In any genre, there are sure to be recurring plot elements or tropes that you start to notice over a wide spread of stories. Horror movies are no exception, with entire franchises (“Scream” and “Scary Movie”) built on lampooning traditions such as shocking opening kills, red herring murder suspects and the rule of never saying “I’ll be right back,” because you won’t be. Less of a narrative device, but still a genre-defining convention for horror is the notion of a “scream queen.”
A scream queen is an actress known for being in horror movies, whether as a victim, monster, side character or any other role. Acting in enough horror will earn you the crown. The classic examples of this status fall on three luminaries: Jamie Lee Curtis from “Halloween,” Heather Langenkamp from “Nightmare on Elm Street” and Linda Blair from “The Exorcist.” All three starred as iconic characters in their central films, and went on to star in sequels to these originals as well as further, unrelated horror movies. Moving on from these classic ’70s and ’80s stars, the ’90s brought us Neve Campbell’s turn as Sydney Prescott in “Scream,” directed by genre veteran Wes Craven, where he chose to parody elements of the genre by making the characters aware of the genre conventions. Sydney grows throughout the series of films, earning and embracing the title of “survivor,” and also influencing new generations, much like Campbell does as the star of these films. Sarah Michelle Gellar also emerged as a new scream queen during this decade, with her roles in “Scream 2,” “I Know What You Did Last Summer” and “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” making her a horror and cultural icon. While debatable in regards to a horror classification, her time in the live-action Scooby-Doo movies would not be as comedic if her horror background was less prolific.
This history leads to an interesting question: who are the modern scream queens? I posit, much like I did with former eras, that there’s a group of prominent actresses worthy of the shared crown.
Jenna Ortega started out on the Disney Channel sitcom “Stuck in the Middle.” Prior to this, however, she had a role in the “Insidious” film franchise, featuring in “Insidious 2.” Her more recent horror career, though, started with the 2020 Netflix film “Babysitter: Killer Queen,” a movie I have watched and of which I can confidently say she is one of the stronger elements, even if that is a low bar. In 2022, she starred in four films, all of which were horror. The two stand-outs among these are the revival of the “Scream” franchise and the film “X,” which both feature Ortega as one of an ensemble of central characters. Her continued success has seen her portray the horror-adjacent Wednesday Addams in the Netflix series named after the character, and continued franchise success with “Scream” and an appearance in “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.”
Standing next to Ortega is Melissa Barrera, her “Scream” co-star and character’s sister. Barrera is the beating heart of the new “Scream” films, serving as the clear protagonist of “Scream” (2022) and “Scream VI,” as well as the 2024 film “Abigail,” directed by the helmers of the “Scream” revival films. Her characters subvert the typical horror-star expectations, being more likely to greet the villain with a punch than a scream.
Another crossover, Barrera’s “Abigail” co-star Kathryn Newton is without a doubt a rising name in the horror industry. Known for roles in “Freaky,” “Lisa Frankenstein,” “Paranormal Activity 4” and the TV series “Supernatural,” Newton has featured in a number of memorable horror films from recent years.
Lastly, one of the strongest contenders for the title of “definitive" modern scream queen is Australian actress Samara Weaving. Her list of horror credits ranges from mainstream hits such as starring roles in “The Babysitter” series and “Ready or Not” to more obscure fare such as “Azrael” and “Mayhem.” While Jenna Ortega and Melissa Barrera lead the “Scream” series, the coveted opening death sequence is the true indicator that you’ve “made it,” and the most recent of these iconic openings featured none other than Weaving herself.
Though all four are iconic horror actresses in their own right, only the future can tell who will go down as the definitive scream queen of our era. If you’re a horror fan, it would be no mistake keeping an eye on the careers of Jenna Ortega, Melissa Barrera, Kathryn Newton and Samara Weaving — their collective track records make that argument for me.
