Celebrating Women’s History Month (US) doesn’t need to solely focus on the same topics for the entire month. Plenty of us understand the layers regarding intersectional feminism, being marginalized in unsafe spaces, and how trans women are constantly under attack in our current climate. Therefore, it’s alright to also focus on representation in media, including horror. There are endless conversations surrounding women in horror, including the villains, and these characters can't be disregarded just because of their antagonistic status.
Discussing scream queens or the final girl trope is always important to do. Though, there’s always room for discussions regarding women being villains and why a lot of people gravitate towards them. And thus enter this list which celebrates some of the antagonist or villainous women in horror who are more on the underrated side. If you know all of these individuals then kudos to you for being that type of horror fan.
Julia Cotton (Hellraiser, 1987; Hellbound: Hellraiser II, 1988)
Yes, she was indeed mentioned as a horror hottie in a previous list, but Julia Cotton (Clare Higgins) also counts as an underrated woman in horror. Julia is one of those characters that people don’t think about immediately when people say Hellraiser — even though she has an impressive character trajectory across the first two movies. She's unapologetically villainous as soon as she comes into her own. More love for Julia is desperately needed across the fandom altogether.
Ruby (Supernatural, 2005-2020)
There are countless villains in the Supernatural universe, and Ruby (played by Katie Cassidy in season 3 and Genevieve Cortese in season 4) is one that doesn’t get as much shine as she should. Throughout her time as a character on the show, it’s clear that she’s keeping secrets and has a hidden agenda. And ultimately her character is able to pull off some sinister plans that cause so many issues moving forward. As far as villains in the SPN universe go, she deserves a lot more appreciation for being crafty, badass, and one of the best antagonists in the earlier seasons of Supernatural.
Lola Stone (The Loved Ones, 2009)
Aussie horror isn’t known to hold back, therefore Lola (Robin McLeavy) doesn’t in The Loved Ones. As far as Australian horror movie villains go, Lola isn’t one to mess with whatsoever. She doesn’t appear to be threatening, which only makes what she ends up doing throughout the film even more chaotic and demented. There’s nothing to redeem about her, but that’s part of what makes her character very memorable. Therefore, she should be getting a little bit more appreciation than she does.
Bedelia Du Maurier (Hannibal, 2013-2015)
Hannibal is by far one of the best horror series of all time, and Bedelia (Gillian Anderson) is quite the antagonist throughout. Bedelia’s character is mysterious, manipulative, and she speaks in such a way that would either leave you confused, drawn in, or both. Throughout the series, she’s able to pull a fast one on numerous people. And while the show isn’t about her, she does maintain an importance from the moment we first meet her until the series (crossing our fingers forever for a Season 4) finale.
Sadie and McKayla (Tragedy Girls, 2017)
Teen girls who are budding serial killers in horror is always an intriguing time, isn’t it? Sadie (Brianna Hildebrand) and McKayla (Alexandra Shipp) are extremely obsessed with becoming social media famous, only they need to kill some people to help make that happen. Between their relationship being very queer coded, on top of their motivations to kill in the first place, they are an incredibly unique killer duo. Considering Tragedy Girls isn’t a super well-known horror comedy, they have been lost as far as being recognized all that much. Quite frankly, that's a shame.
Jen Rijkers (Slasher: Solstice, 2019)
The Slasher anthology series is by far one of the most underrated horror TV series out there, and thus that’s why many people don’t know who Jen Rijkers (Mercedes Morris) is. In Slasher: Solstice (the third season of the series) we get to know quite a bit about Jen, and it’s interesting to see Black girls be allowed to embody rage and unhinged energy. We don’t always see that in horror; usually it’s white women and girls who are allowed that, so she’s a flip on what people are used to. If only more people were aware of the series or gave Canadian horror shows a chance more often, then they’d know who she is and maybe would appreciate her.
Rose the Hat (Doctor Sleep, 2019)
There’s no arguing that Rose the Hat (Rebecca Ferguson) is an incredibly terrifying villain in the very polarizing Doctor Sleep. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea as a sequel to The Shining, but Rose the Hat brings a level of scariness that aids to the vibes. Her villainous nature, abilities, and unapologetic attitude towards killing children really hammers home how she’s comfortable in her villainy. Instead of trying to tug at our heartstrings, she rips them in half numerous times throughout Doctor Sleep, and yet she remains one of the more underrated villains across Stephen King’s film adaptations.
Christina Braithwaite (Lovecraft Country, 2020)
Antagonistic characters like Christina (Abbey Lee) are incredibly important for a number of reasons, especially one who uses her whiteness as a weapon. There’s no shame in liking or appreciating Christina’s character because of the antagonistic force she is. She does a lot of manipulation, plays a lot of games with her magic, has an extremely complicated dynamic with Ruby (Wumni Mosaku), and she’s absolutely a representation of white feminism. Despite how the show wasn’t solely about her, she still brought quite a bit to the table. Ultimately, Christina’s brand of villainy is effective and isn’t discussed so much these days.
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