Final Girls

It's finally October! Kellie is serving up a horror buffet straight from Shudder’s vault. In this minisode, she counts down 31 Shudder Originals from the past decade, one for every night of the spookiest month of the year. Consider this your guide to streaming survival for the season. Grab your popcorn and stay spooky!Visit us at final-girls.com.

In our inaugural Final Cats minisode, our claws are out for one of horror’s most beloved survivors: Jonesy, the orange tabby who prowls the Nostromo in Alien. While Ripley faces down the perfect organism, Jonesy earns his own place in Final Cat history by keeping calm in the face of interstellar terror. From his iconic hisses at the Xenomorph to his safe ride home in the escape pod, we unpack how Jonesy embodies survival, luck, and pure feline vibes.Join us as we purr over his legendary status and celebrate the fluffiest member of the Alien franchise. Spoilers ahead for Alien (1979).Want more? Visit us at final-girls.com

Scream Things, prepare to sharpen your knives and grab your flashlights, because Final Girls is gearing up for Season Two just in time for spooky season! We're taking a few weeks to enjoy our favorite time of year with friends and family (and, of course, eat/drink all things pumpkin-flavored.) Dropping right before Halloween, our brand-new season of iconic Final Girls will come with fresh frights and plenty of blood-soaked analysis. Until then, stay spooky!xoxoSarah and Kellie

This week, we’re heading to Isla Nublar to celebrate one of the most iconic women in sci-fi horror: Dr. Ellie Sattler. Played by Laura Dern, Ellie is more than just a paleobotanist, she’s a feminist force who critiques patriarchal hubris, outruns velociraptors, and rescues the boys when things go sideways.We dig into the gender politics of Jurassic Park, including how Ellie’s intelligence and assertiveness challenge the male egos around her. We also talk about how the film’s all-female dinosaurs mirror the themes of control, reproduction, and nature fighting back, and how Ellie holds her own in a narrative obsessed with male legacy.Spoiler warning: This episode contains spoilers for Jurassic Park, chaos theory tangents, and a whole lot of respect for women who know their way around a T-Rex paddock.Theme by Max AnsonVisit us at www.final-girls.com

This week, we’re spotlighting the one and only Emerald Haywood from Jordan Peele’s Nope (2022) — a Final Girl who rides in late, steals the scene, and never lets go of the spotlight. As Hollywood’s skies darken with something sinister, Em becomes the beating heart of a story about spectacle, survival, and sibling solidarity. We break down how Emerald flips expectations as a Final Girl: vibrant, flawed, funny, and fearless. We dig into the film’s themes of exploitation, visibility, and legacy. Emerald isn’t trying to be your hero; she’s trying to get the shot.Spoiler warning: This episode contains major plot spoilers, alien theories, and Oprah shots.🎵 Theme by Max Anson 💻 Visit us at www.final-girls.com

She came to detox. The forest had other plans. In Fede Álvarez’s brutal 2013 reimagining of Evil Dead, Mia isn’t just fighting addiction, she’s fighting off ancient demons and the literal fires of hell. This week, we’re joined by two incredible guests and friends, Matt from Getting Offed and Katie from ShElite Showcase, to dig into Mia’s Final Girl arc and all the blood-soaked symbolism it unleashes.We dissect how Mia’s journey flips the possession trope on its head, reframes addiction through a horror lens, and leads to one of the most cathartic rebirths we’ve ever seen on screen (chainsaw included). Plus: how her arc does/does not echo Ash’s, why the gore works as metaphor, and survival lessons we definitely hope we never need to use.Spoiler warning: This episode is raining blood and spoilers.Getting Offed: Youtube Instagram BlueskyShElite Showcase: Youtube Instagram You can watch our guest appearances hereTheme by Max AnsonVisit us at www.final-girls.com

In Dangerous Animals (2025), Zephyr is a closed-off American surfer chasing freedom on the open Australian water, but when a shark diving boat operator picks her as his prey, she has to battle something far more sinister than what’s lurking beneath the surface. This week, we dive into Zephyr’s Final Girl arc from self-contained loner to reluctant warrior, and we unpack how the film delivers one of the most feral third-act fights and transformations we’ve seen in a long time. Spoiler warning: This episode contains spoilers, gory details, and oceanic food-chain dread.Theme by Max AnsonVisit us at www.final-girls.com

