Meet the horror queens of the 21st century: the new 'Scream Queens'

The horror genre is experiencing one of its best moments in its time. The 21st century has continued (if not bettered!) the quality, expectation and enthusiasm of the previous year and it's not just down to the editing, storyline and direction...

Photo: A24

After almost a quarter of the current century, Jamie Lee Curtis, Neve Campbell (in the photo) and Janet Leigh can rest assured that their generational replacements are in top form. They are the queens of 21st century horror, the new ‘Scream Queens’.

Her haunting beauty, her talent and her undeniable attachment to the genre have made her the current undisputed queen of horror.

Photo: A24

'X', 'MaXXXine', 'Pearl', 'Suspiria', and 'A Cure for Wellness'  are some of her most outstanding performances.

Photo: A24

Obviously, if we're talking about ‘American Horror Story’, we have to talk about Sarah Paulson. Paulson appeared in the first 8 seasons of Ryan Murphy's anthology.

Photo: FX Network

And yes, the actress had other roles in the genre such as ‘Bird Box’ and ‘Glass’ but she truly shone and earned the title of 'queen of horror' for her role in ‘AHS’.

Photo: FX Network

She surprised all in the reboot of ‘Scream’ and Tara Carpenter, completing an all-rounded 2022 with a role in the acclaimed ‘X’.

Photo: A24

Now, if there is one role that's helped the rise of the actress, it is her role as Wednesday Addams in the Netflix series. If that wasn't enough, critics are also happy about her Astrid Deetz in ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’.

Photo: Netflix

She made a splash back in 2014 with the twisted ‘It Follows’ which, is already a cult film of the genre. This hit was followed by movies such as ‘Watcher’, another instant classic about a neighbour who watches out the window 24/7.

Photo: Neon

Now, it has taken 10 years for Maika Monroe to repeat her success and, with Lee Harker as ‘Longlegs’, she cemented her honour of eternal ‘Scream Queen’.

Photo: Neon

She was 18 when she got her first starring role and she nailed it. If you haven't seen her as Thomasin in ‘The Witch’, she is spectacular. Since then, she has returned to the horror genre several times, to the delight of her fans.

Photo: A24

From her appearance in Shyamalan's ‘Split’ trilogy, to Edgar Wright's stunning ‘Last Night in Soho’, to the indecipherable and shocking ‘The Menu’.

Photo: Universal Pictures

Her angelic appearance contrasts with the strength of her personality on screen. So much so that only one horror movie was enough to crown her as one of the ‘Scream Queens’ of the era: ‘Midsommar’.

Ari Aster's film saw Florence Pugh, arguably, at her best thanks to Dani, the character she plays. Her adaptability throughout the film is so broad that her last shot is already horror film history.

Photo: Netflix

Two films have allowed Lupita Nyong'o to prove that she is one of today's most versatile actresses. In ‘Little Monsters’, she shows us her more playful side as a kindergarten teacher who defends her pupils from a zombie attack.

Photo: Snoot Entertainment

Now, it is Jordan Peele who offers the creepiest version of the actress with ‘Us’, where Lupita Nyong'o has two roles, one of them so creepy that she doesn't even need to speak to be scary.

Photo: A24

She starred in the disturbing remake of ‘Let Me In’ and did a great job, although she had previously tinkered with the genre in ‘The Amityville Horror’.

Photo: Hammer Film Productions

Now, if there is one role that has turned her into a capital ‘Scream Queen’, it is the one she played in the reboot of ‘Carrie’, which Kimberly Pierce adapted beautifully for the 2013 release.

It would be disrespectful not to have Emma Roberts on a ‘Scream Queens’ list when she was the lead in a series called ‘Scream Queens’. Chanel Oberlin shined on screen aside everyone else.

Photo: Fox Broadcasting

Of course, you can also just look at any of the six seasons of ‘American Horror Story’ in which she has starred in, proving that Ryan Murphy has a special eye for young Hollywood talent. And horror.

Photo: FX Network

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