Pearl, the prequel to Ti West's phenomenal film X, is a masterpiece of acting as Mia Goth lends her talent to the story of a murderous young woman. There are many other impressive horror movies that feature mostly female actors who play both major characters and also minor players who still have a big impact on the story.
From the beloved final girls of major franchises to sorority sisters, family members, and good friends, these horror films have well-written female characters and scary storylines worth remembering. They range from slashers to paranormal flicks to a beloved tale about eerie creatures.
Scream 4 (2011)
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The first Scream film has one of the best horror movie opening scenes and so does Scream 4. Six actors appear at the start of the fourth entry: Marnie Cooper (Britt Robertson) and Jenny Randall (Aimee Teegarden) are watching a Stab movie. Stab 6 stars features (Shenae Grimes) and Sherrie (Lucy Hale) and Stab 7 has Chloe (Kristen Bell) and Rachel (Anna Paquin). It's a wise, creative way to begin the film, as audiences aren't sure which film they're seeing.
Scream 4 also has many female actors in supporting as well as main roles. Marley Shelton plays the deputy sheriff Judy Hicks, Hayden Panettiere plays smart Kirby Reed, Emma Roberts plays clever and popular Jill Roberts, and Marielle Jaffe is Kirby and Jill's pal Olivia Morris. There is also, of course, Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) and Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox), along with Rebecca Walters (Alison Brie), who is working on Sidney's PR team, and Sidney's aunt Kate Roberts (Mary McDonnell).
Black Christmas (2019)
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The remake of Black Christmas that was released in 2019 has several female characters who are in a sorority together: Kris (Aleyse Shannon) and Riley (Imogen Poots), plus Helena (Madeleine Adams), Jesse (Brittany O'Grady), and Marty (Lily Donoghue). The characters are a team as there are shocking murders on their college campus and they learn what's going on behind closed doors.
The twist in Black Christmas is one that audiences can't predict, and the movie has a smart tone overall. It's a powerful story of characters helping each other and finding strength in each other's stories and honesty.
Master (2022)
Stream on Prime Video
Master looks at racism at Ancaster College and tells two different stories: that of freshman Jasmine Moore (Zoe Renee), who is haunted by a ghost on campus, and Gail Bishop (Regina Hall), who is the first Black master. The film has a mostly female cast including students Diandra (Talia Balsam), Amelia (Talia Ryder) and Cressida (Ella Hunt) along with Gail's colleague Liv Beckman (Amber Gray).
Master shows the terrible racism experienced on a daily basis, including the microaggressions that Jasmine endures while meeting her peers and adjusting to college life, and also has a supernatural story running throughout. Renee and Hall's performances are impressive.
The Night House (2021)
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The Night House has five main characters, four of which are women. Beth (Rebecca Hall) is grieving her husband Owen's (Evan Jonigkeit) death and is good friends with Claire (Sarah Goldberg) and her neighbor Mel (Vondie Curtis-Hall). As Beth discovers why her husband passed away and what secrets he was holding close, she meets Madelyne (Stacy Martin), who knew Owen.
The Night House uses its small cast well, as Beth dives into the riddle of what Owen didn't want to tell her. Audiences get to know Beth well and can see the pain written across her face in every single scene of the movie. It's definitely one of the saddest horror films.
Run (2020)
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The 2020 film Run has a small cast, with three female cast members: Sara Sohn playing Nurse Kammy, Kiera Allen playing Chloe Sherman, and Sarah Paulson playing Chloe's mother Diane Sherman. Run is an emotional and riveting story about Chloe's desire to break free of her mom's strict rules and beliefs that Chloe can't leave the house due to her illness.
Chloe is one of the most intriguing characters in a recent horror movie as she pulls no punches in her search for the truth about her condition and what her mom has been doing all of these years. Allen's performance is excellent.
The Descent (2005)
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The Descent is another smart horror film with a largely female cast. The movie follows six good friends who explore a cave: Holly Mills (Nora-Jane Noone), Beth O'Brien (Alex Reid), Juno Kaplan (Natalie Mendoza), Rebecca Vernet (Saskia Mulder), Sam Vernet (MyAnna Buring) and Sarah Carter (Shauna McDonald).
The Descent stands out as a 2000s horror movie as the North Carolina Appalachian Mountains prove to be full of creatures who approach the characters and turn the hike into the worst thing that they could possibly imagine. It's as much a story of close friendship as about the dangers of this big adventure out in nature.
Relic (2020)
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Relic also features mostly female actors whose characters are dealing with the devastating illness of their matriarch, Edna, played by Robyn Nevin. Edna's granddaugher Sam (Bella Heathcoate) and daughter Kay (Emily Mortimer) are shocked by what they discover when they locate Edna after she disappears.
Relic is a sad and fascinating look at family bonds and the ways that people are connected, even if they don't get along. The movie has a surprising ending and is fast-paced the entire way through.
The Craft (1996)
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The Craft has a strong female cast with four main characters and one minor one who still plays a significant role in the creepy story. Rochelle Zimmeran (Rachel True), Bonnie Harper (Neve Campbell), Nancy Downs (Fairuza Balk) and Sarah Bailey (Robin Tunney) form a coven of witches as they navigate high school and cast spells to get what they want out of life. Christine Taylor plays Laurie Lizzie, a bully whom Rochelle gets revenge on.
The Craft is an eerie tale about the dark power that the characters have and also a smart story about the ups and downs of friendship. Sarah has never minded not fitting in and gets more than she bargained for when she befriends the other three main characters.
Fear Street Part One: 1994 (2021)
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Fear Street Part One: 1994 also has several female cast members. Maya Hawke makes a splash in the opening scene as Heather, the first person in the movie to be killed, which is unexpected as she was finishing up work at the mall. There's also Kate (Julia Rehwald), an intelligent and caring teenager, along with the beloved couple Sam Fraser (Olivia Scott Welch) and Deena Johnson (Kiana Madeira).
The best Fear Street characters are also the mysterious villains, who are also female: Ruby Lane (Jordyn DiNatale) and Sarah Fier (Elizabeth Scopel). Another fascinating character is C. Berman (Gillian Jacobs), whom the teens meet and realize she has a strong connection to the mystery of the Shadyside murders.
Halloween Kills (2021)
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Halloween Kills continues the strong trio from the 2018 film: Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) and her equally tough daughter Karen Nelson (Judy Greer) and granddaughter Allyson (Andi Matichak). While the movie reunites horror fans with Laurie and Michael Myers, it also features many female cast members, including Dr. Samuel Loomis's assistant Marion Chambers (Nancy Stephens) and Lindsey Wallace (Kyle Richards), who Laurie looked after in the first film.
It's definitely scary to watch Michael continue to kill Haddonfield, Illnois residents, and Halloween Kills makes good use of its actors as everyone from Lindsey to Laurie and her family members share the same passionate goal of winning against him.