Final Girls

Glass slippers and fairy-tale trauma abound in The Ugly Stepsister (2025), and this week we want to talk about it. This gruesome, pink cottagecore fever dream reimagines the story of Cinderella from the perspective of Elvira, the not-so-fair stepsister in a kingdom obsessed with perfection. In a world where beauty is currency, Elvira’s transformation arc is a brutal reminder of how far women are expected to go to be “enough.”

Spoiler warning: We’re spilling all the tea!

BUY SARAH'S BABY BOOKS!

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How's your head? Well, I haven't had any complaints so far! This week, let's worship at the altar of cleavage and camp with Elvira: Mistress of the Dark! Elvira may not be your traditional Final Girl, but make no mistake, she is horror’s ultimate Final Baddie. Armed with quick wit and zero tolerance for puritanical nonsense, she battles small-town hypocrisy and misogyny and slays while she does.

Elvira's Cookbook from Hell

Listen to The Hesh Files (Eric's podcast)

Listen to Dead Man's Mic podcast (about Halloween Horror Nights)

Spoiler warning: We’re opening the spellbook and the movie vault. You’ve been warned.

Theme by Max Anson

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We’re entering the twisted trap of Heretic (2024), a psychological survival thriller that pits two Mormon missionaries against a villain who tests their belief in God and themselves. We dig into what makes Sister Barnes and Sister Paxton unlikely Final Girls: their young and indoctrinated moral rigidity and eventual transformation from passive believers into active resistors. Plus: we unpack the film’s commentary on obedience and the dangers of not asking questions.

Spoiler warning: We’re going full Book of Revelations on this one: expect plot details.

Kellie’s 31 Days of Shudder Originals minisode

The Gift of Fear by Gavin de Becker

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Let's go allllll the way back to where the slashing started (Haddonfield, 1978) to honor the OG Final Girl, Laurie Strode. Played with brilliance by Jamie Lee Curtis, Laurie is smart and responsible… and unknowingly marked. As her friends get picked off one by one, Laurie arms herself with knitting needles and sheer willpower to face down the Boogeyman.

We dig into the birth of the Final Girl and why her survival still resonates nearly 50 years later.

Spoiler warning: We’re talking all things Halloween — expect major plot details!

Theme by Max Anson

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It's the Season of the Witch! For this minisode, Sarah is diving into her favorite fictional witches, both from horror and non-horror TV and film. Witches are far more than just magical beings who cast spells; they fight the patriarchy together and work tirelessly to create a better, more just world for all. Because if she's not using magic for the greater good, is she even a witch?

So grab your favorite magical potion or drink and get comfy, because we're about to summon some feminine power together!

Keep an eye out - Season Two starts very soon!

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It's finally October! Kellie is serving up a horror buffet straight from Shudder’s vault. In this minisode, she counts down 31 Shudder Originals from the past decade, one for every night of the spookiest month of the year. Consider this your guide to streaming survival for the season. Grab your popcorn and stay spooky!

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In our inaugural Final Cats minisode, our claws are out for one of horror’s most beloved survivors: Jonesy, the orange tabby who prowls the Nostromo in Alien. While Ripley faces down the perfect organism, Jonesy earns his own place in Final Cat history by keeping calm in the face of interstellar terror. From his iconic hisses at the Xenomorph to his safe ride home in the escape pod, we unpack how Jonesy embodies survival, luck, and pure feline vibes.

Join us as we purr over his legendary status and celebrate the fluffiest member of the Alien franchise. Spoilers ahead for Alien (1979).

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Scream Things, prepare to sharpen your knives and grab your flashlights, because Final Girls is gearing up for Season Two just in time for spooky season! We're taking a few weeks to enjoy our favorite time of year with friends and family (and, of course, eat/drink all things pumpkin-flavored.) Dropping right before Halloween, our brand-new season of iconic Final Girls will come with fresh frights and plenty of blood-soaked analysis. Until then, stay spooky!

xoxo

Sarah and Kellie

Let's go deep into Isla Nublar to celebrate one of the most iconic women in sci-fi horror: Dr. Ellie Sattler. Played by Laura Dern, Ellie is a paleobotanist and major force who critiques patriarchal hubris and rescues the boys when things go sideways.

We dig into the gender politics of Jurassic Park, including how Ellie’s intelligence and assertiveness challenge the male egos around her. We also talk about how the film’s all-female dinosaurs mirror the themes of control and reproduction.

Spoiler warning: This episode contains spoilers for Jurassic Park!

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This week, we’re spotlighting the one and only Emerald Haywood from Jordan Peele’s Nope (2022) — a Final Girl who rides in late and never lets go of the spotlight. As Hollywood’s skies darken with something sinister, Em becomes the beating heart of a story about spectacle and sibling solidarity.

Spoiler warning: This episode contains major plot spoilers!

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