Good morning, House of Madness final girls:
In honour of today being International Women's Day, I thought it would be fun to list my favourite horror films in which a female protagonist or antagonist plays a prominent role. I'm not listing the films based on their attributes, I'm simply basing them on the females within and the performances they gave. Nothing beats a badass female stomping heads and taking names in my book, so kudos to all of you tough ladies out there, and Happy International Women's Day!
10. "Friday the 13th" (1980) - Many people forget when they go back to revisit this classic, that Jason wasn't even the one wielding the maniacal machete throughout; it was his mother Mrs. Voorhees (Betsy Palmer) that hacked and chopped all of those evil little counselor craniums off.
9. "Christine" (1983) - Yeah, yeah, Christine is a car, but so what? If you don't think she deserves to be on this list, I fucking dare you to say that directly to her grill. Didn't think so.
8. "The Silence of the Lambs" (1991) - While everyone always talks about Hannibal Lecter, it's impossible to disregard the bravery of Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) as she takes on the notorious Buffalo Bill, and gets the better of him in a movie sequence for the ages.
7. Carrie (1976) - It may have taken the kids at her school a while, but everyone left senior prom unable to forget the name Carrie for the rest of their lives. She's not to be fucked with to say the least.
6. "It Follows" (2014) - If ever there was a film to show your kids about the importance of keeping it in their pants, it's definitely this one. You can run, but you can't hide after the deed is done.
5. "The Descent" (2005) - Ever had a desire to go spelunking in a deep, dark cave? After you watch the horrors that these 5 badass friends go through, you won't even consider doing laundry in the dark, and that's a fact.
4. "Halloween" (1978) - Michael Myers may have been able to go on a decades-long murdering spree, but things could have and would have been even worse if it wasn't for Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) and her vicious acumen in battling masked assholes.
3. "Alien" (1979) - Be honest, every time you see Sigourney Weaver, there's a large part of you that just wants to call her 'Ripley'. She's so terrifyingly fearless in these films, that I bet those ugly fuckin aliens have nightmares about her.
2. "Midsommar" (2019) - Imagine traveling all the way across the world with your dipshit boyfriend, only to learn he's way more than just a dipshit, and you'd actually enjoy watching him suffer. This film takes the long way around on a drive through Terrortown, but it's absolutely worth every second watching Dani (Florence Pugh) delve deep into madness.
1. "Pearl" (2022) - Quite possibly the most fucked up and determined person I've ever witnessed on screen willing to do whatever it takes to get what they want, Pearl (Mia Goth) blazes a trail of absolute destruction and doesn't even bat an eye while she's doing it. What a legend.
And there we have it folks, my top 10 badass ladies of film in honour of International Women's Day. Thank you to all the women out there, and especially those in my life; you make an impossible world a much better place. Thank you!
NB
