Scream Queens We’ve Rooted for Over the Years

With the topic of Halloween on the tip of our tongues comes the thought of some of our favorite horror movies of all time and the ones we find unbearable to watch. Regardless, we can't quite get through a film without feeling some empathy for the inevitable "scream queen" that is cast in almost every horror flick imagined. These lovely ladies and damsels in distress are protagonists whose sole purpose is to ward off their demonic antagonist counterparts. Then there are the scream queens who make their way to the film through their level of paranormal expertise. WHO DO YOU BELIEVE ARE THE ULTIMATE SCREAM QUEENS IN HORROR FILMS? In researching select sites online and just by memory, it's certain that many scream queens have significantly impacted our psyches.

So to pay homage, here's a look at the top 5 scream queens on my list with the help of CBR & Cinema Screen online. I look forward to seeing your choices, as well, in our comment section. Okay, so coming in at #5 is actress Neve Campbell, best known for her role as Sydney Prescott in the popular Scream sequels. Campbell is notably the golden girl scream queen of the 90s and made it back to the silver screen opposite David Arquette for the 2022 Scream sequel. That's the setup, though, right? Scream queens all have an innocent persona early on in a ghastly film, a pattern that helps later to reveal their scream queen bad *ss side.

In the #4 slot is the godmother of horror, Lin Shaye. Shaye began her journey in minor roles for the 80s Wes Craven franchise A Nightmare On Elm Street. By 2001, she starred as Granny Boone in Maniacs, Faith Matheson in The Grudge, and Edith Cranston in The Call. Of course, she could play it either way, and she did just that later in her career as a psychic medium in Insidious, but then as a comedic actress in Dumb and Dumber, King Pin and There's Something About Mary, to name a few.

Making her way to #3 on the scream queen list is Heather Langenkamp. Langenkamp is considered the "final girl" blueprint for slasher films because of one particular franchise of horror movies that dominated the 80s, as mentioned above. Starring as Nancy Thompson in Nightmare on Elm Street, opposite the young and upcoming actor Johnny Depp, she tolerated the ever-so-irritating Freddie Krueger like a bad habit.

Moving onto #2 and top on the list of scream queens is the multi-faceted actress Jamie Lee Curtis! She did have a little help on the way, though. Her mother is scream queen extraordinaire Janet Leigh, a shining example of a cult classic victim who is next on the list! As for Jamie, she made it big when she first played Laurie Strode in the Halloween franchise. She's been playing that role in sequels to Halloween for over 45 years. A similar trait that scream queens have is that they all must deal with narcissistic killers who are complete thorns in their side. Curtis' thorn is undoubtedly Michael Myers, who can be such a knife-wielding drag.

So, that brings us to the #1 scream queen of the horror entertainment world. Ladies and gentlemen, a round of applause and a knife to the chest for actress Janet Leigh, please! Leigh is a great actress and a class act in how she portrayed the character Marion Crane in the 1960 film, Psycho. The dreaded shower scene alone in Psycho (played by Anthony Perkins) has made Leigh the top scream queen she continues to be today. Leigh also had scream queen roles in John Carpenter's The Fog and Halloween: H20, featuring fellow scream queen and daughter Jamie Lee!

Many other actresses deserve scream queen credentials, including Naomi Watts (The Ring, The Gathering), Florence Pugh (Midsommar), Toni Collette (The Conjuring), Tippi Hedron (The Birds), Shelley Duvall (The Shining), and more. WHO ARE YOUR CHOICES FOR BEST SCREAM QUEENS? Please comment on our website or facebook page.

(Viewer discretion advised. Video footage is not intended for young audiences)

(Viewer discretion is advised. Video footage is not intended for young audiences)