Final Girl Theory

The final girl theory is a common theory that is identifiable in horror films, particularly slasher horror films. This refers to a female character who survives the traumatic events and has a final showdown with the antagonist of the film before then surviving to tell the story. Carol Clover coined the theory and spoke about the main conventions as what would make a final girl:

• The final girl is a female
• She is a 'virgin' or she does not have sex in within the film
• Has morals and does not commit an vices i.e. drinking, smoking, taking drugs or having sex
• Intelligent and is often put down or dismissed by male or female characters
• Attractive and sometimes the damsel in distress
• Brunette as it shows her being ordinary whilst blonde females are known to be quite promiscuous
• Somehow manage to kill the killer or get away from the killer
• White
• Uses an object with phallic connotations and stabs the killer

Audiences, in particular females would be surprised and sympathise with the killer because she becomes the identity that females are better survivors. In addition the audience do not identify with the sadistic killer but identify with the victim. The audience become masochistic voyeurs and hail the female as the hero. Three examples of the final girl are as followed:

Black Christmas (1974): Jess Bradford is a female who lives in a sorority house. She is a common example of the final girl as she is a brunette who does not commit all the vices like smoking and drinking although she had sex with her boyfriend before the film events which results in her being pregnant. She wants an abortion because she wants to become her own person. In the end she manages to over power the 'killer' by bludgeoning him to death.

Nightmare On Elm Street (1984): Nancy Thompson is a female who also is a popular example of the final girl. She is a brunette and does not have sex with her boyfriend Glen. She at first is the damsel in distress before she then overpowers Freddy Krueger by burning him and diminishing his power to travel through nightmares.

Scream (1996): Sidney Prescott is a popular recent final girl and has been given the title Scream Queen which is an actress becoming notable for playing a survivor in a film. Sidney is highly intelligent and has morals although she also has sex within the film with her boyfriend, Billy Loomis who later turns out to be the killer along with Stu Macher. She manages to overpower and kill both killers.