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1. Damsel in Distress? No thanks, I got it from here.

In girlhood and horror movies, the classic trope of damsel in distress is turned around, with the damsel actually doing the saving.

The classic trope of damsel in distress has been apparent across various movie genres, such as in action movies and even in horror movies. The damsel is usually a young, submissive, and innocent looking girl who is crying out for help. Soon after, her knight in shining armor appears, saving her. However, in girlhood and horror movies, the knight in shining armor is now a woman, who is capable and powerful of fighting against anyone. In A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night, a vampire named The Girl, walks around the streets at night, removing the toxins of the city. One of the toxins she removed was a Pimp, who would exploit women for their sexuality, sell drugs, and abuse his customers if they hadn't paid him back in time. She would also instill fear into children, threatening to hurt them if they aren’t good. Essentially, The Girl prowls through the town at night all alone, and doesn’t need any protection. Instead, the men who have taken advantage of the women in the town are the ones who should be afraid of walking alone at night. Ultimately, the Girl embodies women empowerment, and I truly appreciate how she took revenge for one of the women in her town after a male exploited her. She is the one who watches over the women in the city, providing a sense of protection so they don’t feel afraid to walk alone at night, or even anywhere. It’s unfortunate how many young girls today avoid walking alone in general, because of the numerous rape, kidnappings, and murders that happen towards women. Additionally, these issues aren’t spoken about in mass media. Girlhood and horror movies touch on these issues, and A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night represents women reclaiming power in this male-dominating world. Many other girlhood and horror films also showcase this notion, such as Jennifer’s Body and Carrie.

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2. Wait! You’re not a virgin….

The emphasis of purity, innocence, and virginity is tackled in girlhood and horror movies.

In many religions and cultures, girls are taught from a young age to stay pure, innocent, and protect their virginity. Not only does society look down upon women that are the opposite, but this perspective is further preached in the film industry, with the female characters that tend to survive being the ones that are a virgin or innocent. As a result, this notion of a woman that is impure, not innocent, and not a virgin is a sign of a negative, defective woman in society. Though, this of course isn’t true, and many girlhood and horror films go against this incorrect perspective. In Carrie, the idea of becoming a woman is signified as becoming a monster, but Carrie represents the acknowledgement that becoming a woman isn’t a bad thing. It’s just that society, in this case her mother, restricts her from embracing who she is. For instance, a particular scene in the film that showcases becoming a woman is a negative aspect was when Margaret, Carrie’s mother, received a call from the school regarding Carrie’s first period in the school shower. The mom, believing Carrie has committed sin (sexual intercourse), forces Carrie to say “Eve was weak, say it!” (Carrie, 00:15:07 - 00:15:13), and then eventually drags the traumatized girl into the closet, a space of repentance filled with bibles, candles, and a bloody crucifix. We can see Carrie look confused, yet betrayed by her mother for not telling her about the concept of a period. Instead of Margaret telling Carrie that it is a natural thing, Carrie is told that getting your period is a sign that you have committed sin, and she is accused of not being a virgin. Ultimately, Carrie is brainwashed. This made me wonder about how young girls are often told to hide their pads when they go to the bathroom, hide the idea that they got their period earlier than others, or feel embarrassed because they leaked on their pants. The thing is, these factors should not be something to feel embarrassed about. Carrie still attempts to embrace femininity, even if her mother tries to restrict her from doing so. In fact, becoming a woman is inevitable, natural, and can be beautiful, even if society tells us it’s not.

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3. Portrayal of Female Pain

In many horror films, the portrayal of female pain is minimal and less understood compared to the pain seen in girlhood and horror films.

