The horror genre runs the gambit of quality. With a multitude of subgenres like B-Horror, monster films, and slashers, horror is often thought of as poorly written. This is because characters tend to make terrible choices, like running up the stairs instead of outside to freedom.
Predictability can be a big draw to the genre as many people enjoy the trite writing and fun atmosphere. However, the genre is not all silly monsters and bad decisions. Some horror films are incredibly well written with protagonists who rival other genres in their brilliance. These roles are expertly portrayed and bring so much more to the horror genre than naysayers suggest.
10 Dana Polk Brings Surprises And Smarts To The Final Girl In Cabin In The Woods
Created by Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon, Cabin in the Woods is an incredibly well-written horror-comedy film that turned the genre on its head in its final act. As the film's final girl, Dana (played by Kristen Connolly) is written as the standard horror movie protagonist.
Dana is smart, tenacious, and kind. However, her survival instincts shown throughout Cabin in the Woods prove that she is willing to do what it takes to live. Thanks to a fresh script, Dana never falls into the two-dimensional final girl archetype that so many horror movies deliver.
9 Lee Abbott Is The Heart Of A Quiet Place
John Krasinski not only co-wrote and directed A Quiet Place, but he also played the lead character of Lee Abbott. Lee is a father who's determined to keep his family alive during the invasion of blind monsters with stellar hearing.
Lee is a survivalist, stopping at nothing to protect his family. However, he is also seen as loving and funny when the opportunity presents itself. Through the use of ASL in A Quiet Place, his relationship with his daughter proves to be the heart of the movie, showing the nuances and fears of parenting.
8 Chris Washington Is A Traumatized Man In Get Out
Before Jordan Peele was known as the epic director he is today, he made his directorial debut with the critically acclaimed horror film, Get Out. The film follows a black man, Chris (played by Daniel Kaluuya), who learns dark secrets about his white girlfriend's family when he visits them.
Chris goes from being a happy young man who's enjoying a visit with his girlfriend to a tormented man who's desperate to escape the horrors before him. The role earned Kaluuya multiple Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations.
7 The Loser Club Is A Well Written Unit Of Protagonists In IT
The group of children who are terrorized by Pennywise in It are some of the best-written protagonists in the history of horror. Both the 2017 and 2019 films are written in a way that makes the viewer feel like they are inside the world of Pennywise's victims.
Self-dubbed "The Loser Club," the gang runs the gambit of personalities and character traits, united by their need to belong. Their choices and decisions reflect real human emotions and never seem arbitrary, but It still encompasses much-needed moments of humor.
6 Laurie Strode Is The Ultimate Final Girl From The Halloween Franchise
Laurie Strode first appeared as a high school babysitter in the original 1978 horror film Halloween. She quickly became one of the earliest and most influential final girls in horror history. The character has come a long way since 1978 and most recently appeared in the 2018 and 2020 reboots of the franchise: Halloween and Halloween Kills.
These reboots pick up directly after the original Halloween, ignoring all other sequels. It is in these films that Laurie truly shines. The writing gives a look into the trauma that Laurie's past with Michael Myers has caused and proves that a final girl doesn't have to be naive.
5 Ed And Lorraine Warren Are A Powerhouse Duo Based On Real People In The Conjuring Franchise
The Conjuring films are inspired by real events that occurred in the lives of paranormal investigators and authors, Ed and Lorraine Warren. The films also focus on the items they housed in The Warren's Occult Museum in their home in Monroe, CT.
Played by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga, fictional versions of Ed and Lorraine are brought to life on the big screen in The Conjuring franchise. These nuanced and brilliant portrayals are often the best-written characters in each film they appear in. They also keep audiences coming back.
4 Clarice Starling Is Relatable In The Silence Of The Lambs
Clarice Starling in Silence of the Lambs is one of the greatest horror protagonists of all time and one of the greatest protagonists of any genre. Unlike many horror movie protagonists, she is shown to be a smart and empathetic member of the FBI academy due to her ability to get inside the minds of criminals.
Most notably, she is human; a well-rounded, yet deeply flawed character. Throughout the franchise, Clarice is always shown as multidimensional, making her easily relatable.
3 Maddie Is An Intuitive Survivor In Hush
The protagonist in the slasher film Hush, Maddie, is incredibly well written. When the killer realizes that Maddie is deaf, he attempts to make her his next victim. However, Maddie manages to use her strengths and knowledge to not only survive, but also take the killer down.
Given the character has no dialogue, it's a truly impressive feat by the writers to create such a well-written final girl. Her choices are clever and Maddie always remains one step ahead.
2 Sidney Prescott Redefined The Final Girl Trope In The Scream Franchise
When Scream hit theaters in 1996, the final girl trope has been set in stone by the protagonists of the '70s and '80s. Their survival was a combination of near misses and dumb luck. However, Sidney Prescott's survival throughout the Scream franchise is quite the opposite. She is smart, knows the rules of horror films, and uses the knowledge and willpower gained through her trauma to fight back.
In the original Scream film, Sidney didn't survive by dumb luck or a miracle, she survived by force. With witty dialogue and a fantastic performance by Neve Campbell, Sidney became one of the most loved and relatable final girls in horror history.
1 Ellen Ripley Challenged Standard Genre Gender Roles In Alien
Ellen Ripley was intended to be a male role in Alien before the director decided to switch the role to a female. This decision made the character a trailblazer for female heroes in the sci-fi and horror genres. As the only survivor of the ship in Alien, Ripley goes on to prove that she is wise and brave, willing to sacrifice herself to protect the world from the alien species.
The character became so popular that she has even appeared in video games, comics, and novels. She is often praised for challenging the standard genre gender roles and not being defined by the men around her.