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PODCAST

Final Girls

Sarah Spurlock and Kellie Nicole Hill

Final Girls is a dynamic podcast that dives deep into the world of horror by examining one iconic final girl per episode. Co-hosted by Kellie and Sarah — both UC Davis alumni with strong academic backgrounds — each installment dissects the tropes, triumphs, and challenges of these resilient characters. Drawing from Kellie’s expertise in Human-Computer Interaction and Film, and Sarah’s insights from History and Political Science, the show brings a unique blend of sharp analysis and genuine passion to

tv & film film reviews

All Episodes

56:44

Jen from Revenge

Final Girls ·

2025/06/11

Jen starts Revenge (2017) as the sexy, sidelined girlfriend, only to rise reborn in blood as one of the most viscerally unhinged Final Girls of the last decade. This week, we delve into the Final Girl journey in Coralie Fargeat’s neon-drenched takedown of the male gaze, Jen’s brutal transformation from victim to avenger, and why this film is a must-watch for fans of rage, resilience, and very creative use of a beer can.We’re talking trauma, body horror, and full-throttle survival in the desert—with

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56:12

Sarah from The Craft

Final Girls ·

2025/06/04

SARAH'S BIRTHDAY EPISODE! New girl Sarah Bailey is giving peak 90s witchcore: plaid skirts, trauma, magical powers, and a deep desire to belong. But once she finds her coven, things go from light-as-a-feather to dark-as-hell. This week on Final Girls, we revisit the iconic teen witch masterpiece that made every girl want to call the corners. We explore Sarah’s natural witch power, her refusal to be manipulated, and how The Craft captured the messy magic of sisterhood, light and dark magic, and goth

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55:16

Judith from Demonic Toys

Final Girls ·

2025/05/28

In Demonic Toys (1992), undercover cop Judith Gray walks into a poorly planned illegal arms sting and ends up trapped in a possessed toy warehouse with a demon fetus, a satanic prophecy, and a bunch of pint-sized murder machines. This week, we salute the cheesy, bonkers brilliance of Demonic Toys and the sadly ineffective badassery of our Final Girl, who fights her way through it with a gun in one hand and a grudge in the other.Spoiler Warning: This episode is crawling with Demonic Toys spoilers,

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56:05

Sophie and Bee from Bodies Bodies Bodies

Final Girls ·

2025/05/21

It’s all fun and games until the bodies start dropping. In Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022), Sophie and Bee walk into a hurricane party with secrets, tension, and trauma in their overnight bags and end up in a full-blown bloodbath. This week, we break down their Final Girl stories and the messy, brilliant satire of A24’s Gen Z slasher: weaponized buzzwords, emotional manipulation, cell phone lighting, and all.Spoiler Warning: Someone turned the lights out and the Wi-Fi’s down, so listen at your own

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01:11:00

Rosemary from Rosemary's Baby

Final Girls ·

2025/05/14

In Rosemary’s Baby (1968), Mia Farrow’s iconic Rosemary Woodhouse doesn’t scream, doesn’t slash, doesn’t run through the woods, but make no mistake: she’s a Final Girl. This week, we sink into the psychological horror of isolation, manipulation, and bodily autonomy as Rosemary endures the slow unraveling of her life, her sanity, and her very sense of self. We dig into the real vs. fake witchcraft and Satanism, and how Rosemary’s journey mirrors the real-world experience of so many women whose fears

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01:07:00

Gemma from M3GAN

Final Girls ·

2025/05/07

In M3GAN (2022), Gemma isn’t just a brilliant roboticist—she’s a cautionary tale wrapped in silicone and code, the villain and Final Girl of her own story. When she takes in her orphaned niece Cady, Gemma does what any emotionally unavailable tech genius might: she outsources parenting to an AI. This week, we break down Gemma’s evolution from career-obsessed creator to reluctant protector, her role in M3GAN’s rise, and how the film critiques both grief avoidance, certain styles of parenting, AI

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01:08:39

Grindhouse Double Feature: Abernathy, Zoë, and Kim...

Final Girls ·

2025/04/30

🌟 Final Girls Double Feature (Part 2)! 🌟Next up: Death Proof (2007)Abernathy, Zoë, and Kim aren’t just surviving—they’re taking the wheel and fighting back. In Death Proof, Quentin Tarantino flips the Final Girl trope on its head, giving us three fearless women who don’t just escape the killer—they absolutely wreck him. This week, we break down the badassery, the brilliant stunt work, and why this trio’s friendship and fury make them some of the most satisfying Final Girls in horror

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55:36

Grindhouse Double Feature: Cherry from Planet Terror

Final Girls ·

2025/04/30

🌟 Final Girls Double Feature! 🌟First up: Planet Terror (2007)Cherry Darling might have started the night as a go-go dancer with a broken heart, but by the end of Planet Terror, she’s packing heat and leading the charge against a zombie outbreak. This week, we dive into Cherry’s wild, blood-soaked Final Girl arc, the sheer camp of Robert Rodriguez’s grindhouse vision, and how Rose McGowan’s performance—and later activism—turned fiction into something far more powerful. We explore how Planet Terror

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57:58

Cecilia from The Invisible Man (2020)

Final Girls ·

2025/04/23

You can’t fight what you can’t see, unless you’ve already survived the worst. In The Invisible Man (2020), Cecilia Kass escapes an abusive relationship… only to be haunted by a presence that no one else believes exists. This week, we dive into Cecilia’s chilling Final Girl journey, unpacking how the film turns gaslighting into a literal monster, explores the differences between seeing and unseeing, and puts control and autonomy back into the hands of its heroine. We also explore the film’s