At most, the portrayal of female pain in various horror movies is limited to a scream or a cry. It makes sense, because a scream and a cry from a woman often sounds louder, scarier, and more intense compared to a scream or a cry from a man. But, that’s really it. After that, the female is killed by the murder, and not much room is left for the audience to reflect or understand how the female was treated or felt, other than that she was scared. However, in girlhood and horror movies, the portrayal of female pain is so intense, emotional, and more emphasized that it leaves the audience wondering how the female was being treated. For instance, in Jennifer’s Body, the lead singer of Low Shoulder Nikoli, began to mockingly sing the lyrics of Tommy Tutone’s song “867-5309/Jenny” while sacrificing Jennifer. The sound of the group singing the lyrics “You don't know me, but you make me so happy. I tried to call you before, but I lost my nerve. I used my imagination, but I was disturbed…Jenny, I got your number, I need to make you mine…Jenny, don't change your number 867-5309…” (Jennifer’s Body, 01:06:06 – 1:06:36) meshed with the screams of Jennifer as she is brutally murdered represents the lack of remorse the group had towards her. It was explicit to that audience of Low Shoulder’s disregard for Jennifer’s emotions, fear, and also the fact that she is a person. They abuse their power over a fan who to them was a naive, young, and dumb girl. Additionally, the slow motion and point of view shot of Jennifer’s sacrifice scene allowed the audience to picture themselves in Jennifer’s shoes, experiencing the fear, isolation, and pain she felt as she was treated like nothing, but an object. This scene perfectly demonstrated the portrayal of female pain, really allowing the audience to see and hear the horror of being a woman, which is often disregarded in many films and news media.

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4. What Are You Looking At?

In a male-dominated film industry, even films that emphasize the female gaze can’t fully spread its purpose.

Many of the films in Hollywood are in the perspective of the male gaze. Especially in horror films, the audience often sees a submissive, vulnerable girl running away from the murder, only to trip on some imaginary branch that leads to her demise. Not only does it imply that a woman isn’t capable of escaping a killer, but also that they are too “dumb” or “unathletic” to survive. However, many girlhood and horror films incorporate the female gaze. Jennifer’s Body removes the influence of the male gaze, and only utilizes the female gaze as the audience navigates and understands Needy’s and Jennifer’s story, emotions, and motives. Essentially, the movie showcases how men were the cause of their problems. This would lead to why many teenage girls and women were addicted to watching the film, because they truly loved seeing an empowered woman go against the same men that would sexualize her. Despite the film's amazing, successful efforts to stand up against the male gaze, much of its ad campaign was catered to young boys and men. The ad campaigns involved posters sexualizing and highlighting Jennifer’s body for the movie to “sell” well, such as the one above. Even the kiss scene between Jennifer and Needy was heavily marketed in order to attract men. Ultimately, this campaign strategy prioritized earning profit off the movie, instead of spreading awareness and standing up against the male gaze. By focusing on the movie itself, Jennifer’s Body successfully removed the male gaze, using the female gaze to tell the story of Needy and Jennifer.

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5. “Opposites Attract”

A classic movie trope is to have the “good girl” go against or befriend the “bad girl”. 

In various movies, the audience may come across a “good girl” who befriends the “bad girl”, or go against her. In other words, this is known as the good girl/bad girl dynamic. Though, it doesn’t always have to be in terms of becoming friends. Even in romance movies, the audience often comes across a “good girl” falling for the “bad boy”. This idea of “Opposites Attract” has always been around, romanticized, and seen in a variety of different movie genres. In terms of girlhood and horror movies, the classic trope of the “good girl” befriending or going against the “bad girl” is oftentimes the most popular type, appearing in movies, such as Jennifer’s Body and The Craft. In The Craft, Sarah can be considered the “light” witch, and Nancy can be considered the “dark” witch. Originally, both girls were semi friends, until Sarah realized how Nancy would abuse her powers to maintain the leader of the coven (friend) group. This acknowledgment from Sarah caused her to be frightened of Nancy. Additionally, Nancy would also get jealous of Sarah as she is a natural born witch, whereas Nancy received her powers by the Manons ritual. Nancy’s jealousy and Sarah’s fear would eventually contribute to the major drift that grew between the two as they battled for who is more powerful. However, the film not only showcased how opposite Nancy and Sarah are in terms of power, but also in looks and personality. Nancy is represented to be mean, blunt, and always wearing dark clothing and makeup, whereas Sarah appears as kind, innocent, and wearing bright clothing and makeup. This obvious “opposite” difference between Sarah and Nancy further contributes to the film’s classic trope of the good girl/bad girl dynamic. 

