October is my favorite month because of Halloween, but it is also my favorite month
because I get to watch horror movies nonstop.
Slashers, haunted houses, vampires, ghosts, monsters, zombies — you name it, I love it.
But, among all the repeated tropes and cliches you recognize in horror, there is one I love the
most-- the final girl trope.
“Alien,” “Scream,” “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” “Black Christmas,” “Halloween,”
“A Nightmare on Elm Street” and “Jennifer’s Body” all have their different takes on final girls
and how women in horror are typically portrayed.
However, they all show us women who overcome daily challenges represented by horror
movie staples acting on our biggest fears.
Most female characters in horror succumb to unnecessary damsel-in-distress behavior
and stereotypes of being over-emotional, and this is what makes final girls different. These
women fight their battles with the independence and skillfulness all women possess. Final girls,
now and 50 years ago, can be strong role models for women of all ages.
Final girls have come a long way since the trope was created, and, most importantly,
they’ve found their independence and strength. These women go against society’s grain to come
out on top and be heroes in their worlds of extra-terrestrials, masked serial killers and curses. But
extraordinary settings do not separate female viewers from the final girl. We grow closer to her.
The characters’ humanity and life as a woman are important in how she is depicted and
interacts with her surroundings and others. Instead of giving in to societal expectations, the final
girl uses her wits, emotions and commanding characteristics as a strength instead of a weakness.
The final girl knows her battle, and she faces it head-on — always by herself. Forget axe
murderers and bloody-thirsty aliens, they should be scared of the final girl, who is full of
determination and fight that she’s always had.
While the initial creation of the final girl trope is questionable, its revolutionary approach
to showing women’s strength and resilience has changed how audiences view female characters
in horror films. The evolution of the final girl is a nod to the unwavering push forward women
work toward constantly.
Whether she’s conventional or unconventional, the final girl is a testament to women’s
ability to work through their darkest times and become a woman who breaks free of the viewer’s
and society’s beliefs. We might not fight off slasher-level villains, but there are things in life just
as nerve-wracking.
You may think you will not find role model-type characteristics in 1980s B-grade
summer camp slasher flicks, but if you look a little closer, you will see that final girls are
feminist icons who have paved the way for women in real life and fiction.
Even if slashers are not your favorite flavor of horror movies, final girls can be found in
science fiction, mysteries or thrillers. While their genre may differ, final girls all share
characteristics women of every type can identify with at somef