While a vast majority of killers in horror films are men, there have been some incredibly compelling and successful movies throughout the years that have featured a female as the lead antagonist. Although the “final girl” gets most of the attention in the horror genre, it’s about time these killer ladies get the recognition they deserve.
From vintage horror classics to modern marvels, and even sleeper indie hits, women have been behind the carnage in tons of films. Here are the ten best that every horror fan needs to watch. It should be noted that some of these movies rely on their female killers being a surprise, so be warned that there are spoilers present her.
Teeth (2007)
In Teeth, a young woman named Dawn is diagnosed with the rare condition vagina dentata which — as the name implies — means that her nether regions are loaded with a row of sharp teeth. What made Teeth interesting is that Dawn is, in a way, the antagonist and protagonist of the film, being both the main character who’s at the mercy of suspicious men while also killing them. That, and Teeth is actually a dark comedy despite its horrifying central idea.
Teeth not only went on to become a winner at Sundance, but it’s also credited with giving rise to the modern sex-horror subgenre. Many question if sexually-charged horror films like Jennifer’s Body, Contracted and It Follows would exist without Teeth.
Species (1995)
In the ’90s sci-fi spectacle Species, the government breeds an alien/human hybrid named Sil. Sil matures rapidly and within a few weeks, she reaches sexual maturity and becomes hellbent on breeding in order to create a hybrid race that will destroy humanity weaponized murder tentacles and sex.
Species’ alien was designed by none other than H. R. Giger, famous for designing the Xenomorph in Alien. While Species was panned by critics at the time of release, it went on to be a huge box office success, grossing over $113 million in ticket sales. It was also extremely successful in the rental market as well, leading to some direct-to-video sequels.
Saw II (2004)
One of the most-remembered scenes from the original Saw was Amanda trapped in that insane reverse bear trap that, when activated, would rip her entire head in half. Little did audiences know that she was about to become one of the series’ main killers. In Saw II’s final moments, it’s revealed that Amanda was converted to Jigsaw’s philosophy after surviving her trap in the first film and that she now intends to continue his work after he dies.
While she’s not exactly the mastermind just yet (that would only happen in Saw III onwards), Amanda’s villainous origin story arguably kicks off in Saw II, where she’s Jigsaw’s conspirator and mole in a group of new test subjects. In a series known for outlandish twist endings that don’t always land properly, Saw II’s Amanda twist is one that still stands out to this day.
Urban Legend (1998)
Urban Legend was part of the slasher meta-revival that took place in the late ’90s following Scream. In the film, a college is plagued with a series of murders that are all committed in the style of various urban legends.
The movie is remembered for its unique twist on slasher tropes, an unexpected cast (whoever thought Loretta Devine would star alongside Jared Leto?), and of course, its twist ending, where it’s revealed that Rebecca Gayheart was the killer all along.
Friday the 13th (1980)
As all horror fans know, Jason Voorhees was not the killer in the first film of his iconic franchise. The original antagonist was his mother, Pamela Voorhees, seeking revenge after Jason drowned in Crystal Lake because the camp counselors weren’t watching him. This fact is a staple question at bar trivia and was even the trick question that got Drew Barrymore’s boyfriend killed in the famous opening scene of Scream.
While Jason is the true star of the Friday the 13th series, his mother appears a few more times throughout the franchise, including Friday the 13th Part 2, Part 3, Freddy vs. Jason, and the Friday the 13th video game. Without Pamela, there simply wouldn’t be a Friday the 13th or a Jason to even speak of.
Bride of Chucky (1998)
One of the biggest surprises from the ’90s slasher revival scene was the return of Chucky, the possessed Good Guy doll from the ’80s. Even more surprising was that his new film involved another doll: Tiffany, played by Jennifer Tilly. Tiffany was the girlfriend of Charles Lee Ray, the serial killer whose soul ends up in the Chucky doll.
In this soft reboot yet canonical sequel, Tiffany and Chucky are together as two killer dolls on the lam. Tiffany, of course, only becomes a doll after Chucky kills her. In a way, this movie is a comedic take on Bride of Frankenstein, even making numerous references to the 1935 original. Bride of Chucky was a huge success and breathed new life into the franchise, transforming it from a doll-themed horror film into a uniquely self-aware slasher.
Audition (1999)
In this Japanese sadist masterpiece, an aging widow, Shigeharu, is encouraged by his friends to date again. He sets up an audition where he meets a young Asami, who has obsessive tendencies, to say the least. Shigeharu falls for her, learning that everywhere she’s been, the mutilated corpse of a man has also been found. Undisturbed by this, he continues his pursuit of romance, only realizing that he’s her next victim after she paralyzes him and begins her torture regimen.
Audition toured the festival circuit to great success, and some film scholars even claim that it was one of the building blocks to the “torture porn” subgenre that gained massive popularity in the 2000’s.
Carrie (1976)
Carrie is another one of those films where the main character becomes the killer but because she’s the protagonist, audiences somehow find themselves rooting for her. Most cinephiles know the plot to this Stephen King adaptation: a bullied misfit with telekinesis has an absolutely horrendous prank pulled on her at prom, and then unleashes her supernatural abilities to destroy everyone and everything around her.
What made Carrie so fascinating is that while Carrie herself was compelling despite what she does later, it was Carrie’s mom who was even more terrifying. Her mother (played by Piper Laurie) was a controlling, sadistic, spiteful, evangelical maniac. The scariest scenes in the entire movie are the ones where Carrie is trapped alone in her house with her mother, not the prom massacre.
Scream 2 (1997)
Few horror series can pull off what Scream has. It’s a franchise that’s both smart and witty while being stylized and genuinely scary. Wes Craven always knew how to create the best possible twists and turns to keep the audience guessing.
Case in point, the finale of Scream 2 wholly proves Craven’s prowess when it’s revealed that Debbie Salt, a local reporter covering murders at Windsor College, is actually Billy Loomis’ (the original Ghostface in Scream) mom and has orchestrated the new wave of murders. Craven cast acting veteran Laurie Metcalf for the role and to this day, many Scream fans say she’s one of their favorite characters in the franchise.
Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962)
In this horror classic, Bette Davis stars as Baby Jane, a deranged former child star who has descended into alcoholism and madness. After her sister, Blanche, became a more famous actress than her, she hit her with a car in order to end her career, paralyzing Blanche from the waist down. From there, Jane continues her spiral into madness and murder but the truth is a lot more complicated than it seems.
The movie was praised for its on-screen tension (fueled by the real-life hatred Bette Davis and Joan Crawford had for each other) and even created a new subgenre of horror called “psycho-biddy,” which centered around crazed older women. Psycho-biddy films that followed include Hush… Hush, Sweet Charlotte, Strait-Jacket, and more.
