Because the bathroom can manifest the greatest threats, the space holds a great deal of social power in shaping our biases. Films that use an exterior threat to destroy the bathroom’s intimacy often frame the encounter through a lens of innocence of predation. In “A Nightmare on Elm Street,” Nancy falls asleep in the bathtub, leading to the famous shot of Freddy Krueger’s knifed gloved hand emerging from the water between her thighs, implying a physical or sexual violation of her body. 

I find horror films to be a wonderful merchant of empathy and understanding. Even through all the gore and terror, they still serve as a way for viewers to feel seen and heard, as well as supplying some much-needed escapism every now and then.