While horror fans disagree on the kinds of movies that they like most, as some prefer “elevated horror” and some like cheesy fun, there’s another debate to be had: whether the kills or characters matter most in a slasher film. It’s easy to say that without villains racking up body counts, it wouldn’t be a slasher at all… but it’s also possible to argue that audiences need people to care about or the movie isn’t worth writing home about.
Ultimately, while horror fans always remember the creative kills present in their favorite films, it’s good character development that is most impressive and significant. The characters in these movies are what people remember the most.
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TheHalloweenandScreamfranchises are perfect examples of how characters matter more than kills in a slasher film.ScreamandHalloweenshow the aftermath of final girlsLaurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) and Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell), which is one reason why they are both such memorable characters. But the movies also introduce other characters who are hard to forget about and who make these stories what they are.
Horror fans don’t necessarily loveHalloween(2018) and there areproblems withHalloween Kills,which was released in 2021, but it’s still exciting to learn more about Laurie’s family. Karen Nelson (Judy Greer) and her daughter Allyson (Andi Matichak) are kind, smart, and deal with what happened between Laurie and Michael Myers in different ways. Karen agrees not to talk about this horror, but Allyson is tired of lying and pretending and ignoring the truth. These new characters make this new trilogy worth watching, even if there has been a lot of fan criticism.
While there’s the question of whetherScream 6will have too many characters, the fifth movie does a good job of introducing new characters who are fun and smart and add something to the franchise. The deaths in theScreammovies are only meaningful because of the people who audiences have gotten to know. The best example of this is Tatum Riley (Rose McGowan). When Ghostface traps her in a garage door, it’s arguably the most memorable death in the whole franchise, but that’s only because of Tatum’s sense of humor and impressive sense of self.
The mostentertainingFinal Destinationdeath scenesalso prove that character is king. When Ashlyn Halperin (Crystal Lowe) and Ashley Freund (Chelan Simmons) die via tanning bed, it’s horrifying to watch, but it’s so memorable because the characters are ditzy and hilarious otherwise. The deaths make an impact because fans of the franchise know that the characters are trying to cheat death but they can’t. In this case, both the character development and the overall story are why fans like the movies.
While big franchises prove that audiences need to care deeply about characters and this is why they come back again and again, some other slashers make this point as well. Theunderrated horror movieHauntstars Katie Stevens as Harper, who remembers the terrible trauma of growing up in an abusive household. While there are a lot of kills in this movie, as the sadistic killers wear freaky masks that make them look like deformed clowns, it’s Harper who makes the biggest impression. Harper is anunderrated final girlwho unfortunately doesn’t get talked about, but she should be as she stands up to the killers in an incredible way.
Harperdeserves a lot of credit for gathering up all the strength that she can and finding a way to get through a truly miserable and terrifying moment in her life. If the movie focused on the kills and didn’t develop Harper, it would feel like a dud. When asking if characters or kills matter more, all fans have to do is think about theworst teen horror movies, many of which are slashers. With vague characters who don’t have much going on, it’s impossible to recall much about the story, even if there are a lot of kills.
TheTerrifiermovies might seem like the exception here, as they are exceptionally gory and it might seem like kills matter more than anything else here. But the villain is a solid character, which proves that this will always be more meaningful.Art The Clown fromTerrifieris a memorable villain because of his look and absolutely sinister personality. While the other characters inTerrifier(2016) andTerrifier 2(2022) might not be quite as fleshed out as in some other slasher films, Art The Clown lives up to theTerrifiername.
Although horror fans will always talk about the kills that are particularly gory, there’s something to be said for creating exciting, smart characters who have interesting lives and who keep fans rewatching certain horror movies over and over.
