Natalie D.C.
According to Urban Dictionary, a “final girl” is any “girl who survives in a horror movie.” More specifically, the term was coined by professor of Medieval Studies and American Film Carol J. Clover in her 1987 paper “Her Body, Himself: Gender in the Slasher Film” and is defined by the scholar as “the slasher film’s hero.”
While the final girl was epitomized within the slasher subgenre—via Halloween (1978) and Friday the 13th (1980)—the trope has persisted well into the 21st-century, evolving from a virgin, goody two shoes trapped in a bloody slasher (i.e., Jamie Lee Curtis’s Laurie Strode in Halloween) to a well-rounded, complex protagonist who must survive any combination of genre-bending horror stories (i.e., Mia Goth’s Maxine Minx).
With Halloween right around the corner, there’s no better time to explore and rank six underrated final girls, focusing specifically on underappreciated horror flicks of the modern era whose star scream queens, in some way, shape, or form, reinvent the beloved trope.
#6: Max Cartwright (Taissa Farmiga) in The Final Girls (2015)
Directed by American filmmaker Todd Strauss-Schulson, The Final Girls (2015) stars The Bling Ring (2013)’s Taissa Farmiga as Max Cartwright, a teenage girl whose grief for her late mother (Malin Åkerman), a famous scream queen from the 1980s, lands her and her friends in the very movie that defined the older woman’s cut-short career. Not only is Max Cartwright a successful (albeit, for much of the film, passive) final girl, but also the horror comedy proves to be a witty, meta exploration of the trope and genre as a whole.
While the writing and VFX feel dated, the visually-stunning cinematography from Tarot (2024)’s Elie Smolkin and faced-paced editing from Black Panther (2018)’s Debbie Berman allows Max’s campy, yet heartfelt story of healing from grief while defeating a bullied-summer-camper-turned-serial killer to shine. Filled to the brim with wacky gags, over-the-top performances, as well as a post-credits blooper reel, The Final Girls has withstood the test of time as a fun watch with an underappreciated protagonist a decade after its release.
#5: Zoey Davis (Taylor Russell) in Escape Room (2019)
Directed by American filmmaker and actor Adam Robitel, Escape Room (2019) stars Bones and All (2022)’s Taylor Russell as introverted and intelligent college student Zoey Davis who finds herself trapped in a deadly escape room with five strangers. A PG-13 version of the Saw franchise, the film slowly kicks off as a mystery exploring the main characters’ backstories leading up to their entrance into the killer game, eventually devolving into a brutal horror featuring wholly original, memorable kills and convincing performances from co-leads Logan Miller, Jay Ellis, and Deborah Ann Woll.
While, at times, painfully dull with a rushed ending, Escape Room stands tall as a creative horror flick that is accessible for newcomers to the genre and spotlights a perfectly complex final girl. Not only is Zoey shy, whip-smart, and stubborn, she overcomes her insecurities all the while fighting to survive, seek justice for her newfound friends, and beat the gamemaster at their own game.
#4: Ziggy Berman (Sadie Sink) in Fear Street: 1978 (2021)
Co-written and directed by American filmmaker Leigh Janiak, Fear Street: 1978 (2021) stars Stranger Things’s Sadie Sink as teenage camper Ziggy Berman who fights to survive a paranormally-inspired killing spree alongside her older, stuck-up sister Cindy (Emily Rudd). The second film in a trilogy based on R.L. Stine’s children’s book series of the same name (and the only sequel on this list), this supernatural slasher showcases Sink doing what she does best: playing a sarcastic, nihilistic adolescent who struggles to fit in. Ziggy is not just an angsty teenager, however; she is also rebellious, determined, and fiercely loyal to those around her, a mistake that proves deadly.
While not the best film in the series, Fear Street: 1978 most effectively stands on its own as a fun, 70s-set horror reminiscent of classic slashers of the time. Ziggy’s characterization as a final girl may not reinvent the wheel, but her evolving relationship with her sister throughout the course of this blood-soaked summer camp night tugs at the viewer’s heartstrings, making for an effective ending to this bold, yet overlooked sequel.
#3: Brigitte Fitzgerald (Emily Perkins) in Ginger Snaps (2000)
Directed by Canadian filmmaker John Fawcett, Ginger Snaps (2000) follows macabre sisters Ginger (Katharine Isabelle) and Brigitte (Emily Perkins) Fitzgerald who live a mundane, isolated life in the suburban town of Bailey Downs until Ginger gets bitten by a wild creature on the night of her first period and begins to transform into a werewolf. As Ginger causes mayhem, Brigitte must keep her secret and save her sister from a gruesome metamorphosis.
Inspired by Heavenly Creatures (1994), this supernatural horror flick not only proves as an underrated addition to the genre with a stubborn, death-obsessed little sister final girl at its center, but also plays with the idea of feminist body horror reminiscent of more widely-known films like Jennifer’s Body (2009). Ginger and Brigitte’s sisterly relationship is even more realistic and complex than the previous film on this list, making for an enjoyable and relatable coming-of-age story aside from the bloodier, monster makeup-ridden scenes. While the writing, at times, uses incredibly dated language and the special effects leave something to be desired, Ginger Snaps, the Fitzgerald sisters, and the film’s universal themes deserve more appreciation.
#2: Jen (Matilda Lutz) in Revenge (2017)
Written and directed by French filmmaker Coralie Fargeat, Revenge (2017) follows Jen (Matilda Lutz), a young American woman who goes on a romantic getaway to the desert with her wealthy married lover until their trip is disrupted by his rowdy hunter friends. Gorgeously shot with a bold use of color and feminist body horror themes reminiscent of Fargeat’s most recent, Oscar-nominated feature film, The Substance (2024), this thrilling directorial debut proves that Fargeat has always had a specific vision and artistic touch that many filmmakers strive for.
Inspired by gritty action/adventure franchises like Mad Max and Rambo, Revenge plays with the rape revenge horror trope, veering away from the subgenre’s tendency to lean too heavily on the gruesome depiction of a violating crime, and instead focusing on the machinations of a drawn-out, yet satisfying revenge plot. Jen herself is a subversion—instead of being portrayed as a stereotypically “pure” final girl, she embraces her sexuality, fueled not only by her need to survive and desire for vengeance, but also by her dreams of moving to LA. Revenge is the only film on this list without a sequel and for good reason—the film is wholly original and highly entertaining with a star performance worthy of as much praise as Demi Moore’s iconic Elisabeth.
#1: Grace MacCaullay (Samara Weaving) in Ready or Not (2019)
Directed by American filmmakers and Radio Silence co-creators Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Ready or Not (2019) follows Grace MacCaullay (Samara Weaving), an unassuming bride whose wedding night turns deadly after her wealthy in-laws convince her to play a gruesome game of hide-and-seek. With an exciting premise, iconic ending, and multiple bone-chilling howls from the scream queen Samara Weaving herself, Ready or Not proves itself as an incredible horror-comedy worthy of its forthcoming sequel.
Alongside a stacked supporting cast—including Mark O’Brien as Grace’s apologetic husband, Adam Brody as her alcoholic older brother-in-law, and Andie MacDowell as her already overbearing mother-in-law—Weaving shines as Grace, a young woman who, in any other horror flick, would be the first to die, but, in Ready or Not, refuses to go down without a fight, torn wedding dress, butchered hand, and blood-curdling scream be damned. While this is, without a doubt, the most well-known film on this list, it is so for good reason, paving the way for modern horror and final girls of the future.
