What To Watch
Root for These 9 Final Girls This Halloween
Scream queens abound in these spine-tingling horror films.
By Tudum Staff
Oct. 12, 2026
Final Girl Horror Movies: Stream These Scary Movies on Netflix Now - Netflix Tudum
While the killer in a horror film has all the advantages — a head start, a desperate need for revenge, and deadly motives — the final girl, aka the last surviving woman in a scary movie, has something better: the will to survive. She’s resourceful, resilient, and impossible to count out. Whether she’s a surfer stranded just offshore with a shark circling, a college student living the worst birthday of her life on repeat, or a psychiatrist who wakes up as a patient in her own hospital, the final girl thinks fast, fights hard, and keeps us glued to the screen. Get ready to cheer for the last one standing with the following films, streaming on Netflix now. Ladies and gentlemen, her:
The Shallows
Grieving the loss of her mother, Nancy (Blake Lively) heads to a secluded beach for some solo surfing and a little peace. Unfortunately, she’s not alone in the water. Stranded on a rock a short swim from shore, with the tide rising and a great white shark circling, Nancy has to rely on every bit of her grit and know-how to make it home. Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra (Orphan), the 2016 thriller also stars Óscar Jaenada (The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon) and Brett Cullen (Ransom Canyon).
Happy Death Day 2U
In this sequel to 2017’s Happy Death Day, college student Tree Gelbman (Jessica Rothe) thinks she’s finally escaped the birthday time loop that kept ending in her murder. But when a science experiment goes wrong, it causes Tree to be thrown back into the loop once again, this time in a parallel world. Tree must stop the killer, find a way out of the birthday repetition, and decide which version of her life to keep. Directed by Christopher Landon (We Have a Ghost), the film also stars Israel Broussard (To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before), and Suraj Sharma (The Night Agent).
Valentine
Roses are red, violets are blue, and a killer disguised as cupid is coming for Kate Davies (Marley Shelton) and her closest friends. First come the anonymous Valentine’s cards, which are anything but sweet, then come the murders. Someone in San Francisco is nursing an old grudge, and Kate has to work out who before she becomes the next target. Loosely based on the novel of the same name by Tom Savage, this 2001 slasher from director Jamie Blanks (Urban Legend) also stars Denise Richards (Wild Things), David Boreanaz (Angel), and Katherine Heigl (Grey’s Anatomy).
Gothika
Dr. Miranda Grey (Halle Berry) is a respected psychiatrist at an institution for women. So imagine her shock when she wakes up on the other side of a cell, an inmate accused of murdering her husband, psychiatric ward director Dr. Douglas Grey (Charles S. Dutton). With no memory of committing a crime, Miranda must put the pieces together — while haunted by a ghostly presence that seems to know the truth about what happened. The 2003 supernatural thriller from director Mathieu Kassovitz (The Bureau) also stars Penélope Cruz (The Invite) and Robert Downey Jr. (Oppenheimer).
Prom Night
High school is hard, especially for Donna (Brittany Snow). An obsessive ex-teacher (Johnathon Schaech) who murdered the teen’s entire family three years ago has escaped the psychiatric hospital and is coming after her and her friends … on prom night. A remake of the 1980 film of the same name, Nelson McCormick (Criminal Minds) directs this 2008 movie starring Snow (The Hunting Wives), Idris Elba (Luther: The Fallen Sun), and Scott Porter (Ginny & Georgia).
Ready or Not
Grace (Samara Weaving) just married into the wealthy, if a bit odd, Le Domas clan, and it seems her new husband, Alex (Mark O’Brien), left out some crucial details about her new in-laws. As the wedding-night celebrations progress, the family members draw cards to decide which group game to play — and Grace picks hide-and-seek. What she doesn’t realize is that the family is cursed, and whoever draws that card will be hunted and ritually sacrificed. The 2019 horror comedy from directors Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin also stars Adam Brody (Nobody Wants This) and Andie MacDowell (The Way Home).
Friday the 13th
Decades ago, a boy drowned at Camp Crystal Lake — and now, an unseen killer is picking off counselors one by one just as they’re reopening the place for a new generation of campers. Among the counselors being preyed on is Alice Hardy (Adrienne King). No one knows who the murderer is … except maybe Mrs. Voorhees (Betsy Palmer), the mother of the boy who died back in ’57. His name might ring a bell: Jason. Also featuring Kevin Bacon (Leave the World Behind), the 1980 classic slasher film was directed by Sean S. Cunningham.
I Know What You Did Last Summer
A year ago, right after high school graduation, Julie James (Jennifer Love Hewitt) and three of her friends covered up a car accident on a dark coastal road and swore never to speak about it again. Now Julie’s home from her first year of college and finds a note in her mailbox that reads, “I know what you did last summer.” Someone’s been waiting, and the group has to work out who before their luck runs out. The 1997 slasher from director Jim Gillespie (Venom) also stars Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Ryan Phillippe (Cruel Intentions), and Freddie Prinze Jr. (She’s All That).
Smile 2
Pop star Skye Riley (Naomi Scott) is about to embark on her comeback tour and — despite facing crippling anxiety, being in recovery, and alienating those closest to her — she swears she’s totally up for it. But Skye starts experiencing bizarre events that she can’t prove are real, and it seems that some sinister entity is behind it, feeding on her trauma. Not enough mindfulness exercises in the world could get her through what she’s about to endure. The Smile sequel from Parker Finn, which premiered in 2024, also stars Ray Nicholson (Borderline), Lukas Gage (The White Lotus), and Dylan Gelula (Dream Scenario).
Number of recommendations may vary by region.
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