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6. You Started It!

The reason why they were a villain in the first place is because they were at first the victim.

Across many of the villainous icons in girlhood and horror filmverse, they were at first the victims. From being in an abusive relationship to growing up in a broken family, their environment is what cultivates their mentality and motivations. However, this isn’t only seen in the filmverse as it also happens in reality. For instance, many of the children in juvie have had a history of facing abuse, and/or grew up surrounded by an unsafe and violent neighborhood. Many popular girlhood and horror films, such as The Love Witch do an excellent job in representing how one’s past and experiences shapes how one is in the future. In The Love Witch, Elaine is a love witch who is on a search to find a man that can love her dearly. Through many love potions, she is able to captivate her potential candidates to fall madly in love with her. However, they eventually turn into whining children who can’t seem to live without Elaine, and end up dead due to the immense love. The audience, including myself, wondered why Elaine is motivated to find a man that can love her truly, or why she associates love with violence. But then, the audience eventually learns that Elaine is the product of being surrounded by abusive men, such as her ex-lover Jerry and father who would shame her, and degrade her. As a result of her past, her fantasy is really just finding a man who can cure the trauma that was left behind by her father and Jerry. However, if the man isn't the one, Elaine’s love potion will finish them off.

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7. Mirror Mirror on the Wall. Who’s The Prettiest Of Them All?

Throughout many girlhood and horror films, a sense of self within many of the female leads seems to be lost as they look at themselves in the mirror.

It is clear that many young teenage girls and women are overwhelmed by the immense, extreme societal beauty standards that are placed on them. From a young age, girls are exposed to ideas of what’s beautiful and what’s not. As a result of these unfair and unrealistic societal beauty standards, women and teenage girls are stuck wondering if they’ll ever meet them at all. In girlhood and horror movies, the prevalence of vanity is acknowledged by its audience members as they are exposed to the emotions the female leads emit as they look at themselves in the mirror. For instance, in Jennifer’s Body, it is clear how obsessed Jennifer is with her looks. She even commented that her curse isn’t really a curse as it makes her powerful and beautiful. Numerous times, the audience notices Jennifer looking at herself in the mirror, and even commenting majority of the time about her looks. Though, it isn’t only her fault. As a matter of fact, not only her, but also her society, especially the men, reduced her value to only her beauty. It seems that without her looks, she isn’t able to recognize a strong sense of self, eventually contributing to her tragedy. Jennifer’s Body does an excellent job in showcasing how extreme need for vanity can contribute to one's demise. This can represent how young teenage girls and women should acknowledge that these beauty standards are unrealistic, and that they are already beautiful.

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8. The Sweet Taste of Revenge

Revenge seems to be a significant factor that drives many of the female leads in girlhood and horror films, especially against men.

