12 Scary Female Horror Monsters That Changed Horror Forever
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Vote up the best female horror monster movies of all time.
- 1Sigourney Weaver, Carrie Henn, Michael Biehn
An ingenious combination of horror, science fiction, and action, James Cameron's Aliens continues the story of Ridley Scott's terrifying sci-fi epic by expanding on the lore, fleshing out characters, and introducing the world to one of the vilest and most horrific creatures ever seen on the silver screen. The Xenomorph Queen is the ultimate monstrosity in the Alien franchise as it is she who is creating the horrific monstrosities that are looking to seek and destroy anything in their way, and her gigantic stature, disgusting egg sack, and vicious nature help her stand out as one of the scariest female horror monsters of all time.
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- 2Naomi Watts, Martin Henderson, David Dorfman
Part paranormal ghost story, part psychological thriller, The Ring is a film that has withstood the test of time as one of the scariest films ever made and a genuine work of art. Sadako, or as she is more commonly known, Ring girl, is an unnerving and sadistically creepy creature with long black hair over her face who crawls out of television and kills viewers of a strange and bizarre tape seven days after they watch it. While she isn't the stereotypical female horror monster, her monstrous tendencies and ever-looming presence helps her stand out as one of the greatest villains in horror history.
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- 3Megan Fox, Amanda Seyfried, Johnny Simmons
Since its release in 2009, Jennifer's Body has grown to become one of the greatest cult horror films of the 2000s as this fantastical mix of satirization of the genre, poignant social commentary, and utterly terrifying storytelling has resonated with a much more jaded and scared audience. The titular Jennifer was a simple high school student who was assaulted and then turned into a man-eating succubus who feeds off those who prey on the weak. The greyness of the film and the rational of character choices are often hard to argue, making both the film, and Jennifer herself, some of the best horror had to offer in the decade.
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- 4Boris Karloff, Elsa Lanchester, Colin Clive
One of the first-ever female horror monsters to ever grace the silver screen, Bride of Frankenstein is widely regarded as one of the greatest feats in the history of horror thanks to its ability to push the genre forward in shocking and existential ways while still remaining grounded in its terror. The titular Bride has become one of the biggest icons in horror, and although she may lack much screentime, her hauntingly gorgeous look combined with a wardrobe that has been mimicked to death helps her stand out as a phenom in the horror world. Devastating, heartbreaking, and ultimately uplifting, the story of The Bride is one audiences need to see to believe.
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- 5Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum
Jurassic Park may not be the first image that pops into audiences' heads when they hear the term horror or monster movie, but this Steven Spielberg classic is undoubtedly one of the best the genre has to offer, and it just so happens to have a slew of utterly terrifying and deadly female horror monster in the dinosaurs that roam the park. While there are plenty to choose from, undoubtedly the most vicious and terrifying has to be the Velociraptor, an apex predator hellbent on hunting and devouring its prey, and even when she isn't on screen, her presence and terror only grow.
- 6Jane Levy, Shiloh Fernandez, Lou Taylor Pucci
In 2013. a remake of The Evil Dead was released that pushed the boundaries of what horror could be, and the monsters they could house. While all the monstrosities in Evil Dead may not be female, the most vicious and vile of them all most certainly is as the deadite and abomination versions of Mia are some of the most unhinged and sadistic creatures ever put to screen. With gallons of blood, guts, body parts, and all manner of other unthinkable horrific imagery, Evil Dead stands as one of the most unforgettable horror experience thanks in large to Jane Levy and her breathtaking performance.
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- 7Emile Hirsch, Brian Cox, Ophelia Lovibond
A fantastic and confounding horror mystery, part of what makes The Autopsy of Jane Doe such a riveting experience for many horror fans is the almost clue-like nature of figuring out who this mysterious woman is. When it is uncovered that, and massive spoiler here, the titular Jane Doe is actually a witch who has been causing all of these horrific scenes and imagery to appear from beyond the grave, her character becomes all the more horrifying as suddenly unrelenting and unimaginable power is at hand, and our two lowly heroes must simply try to survive.
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- 8Emily Perkins, Katharine Isabelle, Kris Lemche
It is far more rare to find a horror fan that has heard of the film Ginger Snaps in passing and knows the deeply horrific lore of the film rather than finding anyone who has actually seen it, and that is a crying shame because this cult hit of the 2000s is a fascinating and deeply personal werewolf film that tackles femininity and changing bodies excellently. Following a young girl who is savagely attacked by a creature the day she gets her first period, a cycle of death and carnage appears ever full moon as she must learn to control her power and the animal that she has become.
- 9Kåre Hedebrant, Lina Leandersson, Per Ragnar
Let the Right One In is widely regarded as one of the most haunting, heartbreaking, and soul-shattering horror films of all time as this beautiful love story between a young boy and a vampire will leave audiences simultaneously terrified and utterly devastated. Lina Leandersson's Eli is one of the most haunting characters in horror history, not due to her violent actions, but because of her calm and seemingly subdued ones. A manipulative and repugnant creature who feeds off those weaker than her in more ways than one, Let the Right One In shows that vampires don't just suck the blood out of people, but their very wills to live.
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- 10Jessica Chastain, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Megan Charpentier
A quaint paranormal ghost story that took over the horror world when it was released in 2013, Mama is a heartbreaking and ultimately terrifying horror film with horrifying female creatures straight from the minds of Guillermo del Toro and Andy Muschietti. While the creatures in the film can look a bit cartoonish at times and the CGI doesn't particularly help, there is no doubt that Mama is a horrifying creature that is all but guaranteed to send chills down the spines of any and all brave, or foolish, enough to sit through this living nightmare.
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- 11Simone Simon, Kent Smith, Tom Conway
While The Bride of Frankenstein may get most of the credit for being one of the first horror movies with female monsters, Cat People showed the grace and elegance a film with a female monster could have. A fantastical analogy for sex, lust, passion, and fear, Cat People and its protagonist who transforms into a massive cat is one of the most otherworldly horror films to ever release as it feels more like a fever dream than a stereotypical story. A resounding and devastating look at womanhood in the 1940s, Cat People is just as poignant today as it has ever been.
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- 12Adrien Brody, Sarah Polley, Delphine Chaneac
Playing God in horror films rarely ever works out well for those rebellious and eager scientists looking to create life, and Splice is one of the most disturbing tales of creation gone terribly wrong. As its title would suggest, the monstrosity in Splice comes from gene splicing of numerous strands of DNA to create a new organism, one that at first seems like a scientific marvel, but soon becomes a hellacious creature hellbent on death and destruction. The ever-evolving nature of the creature helps the film feel fresh and keeps audiences on their toes as she only continues to grow into more and more of a hideous and deadly monstrosity.
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