The final girl trope exists in horror almost as prevalently as the blood. I appreciate the genre’s sureness to include a female main character, and it’s one of the reasons I am so interested in horror. Yet, I hate to support things without recognizing their issues. I find a pattern so often in every one. Scream already pointed out the rules: no sex, no drugs. But they were a little too correct. The conditions required to survive as a woman in horror films are entirely strict and exclusive to the male-envisioned perfect woman. That trope is completely false. There are no personality requirements that are required to survive a masked killer. This perfect victim mentality was created by the men who write them. I think this isn’t always pointed out because horror is always given credit for being feminist, with a woman coming out on top and usually defeating a man. Yet, there are many flaws when looking deeper into the requirements placed upon this title. This ‘progressive’ archetype is, of course, perfect in the eyes of a man, so she somehow deserves survival—Smart, prude, yet somehow still having sexual energy. Not so lucky would be her friend in the slightly more seductive outfit with a boyfriend. This box that survivors are contained to has little to do with genuine survival rate and a lot more to do with showing that outliers should be discarded. Bare minimum representation is so quickly celebrated that this obvious display of what it means to be valuable as a woman through a male perspective is disregarded. 

Double Standards/The exception for men.

Surely, this is not only a fate befitting final girls? Surely their male counterparts should have to follow the same guidelines, or face extinction. But of course, that is not the case. A prime example would be Eli Roth’s first Hostel. A familiar setup three friends, all guys, vacationing and having fun. However, instead of the clear final boy’s efforts being set upon being intelligent and good-natured, they instead are entertaining prostitutes and partying. A damning route, if patterns should be repeated. Yet, as mentioned, this box was not created to restrain men. There is no need to prove themselves, because they are already assumed to be worthy of survival. There is no stereotype for the final boy, yet I continue to see the same female personality, over and over, the sole one deemed acceptable enough for survival. 

I think it’s important to recognize faults in the things you brand yourself with.

• horror
• sterotypes
• women in film