The trope of the ‘final girl’ has survived the horror genre for decades, and the past four years have given us plenty of new blood to root for… so here are my top five ‘final girls’ of the 2020s.
- Emerald (Nope, 2022). Em is a lesbian stoner who could stay out of the action, and sometimes actually runs away from it. The final girl rarely doubles as comic relief, but Em is a charming blend of the two.
- Becky (Becky, 2020). While on a family vacation, a 13-year-old encounters a group of neo-Nazis and has to survive them… until she turns the tables and they have to survive her. Becky is the youngest and the most vicious final girl on the list. Go off, Becky.
- Deena (Fear Street, 2021). As a biracial lesbian band geek in a WASPy small town, Deena is forced to be tough. But Deena is also caring, and will stop at nothing to rescue her ex-girlfriend from a bloodthirsty curse.
- Cecilia (The Invisible Man, 2020). Cecilia is the final girl for anyone who has survived an abusive relationship, particularly where they have been made out to be an unreliable narrator. Justice never tasted sweeter.
- Naru (Prey, 2022). In this Predator prequel, after coming to Earth in 1719, the notoriously brutal Predator is so caught off guard by Comanche healer Naru‘s ability to study and match her opponent that they do not return for 250 years. Iconic.
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Maya Noëlle (She/They) has been told that she has ‘final girl energy.’ When not running from the killer or fighting tooth and nail to make it to the ending, she can be found sending distress signals on CHMA 106.9 FM Mondays at 12 a.m. Will you respond?