Summary
It’s difficult to define what gives ahorrormovie scream queen her title, but many great modern stars fit the bill. They earn the name of scream queen easily with their remarkable performances. Slightly different from the final girl, an archetype within the horror genre, scream queens are actresses who become best-known for their contribution to thrilling and chilling flicks, often with surprising depth and nuance. While the name comes from the act of screaming, an action that horror movies are full of,contemporary scream queens are highlighted for their acting ability, not just for their shrieks.
For many years, the roles women were cast in within the horror genre were exploitative and one-dimensional, but modern horror masterpieces challenge and grapple with this history by giving their heroines depth.
It’s exciting to see moremodern horror movies directed by womenand incorporating the female perspective on and off camera. For many years, the roles women were cast in within the horror genre were exploitative and one-dimensional, but modern horror masterpieces challenge and grapple with this history by giving their heroines depth. Additionally,horror has been taken much more seriously as a genre in general in the last several decades.No longer is it considered low-brow or cheap, as some of the best modern horror movies tackle complex subjects that reflect the contemporary social and political issues of the everyday.
8 Horror Movie Franchises That Spawned Legendary Final Girls
Final girls continue to be pivotal figures in the horror genre, as specific franchises have spawned some of the most legendary survivors.
10Mia Goth
Known for the X Trilogy (2022–2024)
From the beginning of her career, Mia Goth was singled out as an actor who could push herself to the limits of physical and emotional performance no matter what the role called for. This has never been more clear than in her starring roles in theX Trilogyfrom filmmaker Ti West, which recently concluded with the final installment,MaXXXine. However, part of the reasonWest cast her in the lead role for all three movies was because of her extensive work in chilling psychological dramasand horror films.
Now that theX Trilogyhas wrapped up, it will be exciting to see who Goth decides to work with next.
Goth has worked with some of the best contemporary film directors, such as Luca Guadagnino on his 2018 remake ofSuspiria,Gore Verbinski onA Cure For Wellness, and, more recently, Brandon Cronenberg onInfinity Pool. It’s clear that Goth is drawn to stories that take on the ugly truths of human nature and twist them in grotesque ways while featuring gorgeous cinematography and storytelling that’s entrenched in the history of cinema. Now that theX Trilogyhas wrapped up, it will be exciting to see who Goth decides to work with next.
MaXXXine
Cast
In 1980s Hollywood, adult film star and aspiring actress Maxine Minx lands her big break, but her rise to stardom is jeopardized by a mysterious killer targeting starlets. As the body count rises, secrets from Maxine’s past threaten to surface, intertwining her quest for fame with a deadly game of survival.
9Jenna Ortega
Known for Wednesday (2022–Present)
As a rising star in Hollywood who’s been making her name in the horror genre, it’s unsurprising thatJenna Ortega is starring inBeetlejuice 2, the long-awaited sequel to the cult-classic film. Ortega began acting at a young age and, in the past few years, has fully established herself as a scream queen and an actor to watch. Excelling in both film and television,Ortega stole the show as a secondary character inYouseason 2, going on to land the starring role inWednesday,Netflix’s update ofThe Adam’s Familythat centers on Wednesday’s life at boarding school.
In terms of movies, Ortega proved herself to be a worthy successor of the final girl role in the 2022Screamand 2023Scream VI, which rebooted the beloved horror franchise with a modern twist. Capable of searingly funny deadpan delivery and deeply emotional performances like that inThe Fallout,Ortega has demonstrated a range that will likely transcend any typecasting throughout her career.Though it’s still early, few would be surprised to see Ortega go on to receive great acclaim for her work.
Wednesday
Wednesday follows the journey of Wednesday Addams as she attends Nevermore Academy, a boarding school for outcasts. Tasked with mastering her psychic abilities, she confronts a series of town murders and a haunting family mystery from 25 years ago, all while managing new social dynamics.
8Anya Taylor-Joy
Known for The Menu (2022)
ThoughFuriosawasn’t the box office success Taylor-Joy might have hoped for, it opens the door for her to explore action stardom in the future.
Like many of the women on this list, Anya Taylor-Joy has collaborated with many great filmmakers as well as other scream queens to exciting results.She and Goth both had a foray outside of horrorwhen they costarred in the 2020 adaptation of Jane Austen’s novel,Emma. When looking back, it’s hardly a coincidence that two such prolific stars of the terrifying and unsettling were chosen to be in a lush romantic period piece. Their presence and performances in the charming love story were a refreshing departure for both actresses.
Taylor-Joy is most certainly a scream queen, as her early roles in movies likeThe WitchandSplitare what catapulted her to fame. Additionally,The Menuis one of her biggest hits of the last few yearsand was critically acclaimed as a fun, tongue-in-cheek take on the influx of class-commentary scary movies currently in vogue. However, Taylor-Joy has counteracted this reputation by taking on projects across genres that highlight her many skills. ThoughFuriosawasn’t the box office success Taylor-Joy might have hoped for, it opens the door for her to explore action stardom in the future.
