Throughout horror history, there are more than a few women-led films worth noting. It’s not too unusual for a woman to be a lead in the genre, especially as final girls are an essential trope. The focus for this list is on the best women-led horrror films we saw in 2025.
This women-led horror films list highlights films with women at the core of their story. There are more than a few films that could make a list like this, but to qualify, the film had to have released in theaters or VOD for audiences to watch in 2025.
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Whether they’re due to a memorable lead actress or character, some films may not be mentioned that might have been highly praised, but keep reading if curiosity has taken you by the hand already. Two of the films that only missed the list because they are not readily available are It Needs Eyes and The Serpent’s Skin, which were played at the Brooklyn Horror Film Festival.
Top Women-led Horror Films of 2025
Bone Lake
Director: Mercedes Bryce Morgan
Writer: Joshua Friedlander
Sex and violence is what Bone Lake promises its audience in this erotic horror-thriller. Bone Lake follows a couple whose mini vacation to a rented cabin becomes disastrous by the sudden presence of another couple. Our female lead for this film is Sage (Maddie Hasson), and she is a flawed character who comes to understand what she does and doesn’t want for her life. Maddie Hasson’s performance as Sage also adds an authenticity to the character that’s relatively needed in a film like Bone Lake.
Erotic horror is about pushing boundaries in terms of depictions of sex, violence, and how they correspond in the subgenre. Despite how Bone Lake could’ve been much sexier than it was, it still allowed its female lead not to simply be of service to a man or completely void of their own personality. She also gets a wicked moment in the third act that involves an axe!
Where to watch: Available to rent.
Companion
Director: Drew Hancock
Writer: Drew Hancock
It’s hard not to have relatively deep thoughts about what would actually happen if AI partners were widely available after watching this movie. Companion follows Iris (Sophie Thatcher), whose exciting vacation with her boyfriend and his friends takes a very chaotic and violent turn. It’s not necessarily a spoiler that Iris isn’t everything that she seems. Though her being a robot isn’t the only thing to focus on with Companion, and part of that is thanks to Sophie Thatcher’s performance, and Iris as a character.
Without a strong lead for a thriller/horror film about reclaiming your power, abusive relationships involving men, and controlling women, such films don’t land nearly as hard. Iris is such a compelling character that you forget here and there that she isn’t a human. And yet she has more humanity than those around her. Sophie Thatcher brings Iris to life with her vulnerability, her plea to be treated with respect, and the emotional highs and lows that nearly anyone who experiences her situation. Companion might not be billed as more of a thriller, but nevertheless, it’s powered by a great performance from Sophie Thatcher.
Where to watch: Prime Video, HBO Max, and is also available to rent.
Final Destination Bloodlines
Director: Zach Lipovsky and Adam B. Stein
Writer: Guy Busick, Lori Evans Taylor, and Jon Watts
The return of the Final Destination made people very excited, and this time around was a return to form for the franchise in a way. Final Destination Bloodlines follows Stefani Reyes (Kaitlyn Santa Juana), a college student who begins to experience visions, and is suddenly determined to protect her family from Death’s curse. There’s more than enough Final Destination deaths, humorous moments, and Stefani is the beating heart of the film.
Kaitlyn Santa Juana’s performance is very grounded, and she makes you root for Stefani in a way that you actually care about her survival. Films within the Final Destination franchise aren’t always focused on caring about the characters and are more about the creative deaths. Meanwhile, Juana’s performance makes you hope she makes it to the end alongside her sibling.
Where to watch: HBO Max, and is available to rent.
Influencers
Director: Kurtis David Harder
Writer: Kurtis David Harder
The nature of influencer culture is once again on full display in this sequel to Influencer. Influencers follows CW (Cassandra Naud), whose planned and anticipated anniversary vacation with her girlfriend is disrupted by the presence of an influencer, whom she immediately dislikes. Horror antagonists like CW, who are unapologetic about being antagonists, can be a delight to watch. It’s also safe to say that Cassandra Naud’s presence is so captivating, especially in how effortless CW is in her sneaky and murderous tasks.
Influencers turns the bonkers meter all the way up, and it allows CW to shine once again as the core character of the Influencer universe. Not to mention, Naud chews the scenery, brings a level of chaos in the third act that you won’t soon forget, and it’s such a blast of a sequel to watch. There’s very little to dislike about it, which isn’t always the most common thing to say about horror sequels in general. Overall, this is very much one of those horror films that thankfully has a strong character as the lead.
Where to watch: Shudder
The Ugly Stepsister
Director: Emilie Blichfeldt
Writer: Emilie Blichfeldt
Turning a fairytale on its head can be so effective in the horror genre. The Ugly Stepsister follows Elvira (Lea Myren), who becomes jealous of her stepsister and seeks to be conventionally beautiful by any means necessary. It’s a body horror tale that’ll make almost anyone squirm at what Elvira is willing to do to adhere to beauty standards. And Lea Myren really portrays Elvira’s desperation so well that it’s uncomfortable to watch how far she goes.
Complicated women being at the forefront of a horror film can be so fascinating to follow. Elvira being the lead, rather than her step-sister, makes it an entirely different story. She’s not the “perfect girl” trying to break free; she’s a girl who wants to confine herself to be appealing to men. Myren really taps into the sad as well as complicated nature of forcing oneself to exist like that. Thus, lending to why The Ugly Stepsister is being mentioned here.
Where to watch: Shudder, Hulu, AMC+, and is available to rent.
It was a jam-packed year for horror, and we met a lot of new characters that’ll stick with us for a while, but the best women-led horror films in 2025 led the way. Some of which serve as great representation, and others explore concepts that we engage with every day, while others are the right kind of intense. All of these films are worthy of checking out when you’re able to.
