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For too long, horror movies have put women on the wrong end of the butcher’s knife. Since even before the days of Michael Myers and Laurie Strode, genre actresses have been regularly relegated to damsel-in-distress acts or,worse still,assigned sexist victim statuses that rob their characters of not just their autonomy but too often also of their common sense.
Sure, we’ve come to celebrate Final Girls as the genre’s beating heart: scrappy survivors who best their foes and more often than not kick some serious ass. But it definitely wasn’t Sally Hardesty with the power tools in “Texas Chain Saw Massacre” and, though suspense and spy films have boasted female antagonists for decades, the horror genre has only just begun to position women as the villains with the same balanced frequency as men.
The scariest horror villainesses weaponize the misogynistic tropes that allow audiences to underestimate them: challenging viewers to reconsider how they perceive women, girlhood, and femininity via blood-soaked rampage.
Pamela Voorhees stunned slasher fans in 1980’s “Friday the 13th” as the unassuming answer to a whodunnit rooted in grief and motherhood. Megan Fox’s offbeat mean girl Jennifer Check seduced as the centerpiece succubus in “Jennifer’s Body”: lambasting apathetic rape culture with a searing satire from screenwriter Diablo Cody. For October 2022, “Hellraiser” enjoyed its first leading Lady Pinhead as brought to sadomasochistic life by actress-turned-priestess Jamie Clayton.
In honor of IndieWire’s Seven Days of Scream Queens, we’ve arranged a line-up of the 18 most menacing villainesses in horror movie history: from the titular antagonists of “Carrie,” “Pearl,” and “What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?” to the veiled villains of cryptic titles such as “Misery,” “Titane,” and “Hereditary.” Below you’ll find both the premise for the women’s terrifying tales — specifically, who they were hunting down and why — as well as a spoiler-ific second category laying out their scariest scenes.
Note: This list isn’t — and given the finicky nature of fear couldn’t be — comprehensive. It instead represents a collection of performances, images, and concepts too petrifying to leave in the horror archives whenever the topic of spooky women inevitably bubbles up.
18. Isabelle Fuhrman as Esther in “Orphan” (2009)
Who she hunts: Esther just wants a loving family to watch after her. At least, that’s how things appear to her adoptive parents (Vera Farmiga, Peter Sarsgaard) before she starts going after their other two children.
Her scariest scene: Even with the devilishly delightful “Orphan: First Kill” considered, the most quintessential Esther moment comes with the stunning reveal in the original that she’s actually Leena Klammer: a 33-year-old Estonian woman with at least seven other victims. It’s not meant to be menacing toward anyone in particular, but the shot of Leena removing her false teeth and taking off her makeup is all too easy to burn into your brain.
17. Jane Levy as Mia in “Evil Dead” (2013)
Who she hunts: With his friends in tow, a concerned brother (Shiloh Fernandez) brings his addicted sister Mia to an isolated cabin in the woods for rehabilition. Thanks to Naturom Demonto, however, she’s soon taken over by a supernatural evil that uses her body to relentlessly attack the other travelers.
Her scariest scene: Fede Álvarez’s take on Sam Raimi’s legendary franchise includes plenty of gore and otherwise gag-inducing moments: none more nauseating than when Mia attacks and kisses Natalie (Elizabeth Blackmore) with her freshly split forked tongue.
16. Paula Shaw as Pamela Voorhees in “Friday the 13th” (1980)
Who she hunts: There’s no love like the one shared by a murderous mother and her (in the sequels, at least) machete-wielding son. In the first “Friday the 13th,” Pamela Voorhees is the villain: hunting down the counselors of Camp Crystal Lake as revenge for her child’s drowning under their watch the summer before.
Her scariest scene: It’s all about the big reveal in Sean S. Cunningham’s franchise kickoff. When Pamela outs herself as the killer, the unassuming Paula Shaw delivers a brooding monologue that’s certainly scary but also sad and layered.
15. Aaliyah as Akasha in “Queen of the Damned” (2002)
Who she hunts: The ancient villainess of Anne Rice’s “The Vampire Chronicles,” Akasha is a powerful vampire awoken by Lestat (Stuart Townsend) in this “Interview with the Vampire” sequel, who pursues the musically-gifted member of the undead as her king. The late performer Aaliyah, who died in a plane crash before the film’s release, became the sparkling centerpiece in an otherwise lesser film which is dedicated in her memory.
Her scariest scene: Up there with Maleficent for wickedly epic party entrances, Akasha rises at one of Lestat’s concerts: killing everyone present and scorching the ground beneath her.