The Menu
A darkly comedic horror-thriller, The Menu focuses on a group of diners invited to a high-end restaurant on a private island by one of the world’s greatest chefs. Shortly after arriving on the island, Margot Mills begins to realize something is strange beyond the perceived pompous nature of the menu. Her suspicions are confirmed when the night turns deadly as the restaurant staff begins to descend into a cult-like madness.
7Maika Monroe
Known for Longlegs (2024)
Ten years after her first career-defining role inIt Follows, Maika Monroe is back and better than ever in the recent release,Longlegs, which has been taking the horror world by storm. Monroe shines throughout the movie, particularly in theLonglegsending, when huge twists are revealed to the audience. It’s not surprising that Monroe has, yet again, been connected to one of the best-rated horror movies of the decade, asher role inIt Followswas central to the 2014 film being hailed as one of the best scary movies of all time.
In the period between these two successes, Monroe has been busy cementing her position as a scream queen, though few projects have come close to her biggest hits. Despite this, watching her inThe GuestorWatcherscratches the itch of a classic Monroe thriller, even if the quality isn’t quite up to the standards ofIt FollowsorLonglegs. Additionally,she’s proven that a supernatural element is not required to make her filmography interesting,as she steals the show in more understated dramas likeHoney Boyor the coming-of-age thrillerHot Summer Nights.
Longlegs
Longlegs is a horror thriller film by writer-director Osgood Perkins. When FBI agent Lee Harker is assigned to a serial killer cold case, their investigation leads them down a rabbit hole riddled with disturbing discoveries and the occult at the center of it all. When the trail of evidence reveals a personal connection, it becomes a race against time to prevent another murder.
6Samara Weaving
Known for Ready Or Not (2019)
Though Samara Weaving’s most famous movie from 2019 is inarguablyReady or Not, the lesser-knownGuns Akimboin which she costars with Daniel Radcliffe.Ready or Notwas one of 2019’s best horrors and did an excellent job reinventing the final girl trope,which has been an important feature of modern cinema. Almost the entire story ofReady or Notrelies on Weaving’s ability to embody the lightning-fast development of her character, Grace.Ready or Notis a fun addition to the horror genre because it capitalizes on Weaving’s talents as an action performer, letting her be her own savior.
InThe Babysitter, which came out a few years beforeReady or Not, Weaving gets the fun job of playing the villain, which is one of the most rewarding parts of any scary movie.
These skills can be seen inGuns Akimboand the horror-comedyThe Babysitter. InThe Babysitter, which came out a few years beforeReady or Not, Weaving gets the fun job of playing the villain, which is one of the most rewarding parts of any scary movie. Additionally,Weaving is one of the many scream queens who earned a role inScream VI,which endeavored to bring many of the most popular horror actresses of the time together into one project. Though it isn’t horror, Weaving’s most high-profile role was in Damien Chazelle’sBabylon, which was released to mixed reviews.
Ready or Not
In Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett’s 2019 black comedy Ready Or Not, newlywed bride Grace Le Domas participates in a violent game of hide-and-seek with her fiancé’s family, who attempt to kill her during her wedding night as part of a long-standing ritual. The film stars Samara Weaving as Grace, Mark O’Brien as Grace’s husband Alex, Adam Brody as Alex’s brother Daniel, Andie MacDowell as their mother Becky, and Henry Czerny, Melanie Scrofano, Kristian Bruun, and Elyse Levesque as other members of the murderous family.
5Sophie Wilde
Known for Talk to Me (2022)
As much asTalk to Meis a horror movie, it’s also a tale about overcoming grief and moving on after the death of a loved one. Produced by A24, one of the hottest modern production companies churning out experimental and groundbreaking horror,Talk to Megives Sophie Wilde a lot to do as the protagonist, Mia, who is equally drawn to and terrified of the central antagonistic force of the story.The critical and audience reception forTalk to Mehas been overwhelmingly positive since the film’s release,meaning Wilde could continue with horror if she wishes.
However,Wilde also has solid ties to television, as she was singled out for her early performance in the British seriesYou Don’t Know Meand the recent dramedyEverything Now. Wilde is still at the point in her career when she can reasonably play a teenager, but after her compelling and dramatic role inTalk to Me, it seems like she’s ready to make the jump into purely adult roles. Whether or not these are in horror matters less than if Wilde is getting the complex and character-driven projects she deserves.
Talk to Me
While trying to cope with the death of her mother, Mia (Sophie Wilde) becomes enthralled with an embalmed hand that can conjure spirits. While Mia and her group of friends get a thrill out of communicating with spirits, things go too far when Mia doesn’t close the door to the other side.
4Jasmin Savoy Brown
Known for Scream (2022)
Something that defines all of her work, no matter the format, is that the characters she takes on are rich and complex.
Though she doesn’t have the most prominent role inScreamandScream VI,Jasmin Savoy Brown steals every scene she’s in and has successfully established herself as a movie actor.It’s important that she takes on these film roles, as her acclaimed performances in shows likeYellowjacketsandThe Leftoverscould mean that she’s pigeonholed in television for the foreseeable future. However, there’s nothing wrong with this, and Brown’s shows are considered some of the best. Something that defines all of her work, no matter the format, is that the characters she takes on are rich and complex.