Whether it is in girlhood and horror films or even in comedy films, the need for revenge is a classic trope that allows the audience to understand the main motives behind a character’s action. In terms of girlhood and horror, oftentimes the revenge is directed towards men, especially the ones that took part in ruining the lives of the female leads. In Jennifer’s Body, Needy is shown at the end of the movie taking revenge on Low Shoulder - an early 2000s rock band that preys on young girls to maintain fame. However, their fame arose as a result of them sacrificing Jennifer. Because of their selfish desires, Jennifer had to live on as a blood-sucking demon, not only making her into a monster, but also ruining her friendship with Needy. Soon after, Needy utilizes the powers she got from Jennifer’s demonic bite in order to avenge her best friend’s death. Overall, Low Shoulder was the reason why both Jennifer’s and Needy’s lives were ruined in the first place. Though, Needy wasn’t the only person who took revenge on selfish men. Jennifer also used her demonic powers gained from the sacrifice and used it against the same men who would exploit her sexuality. The exploitation of women’s sexuality is a large, continuous issue. Though Jennifer’s Body, just one of many girlhood and horror films, is able to showcase the fight against the exploitation of women, by making the female leads take revenge on the same men that exploited them. I can understand how this can inspire many women, including myself, to acknowledge, spread awareness, and support others to fight against the exploitation of women, just like how Needy fought against Low Shoulder.

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9. Embracing Sexuality = Imminent Death

In these classic girlhood and horror films, the female victims who experience the terror are the same ones who embrace their sexuality.

In various horror films, it is a classic trope to see a teenage girl get brutally murdered after they lose their virginity or have sexual intercourse. Typical scenes can include a couple ready to “do it” in the woods, or on a random bed in a cabin in the middle of nowhere. Almost always, there is a killer who is watching them from a distance, ready to attack. It Follows adds a unique twist to this classic trope by implying that embracing your sexuality can possibly save or kill you. In It Follows, Jay sleeps with Hugh for the first time, and then soon after learns that she now has the curse that gets passed from victim to victim, but only through sexual intercourse. As a result of her embracing her sexuality, Jay faces the consequences of always being followed by death…literally, and must always find a victim who she can pass along through sex. Although this can save her from death, she will always be on edge as she wonders if her victim will get killed, causing the curse to return to her. No matter what, death seems to always win. Because of this constant appearance of one embracing their sexuality often leading to their imminent death, it is not wrong for the audience to associate the idea that embracing your sexuality can be a negative thing. This notion is often showcased in not only horror movies, but also preached in many religions and cultures. It Follows does an excellent job in showcasing this notion by following Jay’s journey through a combination of medium and long shots, such as the one above. These excellent cinematography choices highlight the sense of isolation Jay feels, because despite the amount of space she may have to escape, she is the only one who can see “It”, which is waiting to catch up to her and kill her. This further adds on to the stress and regret Jay definitely has for sleeping with Hugh in the first place, because she now has to face the consequences of embracing her sexuality.

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10. Not Only Did The Female Villains Slay Their Victims, But Also Their Outfits

Alongside the monstrosity present within girlhood and horror movies, the characters’ fashionable outfits still stood out, representing their personalities even if they were covered in blood.

While watching Jennifer’s Body, I couldn’t help but acknowledge the early Y2k “Year 2000” fashion trends that were incorporated into the film, with low rise bottoms, cropped sweaters, and bright tops. The Y2k trends began in 1997, and made its appearance once again in 2023, with Jennifer’s Body being one of the main inspirations. It wasn’t surprising to see how many teenage girls switched their wardrobe to cater to the Y2k theme, so they can be like Jennifer Check. Not only did Jennifer’s outfits fit the classic Y2k style, but it also represented her character perfectly, showcasing her heightened strength, confidence, and deceitful innocence. Jennifer didn’t wear the typical dark, gothic-type clothing that people would expect to see from a blood-sucking demon, but instead wore a bright pink sweater with red hearts that embraces her confidence, sexuality, and femininity. Additionally, the film contains a perfect transition from a scene with people wearing dark clothing, and holding candles as they mourn the death of their peers to a scene where Jennifer is walking confidently down the hallways, with her bright pink and red heart sweater. It was almost terrifying to see how joyful she looked, yet her outfit and confidence definitely reminded the audience that she is still a teenage girl embracing her femininity through fashion. In fact, many girlhood and horror movies use fashion as a way to represent the character's personalities, remind the audience who the characters really are deep down, and appeal to young teenagers and women. This can be seen in The Craft and The Love Witch.