Final Girl- a horror movie stereotype in which the female protagonist of the film takes on the antagonist (most likely either the monster or killer) and is most likely the sole survivor
The “Final Girl” trope has existed for decades now, and has had its fair share of both memorable and annoying characters. Since Halloween is around the corner, I figured now would be a good time to share this list. This is a list of the most notable Final Girls in my humble opinion.
#10: Dana Polk- The Cabin In The Woods
So I watched Cabin In The Woods recently and I thought it was odd. I did not hate it but I was not terribly impressed with it either. Same goes with its protagonist and my #10 pick Dana, hence the reason she’s at the bottom. With that being said, she does have her moments. Namely unleashing those monsters onto the facility. But I will admit to being slightly underwhelmed by her character after she as well as the movie itself was relatively hyped up in videos or websites about the film’s quality and Dana’s memorability. Granted she is still a decent character, but pales in comparison to the rest of the characters on this list. It probably does not make sense that I put her on this list, but it is the way it is.
#9: Theresa "Tree" Gelbman- Happy Death Day
Happy Death Day is another horror movie I watched recently. Unlike Cabin In The Woods, I actually understand all the fuss over this movie as well as the character of Tree Gelbman. She is hilarious, and a total BOSS when she needs to be. Yeah she is a douchebag most of the time she’s onscreen (in the first movie anyway), but a charismatic one and she does change for the better. Jessica Rothe’s charming performance is what makes you root for Tree, which is a miracle considering It would’ve been easy for Tree to become a generic character. But I do believe that Rothe’s take on Tree played an important factor in why Tree is one of the most memorable modern day Final Girls.
#8: Winnifred "Wendy" Torrance- The Shining
With all due respect to Stephen King, I am convinced there is something very wrong with him. In terms of the characters on this list I feel most sympathetic towards, Wendy comes in second place (obviously we’ll talk about first later). The poor girl suffered both onscreen and offscreen. Her husband is a total nightmare who slowly but surely goes insane, while offscreen Stanley Kubrick tortured the HELL out of her actress Shelley Duvall. Duvall’s exhaustion definitely added believability to her take on Wendy, but was it really worth it to put the actress through Hell? In my humble opinion it was not. If anything, It makes Wendy’s trauma from the situation even worse. It was like neither Duvall or Wendy were safe from the horrors of this hotel.
#7: Lila Crane- Psycho
Psycho threw us in for a curveball when It set up Marion Crane as the Final Girl for the movie. Then a certain incident in the shower occurred that would go down in history as one of the most iconic film scenes of all time. So after that, the sister steps into the picture. Like Marion, Lila is also involved in an iconic scene. I can not imagine finding a mummified body in a cellar being a fun experience, but someone had to find it in order for us to see the truth about Norman. If anything, Lila is probably one of the earliest examples of a Final Girl and possibly an originator. So she might be the reason most of these characters even exist. Even if she was not called that at the time, she most likely set the initial standard.
#6: Rachel Keller- The Ring
Rachel might be the only person on the planet with a valid reason for being afraid of watching a video. She made the mistake of watching a cursed video that kills its victims one week after viewing it, so shes got to save herself and eventually her son from suffering that fate. The combination of an investigative mindset with motherly instinct is one thing that makes Rachel stand out. It was one thing when she was cursed, but her son becoming a victim made this even scarier. I do believe that played a factor in the audience rooting for her to live and kept her from becoming generic and forgettable. While she does lack personality in comparison to other characters on this list, that is not enough to not care for her as a whole.
#5: Clarice Starling- The Silence Of The Lambs
Hello Clarice. You have got to be a special type of brave, crazy, or stupid to come face to face with a cannibal. At least that is how I see it in terms of Clarice Starling. The girl also took on Buffalo Bill and succeeded, but even that sounds mellow in comparison to visiting Dr. Lector in my opinion. Of course in her defense, she is an FBI trainee. Lector appears to take a liking towards Clarice for a reason. Not a lot of people can say a criminal has some type of attachment to them, nor would they want to say that. But Clarice is one of those lucky few, yay (she says sarcastically). Sarcasm aside, unlike the movie, I see Clarice as underrated in terms of Final Girl tropes. She may not be your typical Final Girl, but that’s okay.
#4: Nancy Thompson- A Nightmare On Elm Street
If there is one person you NEVER want to see in your dreams, it is Freddy Krueger. Nancy Thompson serves as one of the unlucky targets of the iconic villain. The poor girl literally could not sleep as it would put her at risk of being killed by that literal dream demon from Hell. But like most of the characters on this list, she was a fighter. Mainly I am referring to her death in the third film, where even after being stabbed, Nancy had enough will to stab Freddy back before kicking the bucket. Sucks she had to go, but she went out fighting. Nancy is probably one of the most identifiable Final Girls ever created. She’s not as iconic as Freddy or our remaining characters on this list, but she is most likely one of the first characters to come to mind in terms of the topic of Final Girls or horror movie heroines.
#3: Laurie Strode- Halloween
Look, I know siblings are not always easy to get along with (speaking as a sister), but brutally murdering them is a bit harsh if you ask me. Laurie Strode has the unfortunate displeasure of being both Michael Myers’ baby sister and murder target. Laurie went through a relatively strange transformation given the different and at times confusing directions of the Halloween franchise. While there have been both positive and negative results, Laurie’s jumpy characterization has not taken away the impact her character has on horror. Regardless of how people feel about H20, Resurrection, or the last 2 of the David Gordon Green movies, Laurie Strode remains one of the most iconic Final Girls of all time.
#2: Sidney Prescott- Scream
Whenever you receive a random call asking if you like scary movies, hang up and run. No one understands this better than Sidney Prescott, whose mother unfortunately is one of Ghostface’s victims and is coming for Sidney herself. But every time she encounters Ghostface, she makes it through thanks to her intelligence and resilience. Those personality traits as well as Campbell’s likable performance make Sidney easy to root for. Another icon in her own right, Sidney has become one of the most influential heroines in horror movie history as well as movie history and is probably the standard when it comes to Final Girls as a whole. She is an incredibly strong contender for #1, but one girl is even stronger.
Before I reveal my top pick, here are some honorable mentions.....................
-LEAVE CARRIE ALONE! -Poor Jason
-Don't mess with death -I don't care what you did last summer
-silly movie -That poor girl
#1: Ellen Ripley- Alien
Ripley is kind of awesome. She normally is the smartest person in the room and is always level-headed even in the worst of situations. She’s never been afraid to speak her mind or at least try to help others even when no one else will. The woman literally took on an alien queen and WON, that is awesome on so many levels. She’s a leader and an absolute BOSS when she needs to be. Though given the trauma she has had to endure over the movies, she is the character on this list I feel the most sympathy for (after Wendy). Not only is Ripley probably the greatest horror movie heroine ever created, but she’s also one of the most iconic film characters of all time. Ripley truly made her mark in both horror movies and film history as a whole. Like Clarice, I do not know if she is brave, or crazy. But she sure as Hell ain’t stupid and is AWESOME AS HELL. Ripley RULES!
Thanks For Reading
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