This week, we're heading to Bodega Bay to talk about The Birds (1963) and our sharp-tongued, fur-coat-wearing Final Girl, Melanie Daniels. What begins as a flirty little prank quickly turns Hitchcockian nightmare when birds begin attacking violently, relentlessly, and without explanation. We dig into the gender politics of Melanie’s transformation from socialite to survivor, the icy dynamics between the women in Mitch’s life, and how the film weaponizes nature and femininity in equal measure. Is it horror? Is it camp? Is it a cautionary tale about chasing a man? Either way, Melanie earns her spot in the Final Girl canon.Spoiler warning: We’re spoiling the plot, the pecking, and the psychological warfare. You've been warned.BUY SARAH'S BABY BOOKS! www.oddbirdbooks.co Theme by Max AnsonVisit us at www.final-girls.com

Your parents always said they brought you into this world… and in this one, they’re ready to take you out. This week, we’re unraveling the unhinged chaos of Mom and Dad (2017) and spotlighting Carly, our Gen Z Final Girl who’s just trying to survive a sudden epidemic turning parents into murderers. (And yes, that includes her own.) We dig into the film’s wild tonal shifts and what it says about generational tension and parental rage. With Nicolas Cage and Selma Blair going full feral, Carly has to outsmart, outrun, and outlast the two people who supposedly love her most. Spoiler warning: This episode contains spoilers, screams, and one very deranged use of a sledgehammer.Theme by Max AnsonVisit us at www.final-girls.com

They picked the wrong girl. This week, we’re heading into the blood-soaked battlefield of The Hunt (2020) to talk about Crystal, arguably one of the coolest, calmest, and most calculated Final Girls we’ve ever seen. Crystal doesn’t scream or run. She barely even blinks. And yet, she delivers one of the most cathartic, quietly feminist takedowns in recent horror history. We unpack the film’s satire of class warfare and political extremism and Crystal’s refusal to play that game. Spoiler warning: If you haven’t seen The Hunt, you might want to pause here and go watch, because we’re spilling blood and secrets.Theme by Max AnsonVisit us at www.final-girls.com

When your house is haunted, but so is your marriage. This week we’re talking about Claire Spencer from What Lies Beneath (2000), the gaslit, ghost-seeing housewife who learns the call is coming from inside her relationship. We get into Claire’s eerie Final Girl arc and why trusting your gut might be the most dangerous thing you can do when your husband’s hiding skeletons in more places than one. We also dive into the film’s Hitchcockian vibes if Hitchcock ever went full ghost story, and why this supernatural thriller taps into gothic horror, gaslighting, and the terror of not being believed. Spoiler Warning: If you haven’t seen What Lies Beneath, go watch it before you take a bath.Theme by Max AnsonVisit us at www.final-girls.com

LIVE FROM GHOULIECON! ✨ We’re lost in the woods with Heather Donahue from The Blair Witch Project (1999), the chaotic queen of found footage and one of the most debated Final Girls in horror history. Is she a control freak? A victim of misogyny? Or just the only one trying to not die in the woods? We recorded this episode LIVE in front of an audience at GhoulieCon on July 20, and it was an extra special one because our Scream Things picked Heather as our Final Girl for this episode. Spoiler Warning: If you don’t know how this one ends, bless your VHS-deprived heart.Theme by Max Anson💻 Visit us at www.final-girls.com

They still know what you did and we still don’t know why this movie exists. This week, we’re talking about Julie & Karla from I Still Know What You Did Last Summer, aka the sequel that proves not every Final Girl deserves a follow-up. We hated this movie (not even in a fun way), but trust: it made for one of our most chaotic, laugh-out-loud episodes yet. We get into the offensively fake voodoo plotline, the zero chemistry friendship, the paper-thin plot, and why this movie aged like milk. Plus: our bafflement over White Guy Rasta Jack Black, and how this movie somehow manages to be offensive, boring, and so dumb while trying to be deadly serious.Spoiler Warning: If you’ve seen it, you know. If you haven’t… you’re probably fine.Theme by Max Anson

Julie James (Jennifer Love Hewitt) goes from small-town golden girl to haunted survivor in I Know What You Did Last Summer, a film that asks: what if your worst mistake came back with a hook? This week, we unravel Julie’s guilt, paranoia, and transformation from trembling honor student to one of the most iconic Final Girls of the late ’90s. We talk about the wave of post-Scream slashers, Y2K fashion, that iconic screaming-in-the-street scene, and why this movie is pure seaside teen trauma.Spoiler Warning: This episode contains major spoilers for I Know What You Did Last Summer and the sequel that… maybe we all kinda forgot?Theme by Max AnsonVisit us at www.final-girls.comIf you’re loving the pod, leave us a rating or review—no secrets, just support.

