Horrorhas evolvedover time. From the haunting of monsters like Dracula, the Wolf Man, the Mummy, and so many other cryptids, to the unhinged supernatural spectacles that are seen in such films asThe Exorcist, horror has consistently and constantly offered a foray ofwhat ifsand possibilities to fear and to be afraid of. However, at the end of the 1970s, behind the heels ofThe Texas Chainsaw MassacreandBlack Christmas, 1978’s a new horror filmHalloweenchanged things for horror and began an evolution of the genre.
Related:Best Slasher Movies of All Time, Ranked
No longer haunted by the other worldly or existential, the introduction of the slasher film offered a more grounded look at horror, a fright and fear of what was around the corner or behind the door rather than what was being a veil or the curtain of the unknown. Within this, the stalking of groups of people, running and fighting-back in an effort to survive arose and the idea of the final girl, the last girl or girls/women to stay alive and confront the killer and tell the story of all that happened to others, took shape giving the genre a quasi new life (no pun intended) and ultimately, hold on film that has had tremendous staying power, cultivating in pop culture to form and crystalize cult classics.
The 1980s were full of slasher films as Hollywood couldn’t get enough. Because of that the ’80s boasts of some of the best final girls in horror. Here are some of the best final girls that the 1980s had to offer.
8Alice Johnson (A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master, 1988)
With Nancy Thompson finally being killed off and after the success ofA Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Child, the franchise was looking for a new leading lady/final girl inA Nightmare on Elm Street 4: Dream Master. They found that in Alice Johnson, who as a character is a broken person, someone who constantly lives in her own head as she tries to survive being alone after a dead mother and a drunken father who has pretty much abandoned her. Subsequently, it is Alice’s internal struggles that leave her outwardly timid and shy, but as people and some friends around her begin to die at the hands of Freddy Krueger, her own dream powers begin to kick in, and she begins to find herself and her identity. It is Alice’s journey that is so very rewarding and culminates in her finding her strength to face-off with Freddy Krueger.
7Ginny Field (Friday the 13th: Part 2, 1981)
The originalFriday the 13th’skiller ended up being Jason’s mom, but she was ousted by final girl Alice in the end. However, in the sequel,Friday the 13th: Part 2, the film begins with a returned Jason Voorhies avenging his mother’s death by killing Alice. This sets up the identity of the killer for all the subsequent installments of Friday the 13th being Jason. Ginny is considered one of the best final girls in theFriday the 13th franchiseas she goes being tropes and archetypes to be a multidimensional character that desires to be a child psychologist and is driven by her fascination with who the young Jason Voorhies was. However, this is met with a dark force when she comes face to face with the returned Jason Voorhies the killer, and she must fight for her life.
6Ellen Ripley (Aliens, 1986)
Already considered one of the best and baddest final girls in horror film history with her remarkable survival in the 1970sAlien, ultimately killing the alien attacker, the character of Ripley returns in this sequel to survive against way more than just one alien this time. InAliens, Ripley is once again being hunted, but this time there are a plethora of the monstrous creatures that she has to face down. In addition to those monster aliens she is also attemptoig to protect and orphaned child.
Needless to say, the stakes for Ripley are higher in this one with not only more aliens but the dual fates of her and the child in the balance. This makes for great horror and with the movie itself being an action packed horror flick,Aliensonce again captures the essence and feeling of a slasher film by pinning its main character, Ripley, into a corner to be stalked only to once again have her battle to survive and in an incredibly climatic way as she straps inside a robotic cargo loader to take down the queen Alien.
5Kirsty Cotton (Hellraiser, 1987)
InHellraiser, Kirsty is the teenage niece of Frank, who has opened the mysterious puzzle box which unleashes the Cenobites that ultimately torture her uncle Frank’s life. When Kirsty does the same thing, the Cenobites and Pinhead come for her life and soul. However, her uncle Frank has returned from the dead, and he too is after her to save himself. This becomes a three-way battle with Kirsty in middle, and it is up her craftiness and cleverness to figure a way out of the mess that she’s in. With the stakes so high and danger on both sides, Kirsty strikes a deal to save herself in exchange for the evil that her uncle has become and return as. Kirsty is a clever final girl and even though she is pitted against the supernatural, her stand against her stalkers is grounded in reality as she outsmarts each and every one of them.
4Laurie Strode (Halloween 2, 1988)
Halloween 2picks up right where the originalHalloweenleft off and is meant to conclude the story between Michael Myers and Laurie Strode. In this sequel by John Carpenter, Michael Myers is tracking down Laurie at the hospital after surviving his onslaught from the first movie. The movie puts Laurie in a fight-or-flight scenario while being boxed/caged-in by the confines of the hospital. There’s desperation and intensity about Michael’s hunt for her which later reveals stems from Laurie being his sister (an aspect of the narrative that was retconned in later films). Ultimately, with the help of Dr. Loomis, Laurie once again survives and Michael Myers is supposedly defeated.
3Jamie Lloyd (Halloween 4, 1988)
Halloween 4continues to the narrative and storyline from the first two films, picking up years later with Jamie Lloyd, Laurie Strode’s daughter and a returning Michael Myers going after his niece now that Laurie Strode is dead (died offscreen). One of the most interesting aspects of Jamie as a final girl is how young she is, only eight years old, and having an actual child to play this role is staggering in both the trope and archetype. Yet, the young actor does an amazing job of embodying the fear that would come from such an ordeal as being stalked by The Shape himself as well as carrying on the fight of her mother Laurie Strode. Nevertheless, Jamie Lloyd as a final girl wouldn’t work without the presence of her teenage foster sister, Rachel, who helps her to survive.
2Chris Higgins (Friday the 13th: Part III. 1982)
InFriday the 13th: Part III, a new protagonist and final girl is brought in with Chris Higgins. The story picks up a day later after the events and carnage of Part II where Chris and her boyfriend are hosting a get-together with some friends. As an added bonus, there’s some biker bad guys thrown in the mix and then the onslaught of Jason Voorhies begins. Originally Friday the 13th: Part III was supposed to be the final movie of the series, but because it did so well, a fourth installment was wanted. Also, noted, this is the movie where Jason gets his signature masks, taking it from Shelly. Dana Kimmell was brought in as the new lead Chris Higgins because Amy Steel chose not to return as Ginny Field. This created a new direction for the narrative which would center around Chris Higgins. Ultimately, Chris would survive and subsequent storylines following this installment would also include her.
Related:The 10 Greatest Slasher Movies of the 1980s
1Nancy Thompson (A Nightmare on Elm Street, 1984)
Considered the biggest horror movie of the 1980s,A Nightmare on Elm Streetis from the genius mind of Wes Craven and while it is a slasher, it also offers a bit of the supernatural, taking its grounded stalking into the subconscious, where the main villain Freddy Krueger, haunts the dreams of his victims. What makes Nancy Thompson adifferent final girl, and arguably the best and most iconic, is that while she is portrayed as a regular person, the girl-next-door vibe, she has the most fight. In the midst of everyone being mowed down by Freddy in their dreams, Nancy actually seeks out Freddy, trying to figure out a way to get him into the real world where his weakness can be exposed. It is Nancy’s powerless, she could be anyone, attribute that works so well in this film – it allows for an obvious vulnerability juxtaposed with the drive to survive.
