The Frightening Feminine: “Good For Her” Horror Movies

Originally published on October 27, 2026. This article lists 10 horror films in which audiences celebrate a female lead’s often violent victory over her oppressors. Check out our Spooktacular event page for even more spooky news and fun!

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Horror movies are inherently violent. Often, much of that violence happens to women. They are the victims, or their mutilated bodies are simply set decorations. However, horror also allows women to fight back — often in grisly, gruesome ways. In these instances, we can’t help but cheer for her chilling accomplishments. We can’t help but say, “Good for her!”

In this case, then, “good for her” refers to films in which a female lead is the driving force who fights against her adversaries, often with morally ambiguous motivations or means to achieving her “happy” ending. This plot conclusion may not be satisfying or joyful. However, this violent victory does provide a necessary change to the woman’s life, one worth celebrating to some degree.

For the purposes of this article, we’re not using any “Final Girls” from slasher films. We love our Scream Queens, but essentially any/all of those survivors could be part of the “Good For Her” cinematic category. Instead, we want to highlight different characters within the horror genre. And before you ask, Midsommar (2019) also doesn’t appear, because getting indoctrinated into a cult isn’t our idea of a girl boss moment.

10 “Good For Her” Horror Movies:

• Eyes Without a Face
• Carrie
• The Shining
• Possession
• The Craft
• Stoker
• Jennifer’s Body
• Barbarian
• Companion
• Send Help

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Eyes Without a Face

• Release Year: 1960
• Director: Georges Franju
• Female Lead: Louise
• Played By: Alida Valli

It’s never good when daughters are at the mercies of their deranged fathers. When those fathers have medical or scientific skills and can isolate their daughters, things are even worse. Louise eventually frees herself from his experiments, though. Plus, her apathetic attitude about his brutal death is just what the narrative needs.

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Carrie

• Release Year: 1976
• Director: Brian De Palma
• Female Lead: Carrie White
• Played By: Sissy Spacek

Bullies prey on people who live on the fringes of society. However, bullies don’t expect those people to fight back. Carrie White’s final straw has a massive body count. When the whole school is in on her torment, her prom night massacre feels somewhat justified.

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The Shining

• Release Year: 1980
• Director: Stanley Kubrick
• Female Lead: Wendy Torrance
• Played By: Shelley Duvall

Wendy Torrance isn’t a butt-kicking badass. She spends a lot of The Shining running and hiding from her insane husband. That’s part of what makes her final escape so satisfying. And in the moments where she is able to confront him, you’re always rooting for her to knock him out. Or worse…

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Possession

• Release Year: 1981
• Director: Andrej Żuławski
• Female Lead: Anna / Helen
• Played By: Isabelle Adjani

Anna is one of the most compelling horror characters of all time. Her descent into madness is triggered by an alien antagonist, although she also spends a lot of the film fleeing a romance that no longer kindles her flame. The destruction that unfolds is a fascinating study of human nature and bodily autonomy.

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The Craft

• Release Year: 1996
• Director: Andrew Fleming
• Female Lead: Sarah
• Played By: Robin Tunney

Sarah begins the film as an insecure and quiet newcomer. Eventually, however, she comes into her power and breaks free of the constraints of both her friends and family. Of course, we also have to give a shout out to the other witches, all of whom deserve a “good for her” when it comes to berating high school boys.

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Jennifer’s Body

• Release Year: 2009
• Director: Karyn Kusama
• Female Lead: Jennifer Check
• Played By: Megan Fox

Jennifer Check’s peers, alongside strangers, constantly sexualize Jennifer. They think they know her. They want a version of her that exists solely for their own pleasure. But when she becomes a creature seeking only sustenance, she flips the script in the best way.

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Stoker

• Release Year: 2013
• Director: Park Chan-wook
• Female Lead: India Stoker
• Played By: Mia Wasikowska

Stoker is arguably a thriller, but there’s enough murder and mayhem to let it skew into the horror genre, too. Watching India grow up and discover her personality and inner strength is simply awesome. By the end of the film, she’s a force of nature we can all get behind.

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Barbarian

• Release Year: 2022
• Director: Zach Cregger
• Female Lead: Tess
• Played By: Georgina Campbell

Tess goes through absolute hell in Barbarian. And then, of course, the police don’t believe a Black woman’s bizarre story about female monsters kept prisoner in basements. That means Tess takes her survival — and revenge — into her own hands. Her final act of brutal mercy is a writing choice for the ages.

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Companion

• Release Year: 2025
• Director: Drew Hancock
• Female Lead: Iris
• Played By: Sophie Thatcher

Many girlfriends know the torture and trap of dating “a good guy.” Iris’ situation is even more dire, because she’s a robot designed specifically to be his ideal partner. The tricky thing about robots, though, is that they tend to go haywire. It’s an exciting and perfectly executed plot when Iris rebels against her programming.

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Send Help

• Release Year: 2026
• Director: Sam Raimi
• Female Lead: Linda Liddle
• Played By: Rachel McAdams

Send Help strands a meek and overlooked office worker with her insufferable white male boss. Throughout the film, his survival hinges on her care, yet he continues to treat Linda like trash. Well, Linda gets the last laugh! And she’s an inspiration to women everywhere when she reminds us it’s up to us to save ourselves.

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Which women of horror have had you saying “good for her”? Share these inspiring characters with other horror fans over at Sideshow Social Network or at side.show/geekgroup. Plus, check out Sideshow’s Spooktacular page for frightfully festive contests, giveaways, reveals, and more!

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