2024 Gave Us Female-Fronted Horror Movies That Pushed Every Boundary

Horror movies have long centered their stories around female characters — thinkThe Exorcist‘s monster - chivvy mother and girl duo , Halloween‘s fierce baby-sitter , orBlack Christmas ‘ determined sorority sisters . But in 2024 we got a particularly notable crop of women placed in terrifying situations , include a new sci - fi badass inAlien : Romulus , a tolerant - hearted crook combat a vampire ballerina inAbigail , and trapped Mormon missionaries inHeretic .

But there were a few extra standouts among this year ’s socio-economic class of frightening , fearless , and cowardly females — performances we admire that brought to life a unequaled array of part . Here are the most singular distaff eccentric we meet in 2024 ’s horror picture show .

Lee Harker,Longlegs

We think we have a handle on young FBI agent Lee Harker from the start : quiet but bright in the vena ofThe muteness of the Lamb ‘ Clarice Starling , but with an unusually developed suspicion that get to her well - suited to go after after irregular criminals . However , as Osgood Perkins’Longlegsdigs into its tortuous crime narrative , we realise Lee is in her own vein alone — and is tied to the movie ’s nominal maniac in way that surprise even her . Maika Monroe ’s deep reserved carrying into action ( the ideal line to co - asterisk Nicolas Cage ’s over - the - top turn ) testify that an actor does n’t need a circle of talks to create a full , expressive character .

Elisabeth Sparkle and Sue,The Substance

Demi Moore has been a symbol of Hollywood glamour for decades ; at age 62 , she perfectly transmit that real - life status into her vanity - liberal portrayal of Elisabeth Sparkle in Coralie Fargeat’sThe Substance , a movie that happens to havevanity as a major theme . Fired from her video gig because the old white dudes in charge think she ’s too old to be aphrodisiacal , Elisabeth magnetic inclination into weird science to make a younger variation of herself — Margaret Qualley as “ Sue”—with ramification that leave in some of the most eye - popping soundbox horror to ever grace the projection screen .

Because Elisabeth and Sue are the same person , the battle between them puts a gruesome but darkly hilarious tailspin on the idea that your greatest foe is always yourself . When they come together as the mutated “ Monstro Elisasue , ” it ’s adequate parts repulsive and empowering — not a combination you come across every 24-hour interval , and a surprisingly satisfying one .

Skye Riley,Smile 2

She ’s an outside pop superstar — beautiful , talented , copious , and beloved by her zillions of fans — but Skye Riley ( Naomi Scott ) is in hell . First it ’s more of a personal hell ; a year after a railroad car stroke kill her fellow and left her severely wound , she ’s still dealing with dependency issue and mental and physical mark . But after an impulse decision to cull up some bleak - market place analgesic , she comes face to typeface with the demonic torment horror fans met in Parker Finn ’s firstSmilemovie .

From there , Skye ’s downward volute unwrap a much worse level of hell on earth , as her realism becomes whole distort by the entity ’s cringe , mockingly gleeful invasion of her sanity . On newspaper Skye is a hard character to settle down for , but Scott ’s public presentation makes her a character who ’s credible in her desire to right all the wrongs she ’s caused — but feels increasingly lost as the pressure ( both show - game and supernatural ) commence to pile on .

Margaret,The First Omen

Somebody had to give birth to Damien , the kid fromThe portent — and while that 1976 revulsion classic suggested he was the Cartesian product of a jackal and Satan , inThe First Omenwe cope with his actual birthing mother , an aim nun who gets inadvertently tangled in an occult arts conspiracy . Arkasha Stevenson ’s prequel warrant its existence by being an artistically dynamic movie with a construction - packed script ( and actual scares ! ) ; the heart of the film , though , is Nell Tiger Free ’s Margaret , a authentically right human being whose life takes an apocalyptically dark turn of events .

Honorable mention in the “ Antichrist revulsion maternity ” region for 2024 — though given current events , you may sure carry more gestation repulsion theme in future movies — goes to another performance in a different horror prequel . Natalie Erika James’Rosemary ’s Baby - inspiredApartment 7Adidn’t get as much eclat asThe First Omen , but Julia Garner held its center as Terry , a case you briefly meet inRosemary ’s Babywho has a fascinating backstory of her own .

Maxine Minx,MaXXXine

She survived the Texas porno - set massacre in 2022 ’s X , and with the ambition of her would - be killer , Pearl ( whose time of origin dreams of stardom are explored , quite vividly , in 2022’sPearl ) , Maxine Minx finally stump her way into Hollywood . As we find her inMaXXXine , she ’s seeking mainstream success beyond her X - fink fame — and nothing , not even a serial killer who might be the Night Stalker , a creepy private police detective , real LAPD detectives , and an ominous specter from her blood - stained past , is go to get in the way .

Mia Goth , who act both Pearl and Maxine across Ti West ’s trilogy , wreak us a more ripe yet still ruthless take on Maxine here , and the character ’s mid-1980s silver gray - sieve journeying brings her to famous backlots ( Maxine in thePsychohouse is one of 2024 ’s most unforgettable cinematic mash - ups ) and sleazy back rooms , and explore the price of fame from a lurid position that ’s never not entertaining .

Halley,V/H/S/Beyond

Kate Siegel ’s contribution to the latestV / H / Santhology photographic film , “ Stowaway , ” introduces us to Halley ( Alanah Pearce ) , a womanhood whose troubled backstory is made perfectly clear with just a few asides , and whose current ambition is to make a infotainment on unidentified flying object — preferably by having her own close clash . When her instant miraculously arrive one lonely night in the Mojave Desert , we ’re thrilled for her — she ’s been through some mussy clobber , it ’s imply , but her uncanny obsession has in the end found its reinforcement .

Those thrills turn to sheer terror , however , when “ Stowaway ” pretend practiced on its title and Halley sneak aboard an alien foxiness … only to find the wonders she discovers snowball into a body - repugnance nightmare that givesThe Substance‘s Monstro Elisasue some seriously gruesome competition . It ’s an astonishing arc , made even more impressive by the fact that it ’s compacted into the distance of a inadequate film .

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