Behind every monster and masked murderer, a scream queen is propelling the story forward. You may be wondering, what exactly is a scream queen? Is that just any woman in a horror movie? Not quite.
A scream queen is an actress who has cemented herself into the horror movie genre, whether that be as an iconic recurring role or working on several horror projects. There have been hundreds of scream queens since the existence of mainstream horror, so let’s talk about a few of the ones who’ve scared us out of the park.
Jamie Lee Curtis
Known as the ultimate scream queen, Jamie Lee Curtis is a premier example of an actress who’s the embodiment of the final girl.
It could be said that Curtis was destined to take on an iconic horror role after her mother, Janet Leigh, was the face of the acclaimed horror film Psycho. I’m sure that the shower scene is deeply engraved in the memory of anyone who’s seen the film, especially that one iconic frame of the blood-curdling scream that leaves Leigh’s mouth as she’s brutally murdered.
Because of her mother’s legacy, when Curtis was given the role of Laurie Strode in the Halloween franchise, she was taking a page out of her mother’s horror book. Nevertheless, Curtis has stepped deeper into the horror genre than her mother ever did.
Curtis returned for seven movies in the Halloween franchise, bringing Laurie’s story to life with the first movie in 1978 and ending with Halloween Ends in 2022. That’s 44 years of playing the ultimate scream queen who can always escape the clutches of Michael Myers.
Neve Campbell
In every Scream movie, you expect to hear the iconic “Hello, Sydney,” but we’d never have that without the incredible Neve Campbell. Playing the tenacious Sydney Prescott in the Scream franchise, she’s the scream queen of the ’90s, bringing a whole new wave of final girls.
For those who haven’t seen any films in the Scream franchise, it follows Campbell’s character, a girl living in the small town of Woodsboro, who is being hunted down by a masked murderer known as Ghostface.
Campbell’s performance in Scream provides a great example of how women change with the challenges that are placed in front of them, even if that’s a killer in a Halloween costume. A common thread among scream queens, exemplified by Campbell, is the dedication to the integrity of a character and maintaining that throughout such an extensive franchise.
Jenna Ortega
From starring in her first horror movie role in Ti West’s X to being the new face of the Scream franchise and smashing her portrayal of Wednesday Addams in Netflix’s hit show Wednesday, Jenna Ortega has taken on a whole new life as one of the latest scream queens.
In an interview with Netflix, Ortega said, “I don’t know what it is about my face… people always want to throw blood on it.” That sentiment captures why she works so well with the genre.
She’s partnered with revered horror and thriller directors, like Ti West and Tim Burton, bringing her up to the league of the scream queens of days gone by. Ortega has a great career ahead of her, and I’m certain that it’ll hold many, many horror movies.
Sarah Michelle Gellar
Playing the original vampire slayer and the quintessential detective heroine, Sarah Michelle Gellar is a staple for camp horror. She’s best known for her role as Buffy Summers in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Helen Shivers in I Know What You Did Last Summer, and Daphne Blake in the Scooby-Doo live-action films.
Her time playing Buffy was her most influential, but she isn’t your typical final girl. While she still played the classic teenage girl, she was a born fighter, slaying vampires in every episode. She redefined what a horror heroine could be: fierce, witty, and independent.
Vera Farmiga
Saving my personal favorite for last, Vera Farmiga is the ultimate scream queen. She portrays Lorraine Warren of The Conjuring series, based on the actual paranormal cases of the Warren couple, a pair of demonologists.
She’s reprised her role of the famed investigator five times, cementing her forever as one of the most iconic characters in the horror canon. When preparing for the role, Farmiga met with the real Lorraine Warren to ensure she encapsulated the motivations and true story behind the cases they were recreating.
In an interview with Collider, when discussing her relationship with the real Lorraine Warren, Farmiga said, “For me, it all became about her gaze and the way she takes you in.” It’s very clear that through her carefulness and attention to detail, she was able to do this person justice on the big screen.
Halloween is the season for screams, and these women are just a few of the voices fueling the fear. Spooky season isn’t complete without watching a movie with these queens, so make sure to check some of them out for all the scares and all the screams.
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