Halloween is less than three weeks away and that means it is scary movie season. Some of the most entertaining and empowering of all horror films are those that use the “final girl” trope. The “final girl” trope is commonly used in slasher films but is also seen in other horror movies and shows. These films end with one woman left standing; the final girl who outsmarts the killer and is the story’s heroine.
Ready or Not
My all-time favorite “final girl” film is called Ready or Not. This movie has a lot of gore while also being hilarious. The storyline and plot twists will leave you terrified, outraged, and then empowered. You may even see some familiar faces because this film stars Samara Weaving and Adam Brody.
The Final Girls
In this movie, a girl named Max, played by Taissa Farmiga, and her friends get put into a 1980s slasher film that her mother starred in. In real life, Max is grieving her mother’s death, and being put into the movie gives her the chance to get closure and see her mother again. In the end, Max survives and has a new perspective on life and death. This movie is funny and has a great cast.
The Hunt
In The Hunt, a group of blindfolded people wake up in an open field. The group of twelve people, confused and disoriented in a foreign land, are then hunted for sport. The movie follows a woman named Crystal who must use her survival skills to turn the tables on the hunters and be the last one standing.
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This movie follows a young aspiring actress and current adult film star, Maxine, and her friends to a secluded farmhouse on the property of an elderly couple. The elderly couple has some ulterior motives for letting them stay there and their night at the farmhouse quickly descends into violence and chaos. This movie has an all-star cast starring Mia Goth, Jenna Ortega, and Scott Mescudi (Kid Cudi).
Scream
The iconic slasher film series, Scream, is a perfect example of the “final girl” trope so it must be included in this list. Sidney Prescott, played by Neve Campbell, begins the first Scream movie as an average high school girl. She ends up being targeted by killers for most of her life, throughout the other Scream movies, but she always finds a way to stay alive.
Honorable mentions: You’re Next, Fear Street (all three movies), AHS:1984, Alien, and A Nightmare on Elm Street.