14. Lorna Raver as Sylvia Ganush in “Drag Me to Hell” (2009)
Who she hunts: Bank loan officer Christine (Alison Lohman) makes a grave mistake when she turns away a desperate older woman seeking an extension in Sam Raimi’s most memorable standalone fright fest. Mrs. Sylvia Ganush subsequently pulls a button from Christine’s jacket and casts a curse that dooms her unkind victim to hell in three days time.
Her scariest scene: “Drag Me to Hell” boasts a nightmarish scene that’s especially bad to remember at bedtime. Lying down in her bedroom, Christine suddenly sees Mrs. Ganush on the mattress next to her, before the witch pins her down and stars puking maggots straight into Christine’s mouth like a menacing mama bird.
13. Natasha Henstridge as Sil in “Species” (1995)
Who she hunts: Among the scariest and sexiest humanoids to invade Earth, the aliens of “Species” are introduced as a girl — soon young woman — named Sil, who escapes research custody to prowl Los Angeles in search of a human mate.
Her scariest scene: In one of her courtship attempts, Sil attacks a guy named John (Whip Hubley) in his hot tub. The result is a splatter fest delight featuring a nonplussed hookup gone south that’s funny if only because it’s so spectacularly unfeeling. Sil just looks bored!
12. Megan Fox as Jennifer Check in “Jennifer’s Body” (2009)
Who she hunts: Boys? Girls? She goes both ways. In Karyn Kusama’s bloody brilliant bisexual slasher, popular girl Jennifer Check is attacked by a band of devil-worshipping rockstars. When their spell goes sideways, the would-be sacrifice becomes a lethal succubus with nothing left to lose.
Her scariest scene: Jennifer is plenty terrifying in that final poolside face-off with her former best friend Needy (Amanda Seyfried), but there’s just no beating the scene where she tricks goth kid Colin (Kyle Gallner) into meeting her at an empty house. “We could play mommy and daddy,” she purrs, before cracking open his chest and consuming his heart.
11. Linda Blair as Regan MacNeil in “The Exorcist” (1973)
Who she hunts: “The Exorcist” lives, dies, and possesses by the venomous horror of Regan MacNeil: a 12-year-old girl whose mother (Ellen Burstyn) calls in two men of God to rid her daughter of the terrible demon Pazuzu.
Her scariest scene: From spider-crawling the stairs to shouting “your mom” insults at priests, Regan is a non-stop terror but the spine-chilling 180-degree head turn remains a creepy crowning achievement for both the special effects team and the child star of “The Exorcist.”
10. Sissy Spacek as Carrie in “Carrie” (1976)
Who she hunts: Stephen King’s supernaturally gifted “Carrie” becomes the villain only after she’s ceaselessly tormented by her religious fanatic mother Margaret (Piper Laurie) and even crueler classmates. She enacts revenge on the masses at high school in a final act massacre never to be forgotten.
Her scariest scene: Come prom night, Carrie has had it. Asked to the event as a mean prank — then named Prom Queen and drenched in pig’s blood as an even meaner prank —Carrie uses her telkinetic powers to unleash her fury on the dance floor.
9. Essie Davis as Amelia in “The Babadook” (2014)
Who she hunts: A newly single mother, the widow Amelia spends only a portion of “The Babadook” as the villain. Once she’s overcome by the entity hiding inside a cursed children’s book, she ruthlessly chases her son Samuel (Noah Wiseman) around their home.
Her scariest scene: For her first act as The Babadook, Amelia snatches up and strangles the family dog Bugsy. The sharp sound editing does a lot to augment the terror of the moment — simple andsavage — but its Essie Davis’ cold demeanor that makes the moment’s lasting sting.
8. Agathe Rousselle as Alexia in “Titane” (2021)
Who she hunts: The (literal) car lover Alexia goes on a dreamlike journey in “Titane,” arriving at a poignant and melancholic ending that positions her and her alter-ego Adrien deep in antihero territory. In the first half of the film, however, she’s revealed to be a serial killer who wields a razor-sharp hair pin as a lethal weapon.
Her scariest scene: If Alexia’s first kill with that guy in the parking lot made your jaw drop, then her slasher spree in Justine’s (Garance Marillier) house will rip your face open reverse beartrap style. It’s a swift, ninja-like assasination that makes creative use of the setting and leaves audiences with a mystifying, one-of-a-kind killer.