For Final Girls' 4th of July episode, we're diving into a character who isn't just a survivor; she’s a force. In The Purge: Election Year (2016), Elizabeth Mitchell’s Senator Charlie Roan transforms personal trauma (watching her family murdered during a Purge) into a fierce political campaign to abolish the ritual once and for all. This week, we discuss Senator Roan's Final Girl energy, whose platform puts her directly in danger. We also ponder whether she's really the star of this movie, and if Frank Grillo is a Final Daddy.Spoiler Warning: This episode contains The Purge: Election Year spoilers, political violence, and a pulse-pounding fight for democracy.If you’re loving Final Girls, drop us a rating or review—it helps more resistance-loving scream queens find the show before the next Purge night.Theme by Max AnsonVisit us at www.final-girls.com

Tammy may not be the most famous Final Girl, but in 28 Weeks Later (2007), she’s sprinting for her life through one of the bleakest apocalypses ever put on screen. This week, we delve into Tammy’s fight to survive the Rage Virus outbreak, her dual roles as both caretaker and survivor, and her remarkably concise Final Girl arc in the final ten minutes.Spoiler Warning: The infection spreads fast, and so do the 28 Weeks Later spoilers. Proceed at your own risk.If you're loving Final Girls, leave us a rating or review—it helps more horror fans find the pod before the next outbreak hits.Theme by Max AnsonVisit us at www.final-girls.com

Sometimes healing means burning it all down. For our summer Solstice episode, we’re not going it alone. This is our very first episode with guests, and we couldn’t be more excited to welcome our friends Cory and Rossa from Broomsticks and Bloodshed to the pod! Together, we step into the sun-drenched nightmare of Midsommar (2019), where grief blooms into ritual and heartbreak transforms into something far more powerful.We unpack Dani’s earthy catharsis, the film’s lush, unsettling symbolism, and how creepy cult aesthetics make Midsommar one of the most haunting (and unfinished) modern Final Girl arcs.Broomsticks and Bloodshed’s InstagramBroomsticks and Bloodshed’s BlueskyBroomsticks and Bloodshed’s Rosemary’s Baby episodeOur Rosemary’s Baby episodeSpoiler Warning: The flowers are blooming, the fires are burning, and the Midsommar spoilers are plentiful.If you’re loving Final Girls, leave us a rating or review, it helps more witches find the coven.Theme by Max AnsonVisit us at www.final-girls.com

Jen starts Revenge (2017) as the sexy, sidelined girlfriend, only to rise reborn in blood as one of the most viscerally unhinged Final Girls of the last decade. This week, we delve into the Final Girl journey in Coralie Fargeat’s neon-drenched takedown of the male gaze, Jen’s brutal transformation from victim to avenger, and why this film is a must-watch for fans of rage, resilience, and very creative use of a beer can.We’re talking trauma, body horror, and full-throttle survival in the desert—with enough symbolism and guts to keep your head spinning and your stomach clenched.CONTENT NOTE: We discuss a scene of SA from the film.Link to No Bodies’ Good 4 Her: Femme Revenge Films Part 1Link to No Bodies’ Good 4 Her: Femme Revenge Films Part 2Unfortunately, the app we referred to is no longer available, but you can find a similar one here.Spoiler Warning: This episode contains Revenge spoilers, graphic content, and one awesome Phoenix.If you’re loving Final Girls, leave us a rating or review—it helps more rage-filled angels find the pod.Theme by Max AnsonVisit us at www.final-girls.com

SARAH'S BIRTHDAY EPISODE! New girl Sarah Bailey is giving peak 90s witchcore: plaid skirts, trauma, magical powers, and a deep desire to belong. But once she finds her coven, things go from light-as-a-feather to dark-as-hell. This week on Final Girls, we revisit the iconic teen witch masterpiece that made every girl want to call the corners. We explore Sarah’s natural witch power, her refusal to be manipulated, and how The Craft captured the messy magic of sisterhood, light and dark magic, and goth rebellion.Spoiler Warning: There’s magic in these spoilers—handle with care.If you’re loving Final Girls, leave us a rating or review—it helps more weirdos in black lipstick find their way home.Theme by Max Anson Visit us at www.final-girls.com

Undercover cop Judith Gray walks into a poorly planned illegal arms sting in Demonic Toys (1992) and ends up trapped in a possessed toy warehouse with a demon fetus, a satanic prophecy, and a bunch of pint-sized murder machines. This week, we salute the cheesy, bonkers brilliance of Demonic Toys and the sadly ineffective badassery of our Final Girl, who fights her way through it with a gun in one hand and a grudge in the other.Spoiler Warning: This episode is crawling with Demonic Toys spoilers, demon babies, and cursed plushies. Proceed accordingly.If you’re loving Final Girls, leave us a rating or review—it helps more horror fans find us in the dark back rooms of horror history.Theme by Max AnsonVisit us at www.final-girls.com