Slashers have been predominantly male, but a few of them through the years have been female and one could even say that more and more of them are female, a fun change in the sub-genre. Pearl is one example of the recent slasher resurgence on the big screen and she’s one killer lady! Looking back, before Pearl, who were the best female slashers in our eyes? Who had the best kills, the best reason behind her kills, and who was the mother of them all? Here are our top 5 best female slashers, based on preferences and impact on the genre.
Friday the 13th (1980): Pamela Voorhees
Pamela is the mother of the mother slasher killer, quite literally really. Her kills are memorable, including one through a mattress and Kevin Bacon. One of the best elements of Mother Voorhees is that Pamela is the killer in a film where most people think it’s Jason, her son, but no! She is the killer, out for revenge against those she sees as being responsible for the death of her beloved child. Jason doesn’t start killing until part 2 and is seen here as a child and in the jump scare ending. Pamela is a swift killer, one who isn’t afraid to get bloody, as well as quite brutal. She was the start of a mega-successful franchise, helped shape the sub-genre, and is to this day a surprise to unsuspecting first-time viewers. The fact that she looks like a sweet mom or grandma also has quite the chilling effect when she reveals herself. Betsy Palmer is fantastic in the part, having viewers believe she could be this unhinged. Those who have met her would agree, that was some great acting as the lady was one of the sweetest women working in the genre.
Curtains (1983): Patti O’Connor
A lesser-known slasher film, Curtains takes actresses auditioning for parts in a film, puts them in a remote location, in winter, and has them get killed one by one. The killer is none other than another aspiring actress who is also a comedian, looking for her big break. She’s desperate for that break you could say and will do anything she has to so that the competition does not get what she wants. The film here uses her in a great way and has some memorable kills, including one on a lake during an ice-skating session. Patti’s kills are interesting to watch and the settings add to the chill of the situation. Lynne Griffin is fantastic in the part, just the right amount of coldness, sweetness, and that little bit of insanity that grows as the film advances. Her performance sells this part and the film to this day.
Hello Mary Lou – Prom Night II (1987): Mary Lou Maloney
A revenge story, Hello Mary Lou aka Prom Night II aka The Haunting of Hamilton High, the film was not meant to be a sequel to Prom Night at first and attaching it to the original may have hurt its chances in terms of success. This one is on here because the film is just fun. It’s a bit of a mess at times, but it’s a fun mess. Mary Lou is a killer who’s a supernatural one, the only beyond the grave lady here and one who is out for revenge in brutal ways. She was killed when a revenge prank goes wrong and she’s not going to take it lying down by taking over the body of sweet high school girl Vicki. The performances by Lisa Schrage as Mary Lou and Wendy Lyon as Vicki Carpenter sell this one and really makes it a film that stands on its own two (or 2 times two) feet from the original Prom Night. A different title may have helped this one get the recognition it deserved back in the late 1980s. That being said, slasher fans have loved Hello Mary Lou since its release and new fans discover it regularly from random screenings, conventions, and older fans showing it to others.
May (2022): May Dove Canady
Let’s start with the obvious, May is not your typical slasher and many do not consider her to be one. However, from the number of kills, the creepy factor, how connected to its audience the film became, the story of revenge, but also much more, this film is a slasher in an understated way. May is a sweet girl who is looking to be accepted and loved. When what seemed normal to her in terms of her plan to make friends backfires, she retreats into her broken psyche and starts killing. She’s killing out of revenge, but also out of a need to make a friend, however that may be. In this Lucky McKee film, Angela Bettis shines as May and makes her much, much more than a simple slasher killer. She’s a human with emotions, someone who’s been bullied, someone looking for a connection.
The Stylist (2020): Claire
The Stylist follows a hairstylist named Claire as she scalps some of her clients to add their hair to her collection. Inspired in part by Texas Chain Saw Massacre and giallo films, this feature expends on the ideas in the incredibly strong and visually stunning 2016 short film of the same name. In both the short and the feature, Claire is played by Najarra Townsend who brings a chilling aspect to her character, making her someone, who like May, is looking for a connection with others, to bring warmth to her life. When things don’t go her way, she kills and collects the scalps of other women. The Stylist as a feature is well-written and directed, filled with style and beautiful images, and Najarra Townsend is a fantastic killer who is just the right amount of calculated and unhinged in one broken mind.
The slasher sub-genre is filled with fun and mayhem, and plenty of killers for all fans to find they love, so who’s your favorite female slasher killer? Who makes your horror heart happy?