Almost half a century later, people worldwide still shudder at the sound of Steven Spielberg’s Jaws. The twins from The Shining are still on every Halloween costume list. And modern day remakes all the buzz. The 1970s and 1980s are often regarded as the golden years of horror — and it’s difficult to argue with that. Though the genre dates back to the early 1930s with the release of Dracula (1931), it wasn’t until 40 years later — with the introduction of slasher films — that horror truly became the phenomenon it is today. Used to describe the sub-genre of murder-heavy stories where one killer targets a group of people, slasher films took horror to new heights. Coinciding with the real life rise of serial killers, from Ted Bundy to the Zodiac Killer, fictional remorseless murderers took over screens in the likes of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) and Halloween (1978).

Building off of the success of the 1970s, films such as A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) put their own spin on the slasher, introducing a supernatural element that is still a common theme in horror today. Elsewhere, classics such as The Exorcist (1973) earned the genre its rightful place as a legitimate contestant for awards, from the Oscars to the Golden Globes, and proved films of the sort could be blockbuster hits.

However, the golden age was also a male-dominated one — with the only female characters falling into archetypical tropes such as the “Damsel in Distress” or the “Final Girl.” Rarely three-dimensional, these characters are built off of the idea that promiscuity will get you killed first, and that women are helpless creatures who need men to come save them. Even more “feminist” films of the time, such as Carrie, used the “Final Girl” trope as a foil to the rest of the female characters: showing that sure, a woman can be intelligent and strong and survive, but because she has some characteristic that the rest of her gender pool lacks. Often a virginal brunette, she sends a warning to viewers that fits perfectly into the Second Wave Feminist Movement of the time.

But, we’re many decades away from those days — and the new scope of horror reflects that beautifully. Telling complex stories with female-led casts, today’s take on the genre is a far cry from the damsels in distress and sacrificed virgins of the past. Sure, there may still be those tropes sprinkled in there, but even they are characters in their own right — with their own stories to tell, existing outside of the confines of pushing a man’s story ahead. Recent years have seen a resurgence of the genre — and we take a look at all of the women who are defining our new golden age of horror.

Scroll for our roundup…

A modern look at women in horror would not be complete without looking to the one who paved the way. In Jennifer’s Body, a young Megan Fox turned the slasher structure on its head — playing into the idea of a virgin sacrifice but taking control in the process. Originally marketed for a male audience, it obviously did not perform too well in its time, but has since become a marker of feminist films and garnered a cult following of supporters.

Wonderland cover star Sophie Wilde can act in just about any genre, and her work in horror is incredible. In A24’s Talk to Me, Wilde portrays a character who, while struggling to cope after the passing of her mother, discovers how to conjure spirits through an embalmed hand. Her friends become addicted to the thrilling experience — until things take a turn. Though supernatural, certain aspects of the film are actually based on a true story — with themes of human connection, grief, and touch that resonate deeply with the audience.

For Luca Guadagnino 2022’s adaptation of Camille DeAngelis’ novel, Bones and All, Taylor Russel and Timothée Chalamet are a couple of young cannibals who go on a road trip around the US and unveil a spine-chilling story around love, desire, guilt, and a bloody flesh-eating chaos.

In today’s horror world, Jenna Ortega is a name that instantly comes to mind. From Wednesday to the Scream franchise and X, her resume is stacked with the supernatural, creepy, and scary alike. Her upcoming role in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice — out in theatres this September — has caused a buzz of excitement with Tim Burton fans. And we’re not surprised.

Another Wonderland cover star, Mia Goth is redefining the horror game. A24’s MaXXXine is the latest film in the X franchise, and after getting an official trailer earlier this month, we can’t wait. The forthcoming summer release takes the story from 1970s rural Texas to 1980s Los Angeles — as Goth’s Maxine transitions from adult film actress into aspiring Hollywood star. On the way, she must take on a serial killer — the Night Stalker.

For now, all we have from Hunter Schafer’s debut in horror grounds, in Tilman Singer’s production Cuckoo, is a tone-setting trailer. Set in the idyllic German Alps, 17-year-old Gretchen (Schafer) joins her father on a family trip to work at a resort during peak season, but what could be the background of a dreamy European gateway becomes the scene of a jump-scare filled story. Cuckoo is set to release stateside in theatres on 9 August — and we’re already biting our fingers for it.

The woman of the hour, Sydney Sweeney seems to be invading our screens these days and scoring top-notch performances across all different genres. Her latest? Horror, of course. Set in an Italian convent, Sweeney plays Sister Cecilia, a novice nun who finds herself with child as a virgin — a pregnancy the religious order declares as immaculate. And if an unplanned pregnancy wasn’t scary enough, what comes next for Sweeney is a sinister find that she might not actually be caring a very holy creature within her.