Monsters are one of the most iconic parts of the horror genre, for decades vampires, ghouls, and werewolves have dominated culture as one of the scariest things that humanity came up with to entertain themselves. Some are based on literature, others on centuries-old folklore, and all of them are sure to cause a chill to run down viewers' spines while watching horror films, be it creature features or paranormal haunts.

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A lot of monsters don't conform to gender, but there are also many who are decisively female, and they can terrify audiences just the same. From human women converted to bloodthirsty killers like Jennifer Check to horrifying creatures who were born that way, like Sil from Species, proving there's much more to women in horror than helpless victims and final girls.

10 Teeth (2007)

A girl sits in a bubble bath
Image via Roadside Attractions

IMDb Score: 5.4

The comedic horror Teeth focuses on Dawn O'Keefe, a young girl that promotes abstinence along with her youth group "The Promise". When a fellow abstinence advocate tries to take things further in their relationship she refuses, and when he tries to sexually assault her she inadvertently rips his penis off with her vagina, discovering she has teeth down there.

The movie was based on the folk myth of "vagina dentata", a cautionary tale said to have been meant to discourage sexual assault. Teeth takes the rape revenge trope in horror a step further by giving its protagonist an innate weapon to defend herself with from the attack, proving that sometimes one only becomes a monster when forced to.

9 Jennifer's Body (2009)

Cult Classics-Jennifers Body-Megan Fox

IMDb Score: 5.4

Jennifer's Body tells the story of Jennifer (Megan Fox) and Needy (Amanda Seyfreid), a pair of high school best friends whose relationship is put to the test when Jennifer is turned into a man eating demon after a ritual sacrifice gone wrong. With her bestie now having an appetite for the boys at school, it's up to Needy to try and make things right, take what it takes.

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From Oscar-winning screenwriter Diablo Cody, this twisted horror comedy did poorly at the box-office due to its marketing failing to accurately represent the movie, yet over time it surprisingly became a cult classic. A decade later it has been revaluated as a film ahead of its time because of its focus on female friendships and sexuality, as well as its biting social commentary.

8 Species (1995)

Natasha Henstridge as Sil, with alienlike bumbs in her face in 'Species' 1995

IMDb Score: 5.8

Species is a sci-fi alien horror that follows a motley crew of scientists in the search of Sil, an extraterrestrial/human hybrid created in a lab who escapes after an attempt to kill her due to her violent nature. She presents a danger like no other, as they fear she may mate with a man and produce offspring that could potentially take over earth.

The movie was met with a lukewarm reception from critics, but fans of the genre found its acting and creature design noteworthy. While Sil in her human form was played by model Natasha Henstridge, her more gnarly form was designed by H. R. Giger, known for his work in creating the Xenomorphs from the Alien franchise.

7 Mama (2013)

Isabelle Nélisse and Megan Charpentier in Mama
Image via Universal

IMDb Score: 6.2

Produces by Guillermo del Toro, this movie tells the story of two young girls who lived as feral children for years before they are found and rescued by their uncle who takes them in with his girlfriend. They have a hard time adjusting and talk of "Mama", a mysterious and vicious entity from the woods they bonded with, who wants them back.

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Mama delivers effective scares even with a PG-13 rating alongside a rather emotional story thanks to the tragic antagonist, a paranormal entity that combines a horrendously unnatural appearance reminiscent of Del Toro's monsters with the vicious and relentless devotion only a mother can have.

6 Evil Dead (2013)

evil-dead-2013-jane-levy
Image via TriStar Pictures

IMDb Score: 6.5

This re-imagining of the 1981 classic follows a similar premise of a group of young people heading out into a cabin in the woods for a break. And like the original, in Evil Dead there are demonic forces at work that become unleashed, leading to Mia, one of the group members, becoming possessed and going on a bloody rampage.

Despite taking a different less campy tone, it still has plenty of the fun gorey moments that made its predecessors a success. Mia, the young woman possessed, becomes an exhilarating antagonist, made terrifying by incredible practical special effects mainly using little to no CGI.

5 'Ginger Snaps' (2000)

Katharine Isabelle as Ginger a teenage girl werewolf in 'Ginger Snaps'
Image Via Motion International

IMDb Score: 6.8

This underrated flick tells the story of Ginger and Brigitte, a morbid pair of sisters whose lives change when Ginger unknowingly attracts a werewolf attack and is converted into a monster herself. With her sister wreaking havoc on town, it's up to Brigitte and a local drug dealer to try and find a cure to save her sister before she continues to harm others.

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Ginger Snaps director John Fawcett was intent on working with women for this film, seeking out screenwriter Karen Walton to develop a story of puberty and metamorphosis, using lycanthropy as a grim metaphor for growing up with plenty of dark humor baked into it. This gruesome coming-of-age paved the way for other films to explore the intersection of girlhood and monsterdom further.

4 The Descent (2005)

A group of spelunkers inside of a cave

IMDb Score: 7.2

From Britain, The Descent follows a group of young women exploring a cave system who get trapped inside after a narrow passage collapses behind them. They soon learn they are not alone underground, and that what's down there with them is neither friendly nor entirely human.

It was met with critical acclaim, receiving praise for its performances and effective claustrophobic scares. The creatures featured in the film, called "crawlers", are an unnerving humanlike species that have quite distinctly male and female members, both equally vicious in their pursuit of the hikers.

3 'Ringu' (1998)

Rie Ino as Sadako, a young woman in white with black hair over her face in the woods, from 'Ringu'

IMDb Score: 7.2

Based on the novel by Koji Suzuki, Ringu tells the story of journalist Reiko Asakawa who investigates her niece's sudden death. She uncovers a mysterious videotape that curses whoever watches it to die in seven days at the hands of Sadako, a ghoulish young woman with horrifying abilities.

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Considered one of the most terrifying Japanese horror films it was followed by plenty of sequels and the US remake The Ring starring Naomi Watts. The movie spawned the now iconic figure of Sadako, the creepy girl with long black hair over her face crawling out of a well and into the living room, rousing nightmares from viewers with the very sight of her on the screen.

2 Bride of Frankenstein (1935)

Elsa Lanchaster in 'Bride of Frankenstein', she is screaming into the air

IMDb Score: 7.8

This silver-screen classic is a sequel to 1931's Frankenstein and follows the story of Henry Frankenstein who continues his search for the secret of life and immortality, having succeeded in bringing his first monster to life in the previous film. With his monster still struggling with his existence, Dr. Frankenstein recreates his feat in order to create a mate for him.

It received popular and critical acclaim, and it is now hailed as one of the greatest sequels of all time, being a near-perfect horror film like its predecessor. The Bride of Frankenstein has become an unmistakable Halloween icon along Frankenstein's monster and is immediately recognizable thanks to her wild black and white hair updo.

1 'Aliens' (1986)

The Xenomorph Queen, an alien creature from 'Aliens'

IMDb Score: 8.4

Aliens, the aptly named sequel to Ridley Scott's Alien, follows Sigourney Weaver's Ellen Ripley years after she survived the alien attack on her ship from the previous film. Once a terraforming colony's communication goes under, she agrees to head on a mission to explore the site where they find an alien colony has taken over.

In this installment in the franchise is where audiences meet the Xenomorph queen, the fearsome matriarch ruler of the chest-bursting and face-hugging aliens that have terrified audiences since 1979. With her incredibly large stature and insect-like figure, she is a nightmarish character that is incredibly unnerving while still visually gorgeous.

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