7. Bette Davis as Jane Hudson in “What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?” (1962)
Who she hunts: The singular Bette Davis plays the titular Baby Jane — a former child star turned abusive captor to her wheelchair-using sister Blanche (Joan Crawford) — with sinister straightforwardness, despite the film’s famously twisty last act.
Her scariest scene: Jane commits actual murder in Robert Aldrich’s timeless psychological terror, but nothing beats her infamous mirror monologue: a carousel of inner conflict, regret, and guilt played out on Davis’ face as a tragic and frenetic real-time unraveling.
6. Mia Goth as Pearl in “Pearl” (2022)
Who she hunts: Mia Goth’s titular Pearl wants nothing more than to be a star of the silver screen, but the freaky farm girl is forced to settle for taking out her anger on her sister-in-law (Emma Jenkins), her parents (Tandi Wright, Matthew Sunderland), and a super sexy projectionist (David Corenswet).
Her scariest scene: Pearl enjoys a vulnerable heart-to-heart with sister-in-law Mitsy before rounding out her killing spree in style. The resultant monologue — an exacting straight-to-camera acting marathon for Goth that ferociously picks apart Pearl’s psyche like a rack of freshly sauced ribs — is bitter, blunt, and brutally scary.
5. Lupita Nyong’o as Red in “Us” (2019)
Who she hunts: In Jordan Peele’s terrifying sophomore outing, the Wilson family finds themselves pursued by The Tethered: doppelgängers from a parallel realm below our own. The starring heroine and villain is Adelaide/Red: a dazzling doubling performance that gets the best (and brilliant worst) from its Academy Award winning lead.
Her scariest scene: When the Tethered and Untethered first meet, Red delivers a raspy monologue: “Once upon a time, there was a girl and the girl had a shadow.” The scene is essential to understanding the sociopolitcal metaphor Peele explores with the rest of the film, and each line — and line delivery — is more anxiety-inducing than the last.
4. Eihi Shiina as Asami Yamazaki in “Audition” (1999)
Who she hunts: The merciless judgment of Asami Yamazaki drives “Audition” like a nail between the eyes. Over the course of the nerve-wracking teeth grinder, the villainess is revealed to punish the men who fail to love only her: dismembering them in fits of calculated, cold-blooded revenge.
Her scariest scene: Living in a seemingly empty apartment, Asami keeps one of her victims as a deranged kind of pet and, in one nightmare fuel moment, pukes into a dog bowl before feeding it to her tortured captive.
3. Toni Collette as Annie Graham in “Hereditary” (2018)
Who she hunts: Annie Graham starts out as a generally well-meaning mother who is far more victim than villain. But when her late mother’s (Kathleen Chalfant) pact with an evil force sees Annie’s soul taken over by a terrible demon, the once grieving woman stalks her son Peter (Alex Wolff) around their tasteful-yet-terrifying woodland home.
Her scariest scene: Collette’s best-acted scene for “Hereditary” is without question the actress’ iconic “I AM YOUR MOTHER!” monologue, but that’s delivered pre-posession. While posessed, she’s scariest in the climactic sequence that tracks her lurking in shadowy corners and hanging from the ceiling, before appearing to Peter in that attic where she uses a wire to garrote and subsequently decapitate herself.
2. Allison Williams as Rose Armitage in “Get Out” (2017)
Who she hunts: The siren daughter of the Armitage family lures unsuspecting Black guests to her ancestral estate where her surgeon dad (Bradley Whitford), hypnotist mom (Catherine Keener), and maniac brother (Caleb Landry Jones) wait to steal their physical forms and lock their consciousnesses in permanent limbo.
Her scariest scene: Though the case could be made that Rose’s notorious Fruit Loops moment is her most unhinged, there’s just nothing in “Get Out” quite as bone-chilling as when protagonist Chris (Daniel Kaluuya) first realizes his girlfriend is on the body-snatching scheme: “You know I can’t give you the keys right, babe?”
1. Kathy Bates in as Annie Wilkes in “Misery” (1990)
Who she hunts: After author Paul Sheldon (James Caan) is involved in an icy car accident, his biggest fan Annie Wilkes keeps him captive in her country home.
Her scariest scene: The little ceramic penguin in the study always faced due south: that’s how Annie discovers her patient-turned-prisoner has been out of his room. As punishment, Annie gives Paul a quick history of South African diamond mines before taking a sledge hammer to each of his ankles in a bone-crunching “hobbling” scene. The Stephen King adaptation won Bates the Oscar for Best Actress in 1991.