Luckily, she stands out in the newScreammovies, and being inYellowjacketsgoes hand-in-hand with this, as the genres are similar. If anything,Yellowjacketscan be even more terrifying than theScreammovies because of its supernatural twists and mysteries. Additionally,one of Brown’s lesser-known works,Sound of Violence, sees Brown embody the role of a killer,but her thirst for blood is more nuanced and intriguing than most horror movies allow their villains to be.Sound of Violenceshows that Brown should have more opportunities to lead her own films.
Scream
Scream is a 2022 installment in the horror franchise, set 25 years after the original murders in Woodsboro. The film follows a new Ghostface killer who emerges to target a group of teenagers, bringing the town’s gruesome history back into the spotlight.
3Mckenna Grace
Known for Annabelle Comes Home (2019)
Mckenna Grace has been acting from a very young age, andmany audiences know her best as the actress who plays the younger version of an adult character in shows or movies.Luckily, Grace has been aging out of this and is getting the opportunity to do what she wants with a role instead of molding herself after an older actor. Many of these opportunities have come in horror films, fromAnnabelle Comes HometoThe Bad Seed. A huge turning point in Grace’s career was when she landed a role in the dystopian seriesThe Handmaid’s Tale.
It was an emotionally grueling part, but Grace portrayed it beautifully, allowing audiences to see her skills as a performer in a new light. Additionally, Grace is practically unrecognizable in the latestGhostbustersmovies as Phoebe Spengler and even inYoung Sheldonas Paige Swanson. Bouncing around from genre to genre with such ease makes it difficult to pin down what kind of actor Grace is and how to define her. However,it’s certain that her work in horror has never faltered and that the characters she takes on will continue to grow in depthand personality.
Annabelle Comes Home
The third installment of the Conjuring spin-off franchise, Annabelle Comes Home brings back the possessed doll to terrorize a family once again. Determined to keep Annabelle from wreaking more havoc, demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren bring the possessed doll to the locked artifacts room in their home, placing her “safety” behind sacred glass and enlisting a priest’s holy blessing. But an unholy night of horror awaits as Annabelle awakens the evil spirits in the room, which all set their sights on a new target - the Warren’s ten-year-old daughter Judy and her babysitters.
2Melissa Barrera
Known for Abigail (2024)
Melissa Barrera’s newest horror movie,Abigail, is merely the latest in a long line of excellent revivals that she’s successfully brought to modern audiences.Barrera starred alongside Ortega in the most recent iterations of theScreamfranchise,and she does well within the ensemble drama of the films. However, Barrera has the star power to lead her own project, and she got this chance withAbigail. Outside the horror world, audiences might recognize Barrera for her performance inIn The Heightsor the TV seriesVida.
Barrera successfully balances the dramatic moments when her characters must drop into the story with self-awareness revolving around the less-believable plot points.
One of the reasons that producers of frightening films keep returning to Barrera as a contender is because of how well she toes the line between horror and humor in her work. It’s well-known thatthere needs to be moments of levity and humor within a scary moviebecause so much of the premise is outlandish. Barrera successfully balances the dramatic moments when her characters must drop into the story with self-awareness revolving around the less-believable plot points. This was especially important in theScreammovies, as those narratives made their name on subverting horror tropes.
Abigail
Abigail is a 2024 horror thriller directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett. The plot follows a group of people who kidnap the daughter of a dangerous crime lord only to discover that the little girl is actually a vicious vampire out for blood. Alisha Weir stars as the titular character alongside Kathryn Newton, Melissa Barrera, and Dan Stevens.
2024 Is One Of The Best Years For Horror In My Lifetime
The horror genre has been having one of the best years it’s ever had, with over a dozen critically-acclaimed scary films coming out in 2024.
1Sophie Thatcher
Known for Yellowjackets (2021–Present)
Horror TV has soared in popularity in the last few years, and a large part of this is thanks to the mainstream success of series likeAmerican Horror Story. It’s inarguable that new series likeYellowjacketsowes a lot to its predecessors that paved the way for experimental and chilling new works. InYellowjackets,Sophie Thatcher’s character, Nat, is a skeptic when it comes to the supernatural elements that unfold in the show.However, this doesn’t stop her from being affected by them, as well as the naturalistic terror of living through a survival situation.
Thatcher’s upcoming movie,Heretic, will continue her trend of starring inhorrorprojects, as, since her breakout role inYellowjackets, audiences have grown accustomed to seeing her in this context. In the past, she was also featured in the 2023 filmThe Boogeyman, which didn’t receive overwhelming critical acclaim but was a fun adaptation of the Stephen King short story. When watching Thatcher’s acting style and disposition, it’s easy to see why she fits right into so many twisting psychological dramas.
Yellowjackets
Yellowjackets is a television series exploring the survival ordeal of a high school girls' soccer team stranded in the remote wilderness after a plane crash. It interweaves psychological horror and coming-of-age themes, simultaneously depicting their harrowing transformation and its lasting impact on their lives 25 years later.
