Final Girls are a distinctive class of characters from popular horror movies, but what if the most famous female figures were recast with young actresses in 2021? The group of faces from classic horror titles are some of the most influential characters in the genre. Not only have they served as game-changers for tropes centered on women in horror, but the concept of Final Girls has also propelled a new subgenre that puts powerful female characters at the front and center.
A “Final Girl” is a horror character archetype describing the lone female survivor after confronting the terrors of a killer or dangerous villain. They tend to face off with their tormentor in a climactic battle at the end of the tale. They are also the ones left alive to tell the story as their friends, loved ones, and peers are usually killed during the events of the movie. In some cases, more than one Final Girl can emerge by the end, but there is usually a particular protagonist responsible for the survival.
While the concept of Final Girls has been around for decades, the term wasn’t coined until the early ’90s. More and more Final Girls continue to come into existence through movies like The Descent, The Cabin in the Woods, It Follows, and the appropriately named The Final Girls. If for any reason some of the most classic horror movies were made today (or rebooted), there are a handful of compelling actresses who would fit the roles of the most well-known Final Girls. It should be noted that while many would argue that Alien‘s Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) deserves a spot on this list, it focuses on pure horror titles. That said, here’s who could potentially be good fits for recasting the Final Girls of the ’60s to the ’90s.
Samara Weaving As Sally Hardesty In The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
Samara Weaving is certainly no stranger to the horror genre. After starring in multiple Australian TV shows, the actress acquired a recurring role in season 1 of Ash vs Evil Dead, a sequel series to Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead franchise. Since then, Weaving has served as a lead in The Babysitter and more notably, Grace Le Domas in 2019’s Ready or Not. Her role in Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett’s horror-comedy proves how well Weaving would fit as Sally Hardesty (Marilyn Burns) in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre if it were made today.
In terms of Final Girls, Sally has never been viewed as the admirable fighter type. Some would even say that she survives Leatherface and his family of cannibals by pure luck. Based on her performance in Ready or Not, Weaving has the skill to play just about all the Final Girls on this list. That said, Grace’s willingness to play along with her in-law’s sadistic tradition in a calm manner indicates that Weaving has the familiarity to tackle a role that requires mental resilience. Sally’s participation during the infamous dinner scene after her brother and friends were slaughtered is one of the most heart-pounding scenes in horror history. It would be thrilling to see Weaving play a character in that situation, and the same goes for Sally’s big escape.
Jessica Henwick As Jess Bradford In Black Christmas (1974)
Bob Clark’s 1974 Black Christmas is often considered one of the very first slasher films within the horror genre, making protagonist Jess Bradford (Olivia Hussey) an original Final Girl. Unlike other slashers that tend to victimize female characters, Jess’s arc goes against the trope. The multi-dimensional portrayal adds extra layers, and someone like Jessica Henwick could certainly excel in the role. Although she doesn’t have much experience in horror other than Underwater, Henwick does have an admirable range when it comes to her acting credits. After appearing in Game of Thrones, the Star Wars sequel trilogy, and as Colleen Wing in multiple Marvel TV shows, it’s about time that the British actress gets a leading role.
From the start, the character of Jess is presented through a feminist lens with the subplot focusing on her views on abortion. As a member of the sorority house in focus, Jess falls victim to an anonymous stalker who goes from making crude phone calls to murdering the girls one by one. When the police inform Jess that the killer is inside the house, she chooses to seek out her fellow sorority members rather than save herself. Interestingly enough, Black Christmas leaves Jess’s fate ambiguous, but she still finds herself on the majority of best-of lists when it comes to Final Girls. Henwick undoubtedly has the potential to depict a no-nonsense leader that puts the safety of others before herself.
Lili Reinhart As Laurie Strode In Halloween (1978)
Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) is arguably the most influential Final Girl in horror. Serving as the primary antagonist in John Carpenter’s Halloween, Laurie is first displayed as a timid and shy teenager who struggles with her social life. While babysitting on Halloween night, she is forced to confront a masked madman, Michael Myers. Despite initially breaking down mentally after her first faceoff with the killer, Laurie regains her composure, deciding to protect the kids she’s babysitting while also fighting back. Lili Reinhart, of course, already has experience emulating Halloween‘s Laurie, making her a perfect choice for recasting.
Reinhart is best known for playing Betty Cooper in Riverdale, a CW series based on the figures from Archie Comics. While the series is considered a teen drama, it has contained an undeniable amount of horror undertones since premiering in 2017. During Riverdale season 4’s Halloween episode, Betty actually wears an outfit honoring Laurie Strode as part of her costume. As she is stalked by an unknown assailant, Betty transforms into a figure that mirrors Laurie. With just that performance alone, Reinhart shows that she’s capable of playing an innocent babysitter who finds the strength within herself to keep fighting.
