons, Bring Her Back, Sinners). Recurring analytical threads include feminist film criticism, masculinity and patriarchy, American historical violence, class and criminal justice, and auteur theory. The tone mixes personal anecdote and banter with structured critical argument, and episodes often close with a recommendation for the next watch. Production is a two-person co-host format released as a regular series with additional bonus content on Patreon. The show has run past 140 episodes, alternating single-film deep dives with periodic year-in-review installments.
Made for: Horror fans who want academic-style film criticism linking genre movies to gender, class, and history rather than plot-summary reviews.
What sets it apart: Grounds each film discussion in academic texts, journalism, and historical context, and regularly weighs a film's literary source against its adaptation.
Podcasting from the Horrored Halls of Academia
Based on 6 episodes we listened to · June 2026
Faculty of Horror turns horror films into sharp conversations about class, violence, belief, memory, and the culture watching with them.
Faculty of Horror is a horror cinema criticism show built around long, conversational reads of specific films and occasional year end stocktaking.
Eraserhead's pencil factory is your cue to bring a notebook to movie night.
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Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
A bleak, funny horror discussion that ties rape-revenge, class, and law-and-order failure into one conversation.
Faculty of Horror handles a rape-revenge film as a bleak, strange, and sometimes very funny study of distrust in law and order, class, and suburban safety.
Lynch's nightmare logic gets a clear-eyed discussion of dirt, creation, and the body.
Faculty of Horror turns David Lynch's Eraserhead into a close look at dirt, domestic unease, and the strange pull of making and unmaking. Alex West and Andrea Subisati bring in Stacey Ponder, and the conversation moves from the film's industrial setting to Lynch's habit of…
A year-end horror recap that treats breakout films as a real cultural moment.
The episode finds Faculty of Horror in its element: blunt, funny, and steady in the way two hosts can make a year-in-review feel alive. It moves through standout titles like Weapons, Bring Her Back, and Sinners while staying focused on the larger question of how original horror…
A careful, uneasy episode about school, memory, and the politics that gather around both.
Faculty of Horror treats school, learning, and young men in public space as a starting point, then keeps turning back to the ethics of teaching the Holocaust, classroom memory, present-day anti-Semitism, and the strain around Israel and Palestine.
A sharp, lively take on a teen slasher that still knows how to sting.
Faculty of Horror's episode on I Know What You Did Last Summer treats the film as more than a teen-slasher staple. Alex West and Andrea Subisati draw out its urban-legend mood, the privilege and guilt threaded through adolescence, and the class and economic strain running…
A year-end horror conversation that mixes favorites, memory lapses, and banter that only longtime co-hosts can pull off.
Faculty of Horror uses its year-end slot to look back at 2024 with Alex West and Andrea Subasati, moving through favorites, what landed, and what they are hoping to hear more of next.
Mike Muncer and a different guest dissect two horror films per episode, by subgenre.
Bleak weather fits the assignment.
Stacey Ponder arrives by radiator.
Dante makes a mess.
The hosts celebrate the 13th anniversary of their horror podcast and discuss the 1984 cult classic film Silent Night Deadly Night as part of their holiday repertoire.
The hosts discuss their recent experiences with the 2001 horror film 'The Others', including a private screening event that featured a disappointing medium performance.
This episode discusses the cult classic horror film Halloween III: Season of the Witch, exploring its status as an outlier in the franchise and its reception.
Faculty of Horror Episode 143 uses Apt Pupil and We Need to Talk About Kevin to examine masculinity, patriarchy, and the politics of teaching violence.
July makes the setup feel a little too tidy.
Alex and Andrea introduce a discussion of the 1977 horror film The Hills Have Eyes, reflecting on its cultural impact and themes of family and survival.
The hosts introduce a live episode at Salem Horror Fest, discussing the film American Psycho and its themes.
Alex and Andrea discuss the 1992 film The Hand That Rocks the Cradle as a domestic thriller with feminist themes.
The hosts introduce a special episode where they analyze the horror movie Detention, discussing its unique position in the genre.
This episode analyzes the 1932 horror film 'Freaks,' exploring its subversive themes, critique of the horror industry, and enduring relevance in academia.
2025 opens a little untucked.
The hosts discuss David Cronenberg's 1979 horror film 'The Brood' as part of their academic horror podcast series.
The hosts discuss the new Nosferatu film by Robert Eggers, offering a spoiler-filled review and promoting their Patreon.
This episode discusses John Carpenter's 1988 horror film 'They Live' in the context of politics and democracy, as chosen by Patreon voters.
This episode analyzes the 2013 horror film The Conjuring, exploring its popularity and themes from an academic and critical perspective.
The hosts introduce a special episode with guest Stacy Ponder, a horror journalism authority, to discuss a film.
This episode analyzes the horror films 'Island of Lost Souls' (1932) and 'Jurassic Park' (1993) through an academic lens, connecting them to contemporary environmental and political issues.
The hosts introduce a summer episode discussing horror films set in camping or cottage settings.
Hosts Alex and Andrea discuss the horror films Angel Heart and Jacob's Ladder, exploring their thematic overlaps and cultural significance.
Hosts Alex West and Andrea Subisati introduce a live episode from Salem Horror Fest, sharing highlights and banter.
The hosts introduce a discussion about Michael Mann's film 'Thief' and his career.
The hosts invite listeners to Salem Horror Fest and discuss its evolution and significance to their show.
The hosts discuss their favorite horror films and media from 2023 in a year-in-review episode.
The hosts introduce a discussion about horror superheroes and analyze two movies that cross genres.
The hosts discuss their personal history with A Clockwork Orange and its significance as a gateway to academic horror analysis.
A live 100th episode of Faculty of Horror at Salem Horror Fest, analyzing horror films from an academic perspective.