With March being Women History Month, we at HorrorFix decided to do a Top 10 list of women in horror. This won’t be a “who’s hottest” or “who’s trending” list. Not everybody will agree with the list, or its order but everyone will agree that these women, in their own way, have made horror movies better. So lets get started,….
10) Monica Keena – Freddy vs Jason, Left in Darkness, and Night of the Demons.
With her small size, fierce attitude and ample breasts, Monica is the epitome of the “cheesy horror movie” heroine. She could have been THE horror movie queen of the 80’s.
9) Jamie Lee Curtis – Halloween, Halloween 2, Halloween H2O, Halloween Resurrection.
Jamie is horror movie royalty. She does not need to be justified to be on this or any other horror movie list.
8) Kate Beckinsale – Underworld franchise, Vacancy, Stonehearst Asylum.
Kate showed that it’s possible to be a bad ass chick and sexy in a horror movie. Dressed in black leather and a black coreset, she kicked Lycan and Vampire ass across 5 movies and showed off her acting skills in numerous other movies.
7) Milla Jovovich – Resident Evil franchise.
Milla has been battling the zombie hordes for 6 movies. She is synonymous with kicking ass, even in non-horror movies, The Fifth Element, and Ultraviolet.
6) Neve Campbell – Scream franchise.
The original Scream turned the horror movie inside out and reinvented it. Neve did the same thing with the horror movie heroine. She made her character, Sydney Prescott, relatable, and evolved her thru each Scream movie. Thanks to Neve , gone are the days of clueless female leads who never learn and repeat the same actions movie to movie.
5) Sheri Moon Zombie – House of 1000 Corpses, The Devils Rejects, Halloween(2007) Halloween 2(2009) The Lords of Salem.
Yes these are all her husband’s, Rob Zombie, movies but surprisingly Sherri has become quite the horror actress. She’s gone from the wild psychotic murderer in House of 1000 Corpses to the very restrained and unknowing pawn of a coven of witches in The Lords of Salem.
4) Vera Farmiga – Orphan, The Conjuring, The Conjuring 2, Bates Motel.
Vera brings legitimate acting pedigree to the horror genre. Her eyes and overall acting express so much emotion rarely seen in horror. Her work in both Conjuring movies has drawn very high praise and opened the door for horror actors and actresses to be considered for main stream awards.
3) Teresa Palmer – Wolf Creek, The Grudge 2, Warm Bodies, Lights Out.
Warm Bodies should have been forgotten and Lights Out should have been just another movie, but Teresa made those movies not only watchable but good. Like Neve Campbell, Teresa plays her characters with genuine intelligence, sincerity and are relatable.
2) Jane Levy – Evil Dead, Don’t Breathe .
Of all the actresses on the list, Jane has made the fewest horror movies. However in those 2 movies she has demonstrated an ability to move seamlessly from innocent victim to crazy possessed to street hard single mom to revenge seeking tormentor. A staple of horror movie acting has always been the scream, and when Jane screams it’s intense and full of emotion. Like Vera Farmiga, Jane shows us that you can have good acting in horror movies.
1) Danielle Harris – Halloween 4, Halloween 5, Urban Legend, Halloween(2007), Halloween 2(2009), Stake Land, Hatchet 2, Hatchet 3, Chromeskull 2. plus many more.
She’s not a well known name except within the horror community, but you say “Danielle Harris” to any horror fan and watch their eyes instantly light up. She, like Jamie Lee Curtis, started out being chased by and ultimately killed by Micheal Meyers. Her presence in any horror movies gives it a bit of horror street cred. It’s way past time that Danielle Harris be given the Scream Queen crown and the recognition she deserves. All Hail The Queen !
