10 Final Girls Who Should Return For A Horror Movie Sequel

While the final girl archetype can be found prior to Psycho, no film did more to codify the slasher subgenre, right down to the expected survivor. Hitchcock sets up the wild, reckless Marion as our protagonist from the off. She’s the focal figure for the first act, right up until her iconic shower murder. From there, the film resets and we join Lila, alongside Marion’s boyfriend Sam, as they trace the steps of the missing woman.

As portrayed by Vera Miles, Lila is a strong and capable protagonist who helps keep the film grounded and the ending up in the air to the last. While there are flashier parts to Psycho, most notably the brilliant Anthony Perkins as Norman Bates, Lila is the forward momentum for the story, and a likeable figure who keeps up the tension.

Lila is, admittedly, revisited in the misguided Psycho II, but there she’s a de facto antagonist to Norman. She's far too relatable a presence for that kind of treatment, a grounded but gritty individual stuck in a nightmare world.

Instead, how about a sequel in which she and Sam chastely solve crimes around the American Midwest? If you've seen Psycho III, you'll know which is the better idea.