Billie Lourd As Alice Hardy In Friday The 13th (1980)
Billie Lourd’s most recent main role was playing Montana Duke in American Horror Story: 1984. The season of Ryan Murphy’s anthology series pays tribute to the slasher genre of horror, specifically, Friday the 13th. Seeing as Lourd played a young woman who takes a job as a counselor at a camp with a dark past, she would be a great fit to portray Alice Hardy (Adrienne King) while also giving the character more charisma. Alice’s personality is a bit lackluster in Friday the 13th, but someone like Lourd could add more watchability to the sole surviving camp counselor.
Unlike AHS co-star Emma Roberts, who appeared in Scream 4, Lourd hasn’t been given an opportunity to star in a horror movie. Even though Alice initially faces Pamela Voorhees rather than hockey mask-wearing killer Jason in the first film, Lourd can tap into her AHS past by simultaneously exhibiting her stellar deadpan humor. Viewers know that she can run around a camp with a murderer on the loose, but it would be exciting to see Alice go toe-to-toe with a little more boldness.
Samantha Logan As Nancy Thompson In A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984)
Like some of the other names on this list, Nancy Thompson (Heather Langenkamp) flips the script when it comes to horror’s damsels in distress. The character plays the primary protagonist that first appears in A Nightmare on Elm Street. In fact, she becomes the first person to ever face Freddy Krueger and survive. Instead of shuttering mentally and hiding from the horrors at the hands of Freddy, Nancy leads the charge by researching Freddy’s origins and formulating a plan to take him down. Based on Nancy’s arc, a young actress like Samantha Logan could truly excel in the role.
Logan made her acting debut in Gossip Girl, but she went on to appear in several horror titles. Aside from a stint on Teen Wolf, the actress starred in two horror films, Polaroid and The Empty Man. In both cases, Logan’s character was forced to face supernatural entities, and based on A Nightmare on Elm Street‘s franchise, Freddy could be viewed as one of the most threatening supernatural forces. Currently, Logan stars as Olivia Baker in the sports drama, All American. The character, like Nancy, struggles with issues stemming from her personal life. Samantha also has a core group of friends, and she doesn’t back down when it comes to protecting loved ones.
Tati Gabrielle As Kirsty Cotton In Hellraiser (1987)
Tati Gabrielle has experience portraying a femme fatale based on her performance as Prudence Night in Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. While she hasn’t had the opportunity to play a lead protagonist just yet, the actress would be a refreshing choice to play Hellraiser‘s Final Girl, Kirsty Cotton (Ashley Laurence). After summoning demons known as Cenobites by messing with the Lemarchand’s box, Kirsty figures out a plan to save her own life. Not only does she fight for her own survival, but she manages to bargain with the souls of others to fulfill Pinhead’s requests.
As Prudence, Gabrielle played a role that regularly meant being involved with Hell and the dangerous beings that resided in the underground realm. Throughout the Netflix series, Prudence was the leader of a trio of witches, but when the time arose, she made decisions for her own personal gain. There was no doubt that Prudence was a fighter, but there was also darkness within her. All of these traits are necessary to portray a hardened figure like Kirsty, who had to make difficult choices to live another day when it came to facing the Cenobites.
Isabela Merced As Sidney Prescott In Scream (1996)
Isabela Merced might not be a name that comes to mind when recasting iconic Final Girls. That said, a character like Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) is greatly underestimated before surviving the wrath of Ghostface in Wes Craven’s Scream. Merced is best known for roles in movies such as Instant Family, Dora and the Lost City of Gold, and Let It Snow. Those titles don’t feature a character equipped to personally face vengeful killers, but they do present Merced as a figure with a wholesome demeanor. That layer is extremely important when recasting someone like Sidney.
Like Laurie in Halloween, Sidney exhibits a vulnerability, making her an unlikely figure to emerge as a sole survivor. While her peers are familiar with horror movie tropes, Sidney goes into the madness predominantly blind. She uses her own wits and motivations to overcome the threats of killers with personal vendettas. The innocence of Merced could play well into Sidney’s outside appearance as an underestimated opponent. In the end, Sidney always gets the upper hand, and it would be fun to see someone like Merced stand in a role that has exponential character growth.
Maya Hawke & Kathryn Newton As Marion & Lila Crane In Psycho (1960)
Technically, Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) doesn’t survive the events of Psycho, but many horror fans will admit that she shares traits of a traditional Final Girl. Marion is headstrong and independent, deciding to steal money to pay off her lover’s debts so the two can marry. Though Marion falls victim to the deranged Norman Bates while staying at the Bates Motel, it would be easy to envision an actress like Maya Hawke in the role. Hawke, who currently stars in Stranger Things, has the range to confront Norman while bringing an intensity to the iconic Psycho shower scene.
While Marion gets killed, her sister, Lila Crane (Vera Miles), emerges as a Final Girl by the end of Psycho. Upon investigating her sister’s whereabouts, Lila joins forces with Marion’s boyfriend, Sam Loomis, before encountering Norman. Kathryn Newton is a year older than Hawke, and in addition to their similarities in appearance, she could easily be made to look younger. Aside from an array of roles within different genres, Newton has worked in horrors like Paranormal Activity 4 and Freaky. There’s no doubt that she could tackle an investigative role like Lila. Seeing Hawke and Newton play the Crane sisters would be a treat for fans of horror movies.
