10 Traits That Make Up A Modern Day Horror Movie Final Girl
Between Ready or Not, Happy Death & more, the new era of the final girl is here!
There's a formula to it, a very simple formula!
When Scream came out in 1996 we were all finally drawn into the matrix of horror movies. There, Randy Meeks neurotically explained the rules behind surviving a classic slasher flick and pulled the curtain back for audiences willing to learn about our favourite, bloody, movie genre.
Once Scream solidified itself as a horror-God amongst horror-men, everyone started to sit up and listen. With regular movie watchers becoming more aware of how the sausage is made in terms of their favourite horrors, it meant that new entries into the genre needed to be just as savvy as the fans.
One of the most analysed parts of the slasher formula is the role of the final girl. The character trope has become synonymous with the genre and everyone knows the traits needed to become one in a classic horror movie: she's a virgin, she's innocent, pure etc.
But as time changes, and women become more empowered, the needs of a final girl changes with it. Today the final girl is almost unrecognisable, but the rules are simple enough to follow.
So, with a focus on Tree from Happy Death Day, Grace of Ready or Not, Dani in Midsommar and Erin from You're Next, let's analyse the traits that are so prevalent in today's Final Girls.
10. Rule 1 - She Needs To Be Sarcastic And Witty
Gone is the bland, humourless girl of the 70s and 80s slasher and in her place is a more defined, quirky and relatable protagonist.
When the final girl was first formed she was like a plain piece of paper: easy to write (on) but infinitely bland. Now, when we come across a modern day final girl, she's almost always witty and full of sarcastic humour.
This change comes from the recent growth in popularity of the comedy-horror subgenre. Since the likes of Scream and Shaun Of The Dead, audiences have flocked to the cinema to experience horror movies that have an awareness of their own genre, and the same goes for their female heroes.
In Ready or Not, our main character Grace has a dry sense of humour and a dark outlook on life, which serves as the basis for the movie's own dark comedy. She has a smart comment and a classic eye roll for every situation - hell, the movie ends with her cracking one final one-liner: 'in-laws'.
In Happy Death Day, our hero Tree is similarly quick with insults and full of snarky comments. Her humour is what makes her endearing and makes it so that throughout the story she morphs from a bitchy sorority girl into a loveable final girl with an insanely quick wit.
Her wit makes the final girl different, makes her stand out from the other girls and usually leads her into hilarious but terrifying situations.