Samara Weaving has carved out a niche for herself in Hollywood as a rising scream queen by appearing in several recent acclaimed horror movies, including 2019's Ready or Not. After eight years as an actor, Weaving entered the horror genre with 2017's The Babysitter. Although she has landed roles in awards season movies like 2017's Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri and 2022's Babylon, much of Weaving's filmography involves the horror and thriller genre. Many of her horror movie roles have been well-received by critics and audiences alike, giving her one of the most impressive resumes of any modern scream queen.
While Netflix's The Babysitter marked her horror movie debut, that was just the beginning, as Weaving will play a role in 2023's Scream VI. But the actor isn't confined to films, as she starred in season 1 of Starz's Ash vs. Evil Dead as Heather, a hiker who has to survive a demonic onslaught with the main characters. Weaving has been on several sides of the horror genre, playing the final girl heroine, a tough fighter who gets the revenge she's looking for, and the terrifying villain hiding behind a seemingly innocent face. Regardless of the part, Weaving has made them all work, establishing a future in the genre.
The Babysitter: Killer Queen (2020)
Reprising her role from the first installment in 2017, Weaving returned as Bee in the horror comedy The Babysitter: Killer Queen. Set two years after the original, this film sees new characters resurrect members of a satanic cult and protagonist Cole (Judah Lewis) must again be the hero. Weaving doesn't appear until the end of the movie and gets redemption as she helps Cole and Phoebe, played by fellow horror movie star, Jenna Ortega, defeat the evil in the end. Although the satanic cult and violence make this a horror film, it features comedic elements that keep it lighthearted throughout.
While the movie hits on the fun aspects it promises, The Babysitter: Killer Queen is the only horror movie starring Weaving that didn't receive strong critical acclaim. Reviews were mixed and it holds a low score of just 22 on Metacritic. There's also the lack of Weaving, who only shows up in the climax and connects her relationship with Cole to the one she had with Phoebe. Even so, the movie is liked by fans of the original and it's notable to see Weaving and fellow rising scream queen Ortega share the screen, which they are set to do again in Scream VI.
Mayhem (2017)
Released just one month after Weaving's horror movie debut in The Babysitter, Mayhem sees her portray a completely different character. This film blends the scares with action and comedy and takes place at a consulting firm when a virus breaks out that sends everyone into a violent rage. Weaving plays Melanie Cross, a desperate woman who gets denied help on her loan and teams with recently fired employee Derek (Steven Yeun in one of his best movies) to get revenge. The premise is similar to movies like The Belko Experiment and Office Uprising but was better received than either of those films.
The gory movie holds an impressive 85% rating on Rotten Tomatoes for its stylish action but it doesn't lean into the horror elements as much as some of Weaving's other projects. The uncontrollable rage that the characters experience can be terrifying on its own and there are some harrowing scenes with a lot of blood, yet Mayhem keeps things light enough that it isn't the scariest of films. Melanie is an important role in Weaving's career as she's a likable character designed to be rooted for, much like Weaving's unrecognizable part in Nine Perfect Strangers, and unlike Bee in The Babysitter.
The Babysitter (2017)
Netflix's The Babysitter found more success than its eventual sequel as it received stronger reviews from critics and sits at 72% on Rotten Tomatoes. This horror comedy centers on Judah (Lewis), a kid who has a crush on his babysitter Bee (Weaving) only to catch her and her friends in the act of murdering someone as a sacrifice to a satanic cult before he becomes their next target. Weaving might not play the protagonist but she gets nearly as much screen time and has memorable scenes with Bella Thorne and Robbie Amell before revealing herself as the villain, turning the film on its head.
McG's direction was praised while Weaving managed to make Bee both charming and sinister. Although changes were made to the original Babysitter script, it was still lauded for the gore and action left behind. Bee is an interesting role for Weaving to take on as she must balance the villainous side of the character with the sweet side that somewhat genuinely cares for Judah. It's a performance that led to one reviewer dubbing Weaving the new "it girl" of the horror genre (via Dread Central) and considering the roles she's landed in the aftermath of The Babysitter, they were right.
Ready Or Not (2019)
With her other horror movies being indie projects or hitting streaming services, Ready or Not is Weaving's first box office success in the genre, pulling in over $57 million on a budget of $6 million (Box Office Mojo). Another horror comedy in her filmography, this story sees Weaving play Grace Le Domas, who is already iconic enough to be an Easter egg in the Scream 6 trailer. Grace is forced to play a deadly game of hide-and-seek by the cursed family she just married into. Grace steps up to fight back against everyone, giving Weaving her first final girl role.
Along with being a solid commercial hit, Ready or Not was critically acclaimed, with a certified fresh 88% ratingon Rotten Tomatoes. While it does have plenty of moments designed to make the viewer laugh, the horror elements are at the forefront as Grace goes through some frightening events and her survival is in question until the film's shocking conclusion. Weaving's performance saw her win a Fright Meter Award and she was up for several others, while Ready or Not was also nominated for Best Horror Film at the Saturn Awards. Even beyond her upcoming role in Scream 6, the horror future looks bright for Samara Weaving.