Jane Schoenbrun has claimed classic horror films, including Frankenstein, are transphobic because of their portrayal of what the filmmaker described as "trans monsters".
The non-binary director, who identifies as trans and queer, pointed to adaptations of Mary Shelley's 1818 gothic novel alongside characters such as Norman Bates and Buffalo Bill as examples of what they see as a troubling cinematic pattern.
"This image of the trans monster kept coming up," Schoenbrun told The Hollywood Reporter.
The director added transgender viewers have long had "really complicated feelings about those movies".
Jane Schoenbrun identifies as trans and queer
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Whilst the filmmaker said such productions offered representations that "felt familiar or comforting", Schoenbrun also described them as "super f****** transphobic and problematic".
The comments came ahead of the premiere of Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma at the 79th Cannes Film Festival on Wednesday evening.
The psychedelic slasher film, starring Gillian Anderson and Hannah Einbinder, are said to have received a nine-minute standing ovation inside the 1,068-seat Debussy Theatre.
Despite the reception in Cannes, Schoenbrun said every major Hollywood studio and distributor rejected the project.
The director pointed to adaptations of Mary Shelley's 1818 gothic novel
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"I think it's because of the limits of what kinds of queer and trans stories are deemed commercial or not commercial," the director explained.
The film will instead receive a theatrical release through Mubi.
Schoenbrun's third feature attempts to rework what the filmmaker regards as a problematic horror tradition.
The story follows a character known as Little Death, a trans individual who becomes a supernatural killer after suffering a traumatic drowning incident caused by bullying at a summer camp.
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Jane Schoenbrun received backlash online for the comments
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Ms Anderson told Variety the narrative sought to "reach out across the divide" and would resonate with "anyone who feels and identifies with disassociation, the out-of-body experience, the not feeling part of or included within a framework of societal norms".
Schoenbrun said the production "was very consciously designed to be fun" whilst also encouraging conversations around "sex and gender and overcoming trauma".
Speaking at a Kering Women In Motion event at the Carlton Cannes hotel on Thursday, Ms Einbinder described the film as deeply personal to the director.
The 30-year-old actress and comedian said the project reflected "Jane's experience" as a transgender person.
"It speaks a lot to their experience of coming into themselves and feeling a liberation from shame and embracing desire and embracing their identity as a queer person," she said.
Ms Einbinder added that the themes would likely resonate beyond the LGBTQ+ community.
"I think that a lot of people who are members of marginalised communities can identify with that," she said.
Social media users swiftly took to X to share their thoughts on Frankenstein being classed as "transphobic".
The filmmaker argued horror cinema has long relied on 'trans monster' stereotypes
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"I can’t even begin to think how she’s come to that conclusion, and I really can’t be bothered to read it to find out," one person posted, as another penned: "What goes on in somebody's head to come up with that level of bats***ery, absolute nonsense."
A third wrote: "I suppose the monster could legitimately be the only one truthfully labelled them/they."
"For crying out loud these people are beyond parody. There is zero chance Mary Shelly thought this once," someone else said.
Another said: "Trans didn't exist when it was written. Just gay rich elites pouncing about."
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