There is No Final Girl: Pick-Me-ism and A Reflection on Women and Violence in Horror
(TW: descriptions of violent acts)
“Women are born with pain built in. We carry it within ourselves. Men have to seek it out.” (Kristin Scott Thomas, Fleabag, 2016).
When I was 10, my dad put on the 1978 classic Halloween for one of our weekly Friday movie nights. Watching Judith Myers perish at the hands of her younger brother, I realized for the first time how very real the chance of getting hurt out in the real world was. As the film progressed, women who gave up their virginity were murdered in their state of vulnerability and only the sexually inactive woman emerged from the chaos alive. While becoming more exposed to the horror genre after this experience, I became expectant of gore towards the female characters, and when it arrived, was uneasy but not surprised.
I am not unfamiliar with the dark rabbit hole of horror. Since that first encounter, I’ve been hooked on anything related to the genre. I think it emerges out of a dark curiosity and an appreciation for the emotionally charged themes. Death is so taboo in Western culture, so people often seek out art to fulfill our unanswered questions that we are too ashamed to ask. When I was in my teens, I discovered the “horror film iceberg.” The only consultation I can provide on the depravity of this list is that The Human Centipede is only on the second tier- out of eight.
As the list goes down, the films morph from chilling at best to genuine snuff. The subjects of these films, especially the further down you go, are primarily women and girls. Women being victims of kidnapping, rape, and brutal violence isn’t so fictional of an occurrence and it’s not hard for young people to find this sort of representation online or on their TVs. 1 out of 6 American women have been a victim of attempted or completed rape in her lifetime (rainn.org). 29% of all women have experienced some form of abuse from a partner (cawc.org). The risk of homicide for women is lower than for men, but the risk of being killed by a spouse or intimate acquaintance is higher- five times higher to be exact. In 2021, 4,970 women were victims of murder (bjs.ojp.gov). These films aren’t just fiction, but a direct reflection of violence against women in our world.
This brutality against women and girls is not new. Greek author Herodotus (c. 484–425 BC) stated in Histories that in Ancient Egypt, bodies of exceptionally beautiful women were not embalmed immediately after their deaths, but only after several days had passed, in order to prevent a recurring case where it was discovered that an embalmer had raped the body of a recently dead woman. Throughout history, women have been faced with the fact that in some cases, men will use you even after you’re dead.
Many commonly appreciated horror classics include similar depravities. In Terrifier, a film I generally enjoyed due to its surrealist gore and outlandish narrative, there is a specific scene that makes me turn away every time I watch. In the last quarter of the film, a female character is hung upside down, legs spread apart. The killer, a deranged demon clown, uses a handsaw to cut through her body, starting from her vulva. In Hostel, a universally recognized iconic horror film, women are portrayed as sexual objects who are later brutalized in an underground murder and torture organization. It’s not uncommon to see this type of cruelty, especially since modern films have been able to explore more violent depictions due to the loosening of media regulations.
Is there a reason we as a society enjoy watching women suffer? And does it perpetuate or dampen the real-life instances of femicide? While many women in horror face violent endings, some emerge from the chaos alone and victorious. These are the “Final Girls.”
Some argue that the Final Girl trope emerged in modern film with Sally Hardesty in Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974). Since then, horror movies have constructed their narratives around a sole female survivor. She is strong and uninterested in sex or boys. The Final Girl is put in numerous near-death situations, always barely emerging with her life. She is “not like other girls,” so the audience will better sympathize with her. No one wants to root for a girl that could resemble your ex, annoying mom, or woman at the bar who rejected you, right?
But is the Final Girl even real? I don’t think so. The Final Girl is not protected from male violence despite her celibacy and disdain for femininity. Despite her efforts, she does not emerge from her trauma unscathed. This concept is akin to the “pick-me-girl” epidemic that’s emerged in recent years. You can try to change yourself, deny yourself the pleasures of anything seen as too “girly,” and trade genuine female friendships for the possibility of male validation. But what does it get you? Nothing different. You are still a woman, and to men who want to hurt you, that cancels out any possibility of equal treatment.
The Final Girl is separate from the other women in the movie. She is smarter, less sexual. This is what grants her survival. But in reality, distancing yourself from womanhood, sexual expression, or emotion will not guarantee your survival from misogyny. The killer will confront you at the end of the film and murder you all the same.
A favorite creator of mine, Drew Afualo, recently published a book on combatting misogyny that genuinely changed my perspective. A quote that I find particularly relevant to this topic is, “If the reward for being the “coolest” girl in the room is a sliver of attention from the world’s most mediocre men, then I would happily commit to never being chill. And never being cool. But maybe the “cool girls” got one thing right after all: I wouldn’t be like the other girls- I was going to be much, much worse.”- Drew Afualo, Loud: Accept Nothing Less Than The Life You Deserve.
I do believe that women can and have been respectfully represented in the horror genre. Barbarian, Dir. Zach Cregger, and Scream, Dir. Wes Craven, both depict final girls as strong and capable while maintaining their humanity and identity. Horror is not inherently anti-woman, but its repetitive tropes and narratives depicting women in ways that perpetuate violence are. Horror as a genre provides something truly unique that no other type of film does. In an attempt to dig into the most evil, depraved human behaviors, the medium holds up a mirror to our world. The next time you put on a scary movie, pay attention to what’s happening on screen and what’s going on around you. Value the women in your life and actively combat misogyny wherever you see it. The Final Girl may not be real, but you are.
Works cited:
https://classicsforall.org.uk/reading-room/ad-familiares/bed-ancient-greeks
rainn.org
cawc.org
bjs.ojp.gov