Horror movies thrive on body counts, but there is always one who refuses to go down. The character who survives the blood, the mayhem, and the shadow-dwelling monsters is known as the “final girl.”After everyone else has been slashed, gutted, disembowled, decapitated, or even dragged to hell, she is the only one where the horror ends—or at least halts until it strikes again in the sequel.However, her survival isn’t the only thing that makes her so intriguing. What makes her special is what she stands for—she singlehandedly bears the fear, wit, and fortitude of the story. Through decades of slashers and thrillers and horrors, she has changed from a scared adolescent to a symbol of grit and defiance.Who Is the Final Girl? In her 1992 book, Men, Women, and Chain Saws, film scholar Carol J. Clover first used the term “final girl” to refer to the recurrent female character who makes it through the carnage of horror films. She is typically perceptive, resourceful, and at least initially, morally distinct from her peers. She observes, absorbs, and adjusts while the others make poor decisions.Why the Final Girl Resonates?Because the last girl expresses both hope and fear, audiences can easily identify with her. She trembles, hides, and screams, but she also fights back. In addition to supporting her, viewers identify with her tenacity. The last girl serves as an emotional fulcrum in a genre that is sometimes criticized for its cheesy thrills.The Evolution of the Final GirlThe final girl has evolved over...
Published By: NoFilmSchool - Today