10 Scariest Horror Movies With A Female Lead

From orchestrating a complex revenge plot using supernatural objects to protecting their children from unseen threats, here are the best horror movies with female protagonists you shouldn’t miss.

10

Oddity

2024

A fairly recent release worth watching, Irish horror flick Oddity tastefully blends tension, drama and unexpected spooks that’ll have you gripping the edge of your seat. At its core, the film is a story of betrayal and revenge, as well as driving the theme of sisterhood.

The film starts with the gory murder of Dani in her home, before fast-forwarding a year later, when her twin sister Darci is determined to discover who is responsible. Darci is a collector and seller of haunted objects and visits the home of Dani’s husband with a particularly interesting package. Oddity turns the tables on the haunted object trope, instead having the supernatural aspect side with the protagonist rather than against her.

9

Ready Or Not

2019

Ready or Not is a 2019 survival horror that depicts a cat-and-mouse chase with very light elements of the supernatural. However, the horror element comes from the terrible actions of the Le Domas family and the justifications they have for going through with it, as well as the tension and unease that comes from whether the protagonist, Grace, will get captured and killed.

Grace marries into the wealthy Le Domas family and participates in a traditional family game played every time someone marries into the family. Unfortunately, Grace draws the Ready or Not card and, as a result, has to be hunted down and killed. Grace doesn’t take it seriously at first, but soon does, and finds her faith in her new husband tested as the night goes on. Unlike most films with a similar plot, both Grace and the Le Domas family appear to be fumbling around in their attempts to survive, which is realistic for characters who aren’t used to killing.

8

The Invisible Man

2020

Based on the H.G. Wells story of the same name, The Invisible Man is everything you’d expect (and more) from the stalker trope. The film stars Elisabeth Moss as the main character in this thrill-inducing, nail-biting horror with not a single ghost in sight.

The film follows Cecilia, who escapes from her toxic relationship with a wealthy businessman named Adrian. She receives news that he’s committed suicide, but suspects that he’s still alive and uses his expertise to create a suit that renders him invisible. Cecilia is driven to catch him in the act and prove to the authorities Adrian’s guilt.

7

Under The Shadow

2016

International horror films have been keeping pace with Hollywood productions, even outdoing them, and the Persian film Under the Shadow is a shining example. Set in the 1980s, Under the Shadow weaves its horror elements by taking inspiration from traditional folklore, as well as helping set the atmosphere for a suspense-driven horror survival.

The movie takes place in a war-ravaged Tehran during the height of the Iran-Iraq War, with protagonist Shideh left alone with her daughter Dorsa after her husband is called away to serve on the front lines. Amid the bombs dropping around her, Shideh tries to live a normal life, but paranormal occurrences intensify as soon as her neighbours all flee to the capital to find safety elsewhere. Shideh displays the desperation of not only protecting her daughter from the war outside but also shielding Dorsa from the sinister spectre haunting their flat.

6

Incantation

2022

Incantation was a viral sensation when it first dropped, a Taiwanese found-footage horror film inspired by a real-life case of family hysteria and murder. The story in Incantation centres on Li Ronan, a mother who had to put her daughter in foster care due to having to recover in a mental health facility after a dark, traumatic event that resulted in the death of her lover.

Done in a non-linear format with heavy Buddhist influences, Ronan is essentially trying to get rid of a curse that latched onto her daughter due to a mistake she made years ago. The film uses sequences of hypnotic chants throughout the film to drive in both the creepiness and the curse aspect, as well as putting together a cohesive, solid storyline that isn’t revealed until the end and keeps you glued to your seat.

5

Ring

1998

One of the most iconic and well-known Japanese horror films ever made, 1998’s Ring kickstarted a successful franchise that saw Hollywood trying their own hand in a string of remakes and revivals. The film uses the ‘cursed object’ trope and effectively creates a spooky atmosphere and an intriguing enough story about its iconic spectre, Sadako.

The main character, Reiko, is put on the trail of a cursed videotape after her niece, Tomoko, and several of her friends are killed after watching it. Reiko watches the tape herself and, with the help of her ex-husband, tries to discover the origins of the tape and break the curse, especially after Reiko’s son ends up watching it as well.

4

The Witch

2015

A movie made to rattle your nerves, Robert Eggers’ The Witch is an eerie supernatural horror set in America in the 1600s, when the hysteria against witches was rife. Starring Anya Taylor-Joy as the teenage Thomasin, the film explores the family’s degenerating mental states, as well as the influence of religion in causing their increasing paranoia.

The story follows Thomasin’s family, exiled from their community, and eking out a hard living alone in the forest. Not long after their move, tragedy strikes the family as their youngest member is killed by a witch. Impoverished and on the brink of starvation, the family begins to blame all their never-ending misfortunes on Thomasin as the family relationships break down and distrust sets in, while the witch at their doorstep ramps up the antics that lead up to the conclusion.

3

Carrie

1976

Alongside The Shining, Carrie is arguably one of the best adaptations of Stephen King’s works. Carrie tells the story of a teenage girl who experiences oppression both within and outside her home, with Sissy Spacek and Piper Laurie giving brilliant performances as Carrie and her overly religious and manic mother, Margaret, respectively.

From the outset, the victimised Carrie is established as a tragic and pitiable figure we can easily sympathise with. She finds no comfort from her abusive mother and the bullies at school, but even when some are kind to her, she immediately second-guesses their intentions. Her repressed telepathic abilities were unleashed during the iconic prom scene, taking out her anger on everyone around her in one of the saddest horror dramas in King’s repertoire.

2

A Tale Of Two Sisters

2003

A classic South Korean psychological horror, A Tale of Two Sisters puts a dysfunctional, grieving family at the heart of its story. The plot is told through Su-mi’s perspective, who returns to the family home after a stint in a psychiatric facility. She reunites with her sister, Su-yeon, and is determined to protect her from her stepmother’s cruelty.

The movie does a great job of misdirecting you, as you receive hints that Su-mi’s state of mind is not entirely healed, and you begin to question if what Su-mi is seeing is even real or just a reflection of what she feels. However, there are also hints that the apparitions haunting the house are a reality, as well as a reveal that’s totally unexpected and utterly harrowing.

1

The Others

2001

An underrated, yet excellent film from start to finish, The Others is the quintessential ghost story that puts Nicole Kidman in the lead role. Set not long after the end of World War II, Kidman portrays the main character, Grace, a stressed and very religious mother who is left responsible for raising her two children, Anne and Nicholas, after her husband failed to return from the war.

Since the two children are extremely sensitive to sunlight, the manor is kept dark at all times, which helps set the eerie atmosphere of the film. Grace hires three new servants on the spot, claiming that her previous employees had disappeared. Although Grace and her children begin having paranormal experiences, there are clues in both the dialogue and the environment that point to a darker reality, and a twist ending that’s guaranteed to send shivers down your spine.