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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Temple chapter.

We love a good Halloween movie, right? Now, what about the best Halloween movies starring some fiercely wicked women? 

As spooky season begins to creep up on us, the best way to celebrate is by cozying up to a nice, relaxing movie – with a side of horror and some powerful femme fatales. The Halloween scene appears to be engulfed by the male gender from Freddy to Jason to Michael Myers. But what about all the killer queens of Halloween? There are plenty of Halloween movies out there, but the best ones, are the ones with some badass women. Let us take a frightful journey through the graveyard of Halloween movies and see which ones give us the best goosebumps!  

First up in the graveyard, is a tombstone that reads “BEWARE! Old School Movies Lie Here.” As we dig a little deeper, we can see the chilling sensation that these women brought to the screen from the late sixties to the early nineties. The first and best old school movie is hands down Carrie. Of course, we’re talking about the 1976 version here. The movie stars Sissy Spacek and follows the story of a young girl named Carrie White. Carrie is taunted by her mother and the kids at school, but little does she know, she possesses the powers to turn everyone’s world upside down. You can watch Carrie grow from a girl to woman as her powers continue to grow. It’s gory with the most memorable prom scene ever and serves revenge on a beautiful silver platter. It also makes for a great Halloween costume. You can watch Carrie now on Netflix or Amazon Prime.  

Some honorable mentions among the Old School Graveyard are Rosemary’s Baby (1968) starring Mia Farrow and The Silence of the Lambs (1991) starring Jodie Foster. Foster will take you on a chilling adventure with serial killer Hannibal Lecter, and Farrow will face some creepy next-door neighbors. Both movies are available for streaming on Hulu.  

Next up in the graveyard: “Rest in Pieces: To the movies so haunting they quite literally left me in pieces.” What a long title for a gravestone, but these movies really messed me up (in the best way possible). In the last two decades, some of the most unforgettable performances on behalf of women have been delivered through Halloween movies. I remember to this day sitting in the movie theater with my dad and watching the most spine-chilling movie I have ever seen. That movie was Us. This movie, released in 2019, changed the game of horror and has since become my favorite horror movie of all time. Not only is the movie centered around Lupita Nyong’o and her family, but she also takes on the second role as The Tethered aka her evil twin. It’s a mind-twisting story with an incredible ending, and what’s better than a female-led Halloween movie with twins who are both played by the same actress?  Call it double trouble.  

A close second to the masterpiece that is Us is an unforgettable A24 film. If you’ve been on social media at any point within the last few years, you may recognize the title of this highly talked about film. That film is Midsommar. 2019 seemed to be the year of horror with Midsommar also being released during that year. Cults, bears, and Florence Pugh in a flower crown. It’s everything you could ever want in a movie. You will finish the film with your jaw on the floor.  

Some honorable mentions that will also leave you in pieces are the 2009 movie Jennifer’s Body and the 2018 movie Hereditary. Jennifer’s Body stars Amanda Seyfried and Megan Fox, two show stopping women who know how to put on a performance. Hereditary stars Toni Collette who plays the mom of two children and let me just say there is one truly unforgettable scene. Take that how you will…  

Halloween is the perfect time of the year to curl up under a comfy blanket and watch a scary movie led by some of the most powerful women. Warning: you are in for one hell of a night this Halloween with these spooky movie recommendations.

Ciera Rybak

Temple '25

Hi, I'm Ciera! I'm a Junior at Temple studying Advertising and Communication Studies. I love to write all things opinion, absolutely love sushi (especially salmon rolls), and love spending time with my friends. I also adore cats and am always looking for new song recs. I am quite literally a nobody without my cat tote bag and my frequently tangled earbuds because I did in fact lose my airpods...