There are countless instances of horror movie protagonists making dumb decisions that ultimately end in the demise of their friends (or themselves) from the knife, hands, claws, chainsaws, or axes of the horror movie antagonist. This trope of dumb horror movie characters has become such a cliché that the movie and/or scene where they make a dump decision becomes more comical then scary. However, there are some horror movies that are able to maintain and amp up their scary factor by having the smart, resourceful protagonists do their best to survive their unpleasant encounters. Today, I will talk about the top three movies with this exact type of protagonists.
3. Danny Torrance – The Shining
Any character who wishes to survive in a story from the mind of Stephen King is required to be smart. Little Danny Torrance is a shining example of this (pun intended). Even though his childhood, curiosity may lead him into some of the more unsettling scenes of the movie, Danny always knows when to get out of dodge. Throughout the family’s stay at the isolated and possibly haunted Overlook Hotel, Danny and his mother Wendy are chased by their deranged loved one, Jack. The Shining made and popularized the axe wielding murderer as Jack chases his son Danny with an axe, trying to kill him. Luckily, Danny is a smart boy and uses his wit to escape from his father. How would you try to survive a situation like that?
2. The Abbot Family – A Quiet Place
After the apocalypse comes to Earth in the form of aliens with super-enhanced hearing, a family struggles to survive while making as little noise as possible. Enter the Abbot family. The Abbot family proves their resourcefulness by making a completely self-sustaining farm for food, pouring sand on their most traveled paths to soundproof them, and only speaking in sign language to name a few. If that does not prove that the Abbots’ are smarter than your average horror movie characters, then their countless clever fail-safe plans are sure to convince you.
1. Commander Ellen Ripley – Alien Franchise
Commander Ellen Ripley is one of the original badass heroines of the horror genre. She uses her expertise, skills, and courage to fight off the Xenomorphs in not just the original movie, but in the sequel/prequel movies as well. If you have never seen the Alien movies, Xenomorphs are the giant, armor-clad killing machines with superior senses. They are the one of the most dangerous and efficient races of hunters in the universe, and (even scarier) they are born through infesting a live host body and busting out the host’s chest. Did I mention they can multiply by thousands within just a few days? Xenomorphs create a hostile environment very quickly, but Ellen Ripely is an intelligent, determined woman who won’t go down without a fight. She wisely uses weapons and machinery to fight off the creatures and save her fellow crew of their ship, Nostromo. On a real-world note, Ripley has served as a founding female badass since the original release in 1979 and the actress, Sigourney Weaver, continues the trend even today.
Smart horror movie protagonists can be difficult to come by, but when you find them, it’s hard not to love them. Having a horror movie protagonist genuinely want to survive increases the emotional impact of the film and makes audiences more immersed in the horror experience. These characters are just a few examples. If you know of any more that deserve recognition let Her Campus know and share what would you do if you were in their horror movie situations.