If you’re an online fan of horror movies, then you’ve come across Heidi Wong. Be it on her home turf of TikTok—where she’s achieved jaw-dropping popularity sourcing and dissecting deep cuts and hidden genre gems for her nearly 6 million followers—or on Instagram, where her captivating content reaches more millions of horror enthusiasts. And even if you’ve somehow dodged social media entirely over the past five years, you may seen her featured on The Hollywood Reporter’s prestigious list of the 50 most influential people reshaping modern media.
Author, influencer, academic, and creative force—as I sit down to talk with Heidi for Dread Central’s April digital cover story, it’s fascinating to remember that this relaxed and generally inviting individual is also, casually, one of the most recognisable faces and influential voices in horror today.
“It was literally just me on my computer downloading movies on Limewire,” Wong says, grinning through a wince, recalling her early secret fascination with horror. It’s something she quietly, and thoroughly, cultivated in secret behind a gate of cultural disconnect in her childhood home in Hong Kong. Despite this closeted entrance into the world of horror, her presence today is proud and unstoppable. Her authenticity, good taste, and keen eye for spotlighting dark media guides her new generation of genre fans into honest explorations of fear and humanity.
But Wong didn’t always present herself so openly to the world. Initially, her voice hid behind anonymous narrations, her face concealed beneath illustrated horror tales created from the isolation of a cubicle. “In college, I literally couldn’t pick up the phone and order food,” she admits, reflecting on a once-paralyzing anxiety. Now, her voice resonates confidently across millions upon millions of screens, delivering chilling tales, valuable taste-making, and insightful reflection in equal measure.
As we continue to speak, I find myself reminded a bit of Clarice Starling’s rising during The Silence of the Lambs—a talented and determined young woman who finds her voice while investigating monsters and the darkest side of human nature. Wong describes taking deliberate steps into discomfort by revealing her more personal side online. “I’ve always tried to push myself to do things I’m afraid of,” she acknowledges carefully. “Maybe that’s why I like horror.”
For Wong, the horror genre is a language she uses to investigate complex feelings. She’s deeply invested in new creative projects she eagerly anticipates sharing. “My horror ideas are always inspired by certain personal truths,” she emphasises. “The best horror always is.”
I’m excited to learn that, like myself, Wong’s creative clarity arose while she watched the heartbreaking Mike Flanagan series The Haunting of Hill House and The Haunting of Bly Manor. These shows helped confirm for her, a published poet, that horror can indeed possess real poetic depth. “I realised I could merge all these things I love and create something completely original,” she says.
Her connection to Flanagan’s emotionally intricate style translates into her writing process: “I listen to the soundtracks of Hill House and Bly Manor obsessively when I’m writing.” And as the first editorial I ever wrote for Dread Central was on the queer tragedy of Bly Manor, her creative connection to Flanagan resonates with me quite a bit.
And while she’s already reached unprecedented success, Wong’s road continues to wind. Beyond reporting on existing and upcoming horror titles, she harbours not-so-secret aspirations to offer something distinctly her own to the genre. “I’m excited for the day I can tell people, ‘Here’s my next project,’” she reveals. “That’s the goal—to eventually share my own stories.”
I’m surprised to find that she turns introspective, even quiet, when discussing her recognition by The Hollywood Reporter as one of the world’s most influential creators. “It was hard not to think about when I was the weird kid in high school,” she reflects with soft seriousness. This validation is profound in an old-hat media landscape which is fearful of change and eager to discredit the next generation. As she moves forward, she sees herself taking others with her. “Every step I take is a step for everyone who ever felt unseen,” she tells me.
The rarity of Wong’s executive positioning in the horror community as a visible minority is not lost on her. She recalls her early experiences navigating a makeshift DVD market in Hong Kong, in awe of box art and stories that felt alien yet captivating. Today, receiving messages from followers and fans who see themselves in her is another motivating force that keeps her moving upwards. “Being confident in who you are and in what you love—that’s radical,” she shares. “If somebody sees that in me and feels inspired, that’s everything.”
When I asked what her blue-sky horror project would be if Jason Blum or someone of his status gave her carte blanche as a filmmaker to any IP, Wong’s enthusiasm was unrestrained. “I’d love to be involved with Saw. I loved Saw X—I saw it maybe four times in theaters,” she shared candidly. It’s just another hint of her uncharacteristic passion for extreme horror. If you’re familiar with her content, you won’t be all that surprised. And, with the news of Saw XI possibly being reassembled, it could be the perfect time for her to help craft the next chapter. I know you’re listening, Lionsgate.
And as though she could read my mind, while reflecting on formative horror movie watching experiences, Wong vividly recalls being a child and secretly peering from the doorway at a scene from The Silence of the Lambs— it was one of Hannibal Lecter’s more nightmarish acts, out of context. Yet it would be the catalyst for her passion for shocking cinema and morbid fixations. Like Clarice, she stood there taking note, horrified and fascinated. It remains significant as one of her earliest exposures to the genre, unknowingly pathing her future career of investigating fear and darkness.
I’d put down money that, whatever she makes next, it’ll be a hybrid of her poetic sensibilities aligned with an infusion of extreme horror. And that with every step she takes further, that Heidi Wong will continue to generously bring her audience along for the ride.
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