The final girl, a mainstay of the horror genre, is currently blending with the concept of the It Girl. And Jenna Ortega's impressive recent and future projects are swiftly making her the horror It Girl of the moment. With an impressive roster of characters, Ortega has made quite a name for herself in the industry. But especially when it comes to horror, she's selected some fascinating projects and has almost literally acted her heart out in all of them.
Jenna Ortega's Shriek-Worthy Performance in Scream 5
One of the most anticipated -- and successful -- recent horror reboots was the Scream franchise's return with 2022's Scream, meant to kickstart a new generation of Ghostfaces. Heading up the cast of new heroes and new final girls for Woodsboro, California, Ortega plays Tara Carpenter, who becomes the new Ghostface's first attack and whose sister has secret ties to Billy Loomis of the first Scream. Her take on Tara is a nuanced look at a frightened character and is a compelling kickoff point for a new set of stories. In fact, her performance in the perennial favorite franchise was so good that she won a recent MTV Movie & TV Awards "Most Frightened Performance" award.
A24's X Marked the Spot for Jenna Ortega's Horror Highs
In X, A24's arty slasher flick, Ortega flexes her Scream Queen muscles playing Lorraine, a likable heroine dragged into a house of horrors by her boyfriend. She goes through classic horror trauma -- finding a dead body, experiencing bodily harm -- and acts it all convincingly, without going over the top or being too self-serious. And her performance as Lorraine makes it all the more upsetting when her escape attempt gets literally shot down.
Studio 666 Became a Success With Jenna Ortega's Help
Ortega's turn as Skye Willow in Studio 666, the horror-comedy from the iconic band Foo Fighters, adds another level of horror acting to her resume. She kicks off the hauntings as the first onscreen victim of the movie's evil forces. It's a quick role, and a brutal one, but it's a memorable catalyst for everything the film has to offer.
Jenna Ortega's Killer Campiness in The Babysitter: Killer Queen
Netflix's bloody black comedy The Babysitter: Killer Queen brings self-aware campy beats to the horror sequel game. Ortega plays a new student, Phoebe, who gets swept up in helping Cole, The Babysitter's protagonist, evade the evil cultists chasing him. Aside from being a well-rounded character, Phoebe subverts the stereotypical "have sex, get killed" trope when her sleeping with Cole is the very thing that ruins the cultists' plans. It's a well-acted role in a horror film with fun thills.
Jenna Ortega in Wednesday, American Carnage & Scream 6
Up next, Ortega has three solid horror projects on the horizon. American Carnage, while not a big franchise name like her other in-production roles, looks to be another comedic horror outing, keeping her scary performances fresh and accessible. Details around Scream 6 have begun to emerge. And while the disappointment in Neve Campbell's departure from the franchise is palpable, Ortegaa's continuing performance as Tara will carry the torch. And with the recent teaser trailer for Netflix's Wednesday as well, featuring her modern take as a dead ringer for the iconic Addams Family child, the Jenna Ortega hype is at an all-time high.