10 Most Terrifying Female Horror Movie Villains
9. Alex Forrest (Fatal Attraction 1987)
Two words – ‘bunny’ and ‘boiler.’ Like a meme from a time before memes, a bunny boiler has come to be known as a term for a jealous, obsessive person in a one sided relationship.
Glenn Close is terrifying in a role that, while not technically horror, totally deserves its place on this list. Michael Douglas plays Dan, a man who embarks on an affair with Close’s Alex. When he breaks off the affair, Alex reacts badly and attempts to murder Dan and his wife, succeeding in the case of their rabbit, by popping it in a pan of boiling water.
Fatal Attraction could be re-examined in the #metoo era and with our much greater understanding of mental health issues, and found to be a minefield of sexism and gender stereotypes. After all, Michael Douglas’ character is a cheat and a liar, and Glenn Close’s Alex has much justification for popping Mr. Twitchy on gas mark seven, yet on release, Fatal Attraction paved the way for a sub genre of thriller movies such as Single White Female and The Hand That Rocks The Cradle.
Close is disturbed, unpredictable and dangerous as Alex, the very definition of a horror villain. Just make sure the padlock is on the hutch door, you never know whom you might’ve upset…