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01:01:33

Dana from The Cabin in the Woods

Final Girls ·

2025/04/16

In The Cabin in the Woods, Dana thinks she’s headed for a weekend of fun with friends, but ends up in a bloody, mind-bending fight for survival where the real horror is who's pulling the strings. This week, we dig into Dana’s role as the archetypal Final Girl in a world that literally demands sacrifice, exploring how the film deconstructs horror tropes and leaves you with plenty of belly laughs along the way.We also talk gods, conspiracy, stoner prophets, and the stakes of Dana’s decision in the

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53:49

Ripley from Alien

Final Girls ·

2025/04/09

In space, no one can hear you scream—but Ripley makes damn sure they hear her survive. In Alien (1979), Sigourney Weaver redefined what a Final Girl could be: smart, resourceful, emotionally grounded, and completely unafraid to torch a xenomorph when it comes down to it. This week, we board the Nostromo and break down Ripley’s iconic status, how she shattered the gender norms of horror, and why her legacy still looms large over the Final Girls canon.We also explore the film’s themes of bodily

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58:37

Brigette from Ginger Snaps

Final Girls ·

2025/04/02

Blood is thicker than water—and sometimes it’s also a curse. In Ginger Snaps (2000), Brigitte Fitzgerald isn’t just watching her sister Ginger transform into something monstrous—she’s being pulled into the change right alongside her. This week, we sink our teeth into one of horror’s most iconic sister duos, exploring how Brigitte’s quiet strength, loyalty, and desperation to save Ginger make her a deeply compelling Final Girl.We also dig into the film’s darkly brilliant metaphor for puberty and how

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37:58

Naru from Prey

Final Girls ·

2025/03/26

Long before Dutch faced the Predator in the jungle, Naru was already rewriting the rules of the hunt. In Prey (2022), Amber Midthunder brings fierce intensity to Naru, a young Comanche woman determined to prove she’s more than what her tribe expects of her. This week, we track Naru’s journey from underestimated healer to full-fledged warrior, discussing how the film flips the franchise’s macho legacy on its head and celebrates Indigenous resilience, skill, and survival.We also dive into how Prey

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53:42

Iris from Companion

Final Girls ·

2025/03/19

In Companion, Iris (Sophie Thatcher) isn’t just fighting for survival—she’s fighting for control over her own identity. Designed to be the perfect partner, our companion bot Final Girl is placed into a role she never chose, reflecting the way young women are automatically slotted into traditional gender roles by society. But as her weekend getaway takes a dark and violent turn, Iris begins to reclaim her autonomy, proving that survival isn’t just about escaping danger—it’s about breaking free from

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01:11:09

Wendy from The Shining

Final Girls ·

2025/03/12

Wendy Torrance, played by Shelley Duvall, is often overlooked in the Final Girl conversation, but she shouldn’t be. In The Shining (1980), Wendy is trapped in the sprawling, snowbound Overlook Hotel with an unraveling Jack and a terrified Danny. Yet despite overwhelming odds and ever-increasing terror, Wendy proves that resilience isn’t about wielding an axe—it’s about endurance, instinct, and doing whatever it takes to protect your child. This week, we examine Wendy’s role as a Final Girl, the

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54:17

Sam from A Quiet Place: Day One

Final Girls ·

2025/03/05

Sam from A Quiet Place: Day One (2024) - brilliantly and expressively played by Lupita Nyong’o - isn’t your typical Final Girl. She’s a woman facing her own ticking clock before the alien invasion even begins. This week, we follow Sam’s unique Final Girl journey through a silenced New York City with her cat Frodo, her unexpected and beautiful companionship with a British stranger, and how her quest for pizza becomes something deeper. We also dig into the film’s emotional core, its unique take on

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57:24

Christine from Drag Me To Hell

Final Girls ·

2025/02/26

Being a loan officer in LA is tough, but for Christine Brown (played by Alison Lohman), denying a mortgage extension comes with hellish consequences—literally. In Drag Me to Hell (2009), Christine finds herself cursed by a vengeful old woman, stalked by a relentless demon, and racing against time to escape eternal damnation. This week, we break down Christine’s Final Girl arc from timid banker to desperate survivor, the many scary movie appearances of Justin Long, and the fine line between terror

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01:00:47

Sally from Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)

Final Girls ·

2025/02/19

A quick detour to check on a family grave turns into a nightmare when Sally Hardesty and her friends stumble upon something far worse than vandalism. Trapped in the heart of Texas with a family of cannibals, Sally must endure a relentless, nightmarish chase that will push her to the very edge of survival.This week, we discuss how Sally embodied the Final Girl trope, the raw terror of her performance, and why The Texas Chain Saw Massacre remains one of the most viscerally disturbing horror films of

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51:01

Sarah from My Bloody Valentine

Final Girls ·

2025/02/12

What do you do when the love of your life—who bailed right after you survived a collective horror—comes waltzing back into town a decade later… just in time for the anniversary of said trauma? That’s the nightmare facing this week’s Final Girl, Sarah (My Bloody Valentine, 2009), played by Jaime King. As a masked killer with a pickaxe and a penchant for carving out hearts terrorizes her town again, Sarah finds herself caught in a deadly love triangle—one that threatens not just her dignity and

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53:10

Needy from Jennifer's Body

Final Girls ·

2025/02/05

Your high school BFF isn’t just a friend—she’s your bodyguard, your psychic twin, your ride-or-die… and sometimes, your biggest downfall. Just ask Anita "Needy" Lesnicki (played by Amanda Seyfried), a Final Girl unlike any other.This week, we sink our teeth into Needy as a Final Girl in Jennifer’s Body, dissecting how the film flips the male gaze on its head, explores the intensity of female friendships, and embraces teenage girl queerness in all its messy, monstrous glory. We also dig into Needy’s

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46 results

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