It’s officially the fall season, which means it’s the time of the year where you watch more horror movies. The genre of films has a strong fanbase and there are so many films about paranormal activity, evil villains, psychopaths, etc. Horror movies know how to make viewers sit on the edge of their seats, biting their nails about what’s going to happen next.
There are several characters who manage to escape death. They’re tortured by the villains, but they don’t die. But should they? Some of them deserve to die while others are praised for how they managed to avoid being a victim. Take a look at these characters who cheated death in their horror films, even when they probably should have.
10 Kia Waterson – Freddy Vs. Jason (2003)
The 2003 horror-action film Freddy vs. Jason was the ultimate crossover event starring two of the most iconic villains in horror movie history: A Nightmare on Elm Street’s Freddy Krueger and Friday the 13th’s Jason Voorhees. The villains begin by working together to bring new victims to their torture, but they ultimately turn against each other.
The film features underdeveloped characters, but none of them are as infuriating as Kia Waterson (Kelly Rowland). She’s the typical annoying character who lacks common sense that gives horror films a bad reputation. For the longest time, it puzzled viewers on how she cheated death. She wasn’t very bright, so how did she survive as long as she did? While she was ultimately killed by Jason, viewers were ready for her death scene earlier in the film.
9 Julie James – I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997)
The 1997 horror film I Know What You Did Last Summer catapulted a new genre of slasher films focusing on a group of friends. A year after a group of friends ran over a fisherman and dragged his body into the water, Julie James (Jennifer Love Hewitt) received a death threat letter. Someone knows what they did, and they will suffer.
Julie’s friends are killed one by one, including Barry William Cox (Ryan Phillippe), Helen Shivers (Sarah Michelle Gellar), and Ray Bronson (Freddie Prinze, Jr.). Someone is stalking her friends and it seems strange that Julie is the only one who is surviving the chaos. As she tries to solve the mystery, she repeatedly avoids death. This happens again in the film’s sequel, I Still Know What You Did Last Summer. Julie manages to cheat death over and over again until she’s finally killed by the fisherman.
8 Leigh Cabot – Christine (1983)
The 1983 horror mystery Christine is probably one of the lesser-known films on this list, but it features one of the best characters in horror film history. Arnie Cunningham (Keith Gordon) buys a 1958 Plymouth Fury and names “her” Christine. Everything goes smoothly until a bully, Buddy Repperton (William Ostrander), vandalizes Christine.
Instead of Arnie seeking revenge, Christine takes care of the job for him. She kills Buddy and all of his friends. Knowing this has to end, Arnie’s friend, Dennis Guilder (John Stockwell), and girlfriend, Leigh Cabot (Alexandra Paul), try to destroy Christine. Surprisingly, Leigh manages to escape Christine’s violent torture. If anyone seemed like an obvious character to die, it would have been Arnie’s girlfriend.
7 Cecilia Kass – The Invisible Man (2020)
Everyone loves a good science fiction horror story, right? The 2020 film The Invisible Man follows Cecilia Kass (Elisabeth Moss) as she tries to convince the police that her abusive ex-boyfriend is stalking her. The boyfriend, Adrian Griffin (Oliver Jackson-Cohen), staged his own suicide and believes he can become an “invisible man.”
Cecilia desperately wants to escape from Adrian’s grasp on her life. She’s involved in many violent struggles that should have killed her, but luckily, they don't. In the end, Adrian finally commits suicide and Cecilia is able to leave for good.
6 Heather, Josh, And Michael – The Blair Witch Project (1999)
In the infamous 1999 indie horror film The Blair Witch Project, three film students (Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard, and Michael C. Williams) are trying to film a documentary about the legendary Blair Witch. They go missing and their footage is found a year later.
Viewers probably don’t like the film students. They whine throughout the movie. When Josh cries off-camera, Heather and Mike look for him in a basement (because, of course, it’s a horror film). The movie ends with an unseen person attacking Heather and Mike, and their camera footage abruptly ends. Did they die? Most likely, but it wasn't certain. And some viewers probably wouldn’t complain if they were murdered.
5 Sally Hardesty – The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
Most horror films have an infamous “Final Girl,” a female character who manages to outlast all of her friends. She’s the victim’s biggest target, but she’s clever enough to outsmart them. This describes Sally Hardesty (Marilyn Burns) in the 1974 slasher film, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
The movie’s chainsaw-wielding villain, Leatherface (Gunnar Hansen), kills Sally’s friends and brother right in front of her. While she’s chased by him, it seems she won’t survive his torments. However, Sally is a fighter and she manages to escape every time.
4 Sidney Prescott – Scream (1996)
The 1996 film Scream successfully re-invented the slasher horror genre in the 1990s. One by one, characters are killed off. Everything is traumatic, and Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) is the unlikely heroine in the film.
Sidney fends off the famous Ghostface killer (voiced by Roger L. Jackson) and this continues in the film’s sequels. She only becomes stronger and an undefeated champion. This “Scream Queen” can teach other characters a thing or two on how to stay alive.
3 Nancy Thompson – A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984)
No one wants to confront Freddy Krueger in the 1984 horror-mystery, A Nightmare on Elm Street. Well, besides Nancy Thompson (Heather Langenkamp). She proves she’s a tough protagonist by actively hunting down Freddy in her dreams.
Nancy attacks Freddy in her dream and he falls into her traps. Most characters wouldn’t be able to compete against a villain like Freddy, but Nancy is not your average lady. She’s brave, cunning, and she doesn’t hesitate to stop Freddy’s brutal behavior.
2 Alice Hardy – Friday The 13th (1980)
In the first Friday the 13th film, Jason Voorhees (Ari Lehman) supposedly drowned 21 years ago as a camper at Crystal Lake camp. Set in the present, his mother (Betsy Palmer) is now seeking revenge on all of the camp counselors. Alice Hardy (Adrienne King) finds her fellow counselors being murdered one after another, and she wonders when it will be her turn.
When she finally encounters Mrs. Voorhees, Alice manages to escape her attack. She knocks out the deranged mother with a frying pan. Alice ultimately wins the fight by decapitating Mrs. Voorhees, and it’s a victorious moment every movie fan will appreciate.
1 Laurie Strode – Halloween (1978)
Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) is the ultimate Final Girl in the horror film genre. In the 1978 film Halloween, Laurie is seemingly innocent, but she’s also intelligent and strong. These qualities make her a perfect target for the film’s villain, Michael Myers (Nick Castle).
Laurie is repeatedly stalked by Michael. It’s horrifying to watch the events unfold, but fans are thrilled when Laura manages to escape his attacks time and time again. She fights back with a knitting needle, a metal hanger, and Michael’s own knife. Bravo, Laurie!
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