10 Best Horror Movies Where Victims Turn The Tables On Villains, According To Reddit

2022-09-12 12:12:52 By : Mr. Steven Wei

The best horror films are the ones where the main characters fight back against the killer and show their strength.

While final girls will forever stand up to their enemies, there are many horror movies where the main characters find themselves powerless against a ruthless villain. Ti West's forthcoming prequel Pearl has a strong-willed killer whose victims follow this common formula. But sometimes, there are scary films that switch things up and see a protagonist realizing their strength and fighting back successfully.

Redditors are sharing the horror movies that they love because the so-called victims are victorious against evil and figure out a clever plan to trick the villain attempting to kill them.

After 2008's Cloverfield came the 2016 film 10 Cloverfield Lane which sees Howard Stambler kidnapping Michelle and claiming that he's protecting her from a dangerous outside world. Redditor FZWZ69 considers this an example of a victim standing up for themselves and wrote, "MLW's character totally flips the tables on John Goodman and it's just plain perfect."

Following in the strong tradition of final girls, Michelle attacks Howard, drives away toward Houston, Texas, and seems to be able to withstand whatever this strange new world is like. There is clearly an alien invasion happening here, and the film focuses on Michelle's inner strength.

Halloween H20: 20 Years Later isn't the most popular movie in the Halloween franchise, but Laurie Strode does turn on Micheal Myers and put up a good fight. Redditor MichaelMyers1980 wrote, "Laurie was about to escape the school but she sends her kid away then smashes the exit controls meaning she is trapped within the school gates with the killer and she hunts him down with an axe."

Laurie will always be considered a fan favorite Halloween character and she's particularly intelligent in this film, coming up with a game plan to attack Michael after so many years of contemplating it.

In the Korean film I Saw The Devil, Kim Soo-hyun learns that his pregnant fiance Jang Joo-yun has been brutally murdered, and he wants to get revenge. Redditor Future-Agent wrote, "The protagonist goes to great lengths to make the serial killer's life a living hell."

Soo-hyun wants nothing more than to end Jang Kyung-chul's life for doing this to the person who he loves, and the result is a story about whether "an eye for an eye" is actually a good idea or if it causes more difficult emotions.

Sidney Prescott is known for being resilient, and in the first Scream movie, Sidney lets go of her fear of Stu Macher and Billy Loomis and ruins their plan. Redditor mrasperez loves "the last few minutes once Sydney gains the upper hand" and Redditor ClassyMrOwl agreed, "I always loved how done she was after the killers were revealed."

Sidney laughs at the Ghostface killers and mocks them before attacking them and ensuring that she gets out of this situation alive. When it comes to victims who refuse to be seen as such, Sidney is one of the greatest. While she knows that she has come close to death, she can't help but take a moment and laugh at the stupidity of Stu and Billy for thinking that they could get away with this.

Redditor spiderinside said "Mandy" is a horror film where the supposed victim is able to defend themselves against the killers. Redditor MangoBaggins agreed, "Mandy was like a fever dream. Visually amazing though. I LOVED the aesthetic." Nicolas Cage's character, Red Miller, lives in the Shadow Mountains of California with his girlfriend Mandy Bloom. When a cult takes her, Red goes after them.

Mandy is a lesser-known Nicolas Cage film that has a riveting performance from an actor known for taking some strange roles in sometimes confusing movies. It's interesting seeing Red do everything to protect his partner and he doesn't see himself as a victim. Instead, he realizes that he can be the hero of his own story and get what he wants.

Redditor evil_link83 posted that when it comes to horror films where the victim ends up being stronger than audiences expected, "You're Next is the epitome of this." While it seems like Erin and her boyfriend Crispin Davidson are the victims of random attackers showing up during a family event, the twist proves that Erin is no ordinary horror movie character.

Like other characters who think quickly and use their instincts to trap the killer or trick people into thinking that they're more innocent than they really are, Erin's arc is perfectly dramatic and makes this a more exciting than usual slasher.

The Black Phone has an excellent main character in Finney, who figures out how to get away from The Grabber, the serial killer taking children in Denver. Finney works out a way to escape and his sister Gwen, who has psychic powers, is able to figure out where the villain's lair is. Redditor infodawg said that The Black Phone has a "neat payoff" and Redditor mirandadtd agreed, "I cried at the revenge scene. So good."

The Grabber is one of the best Blumhouse horror villains but Finney ends up being stronger than Ethan Hawke's character could ever have predicted. It's scary seeing Finney and Gwen so young and vulnerable, but it's clear that they will make it through this bleak and horrible ordeal as they are smart and scrappy.

Redditor Sahqon said "The Perfection" is a good example of a film where the victims change their role in the story. Lizzie Wells and Charlotte Willmore have both been abused by Anton, who runs Bachoff Academy for young musicians. At the end of the movie, the characters team up and hurt him.

The final scene is difficult to watch but makes an impact as Lizzie and Charlotte want to do everything that they can to ensure that Anton doesn't cause anyone pain ever again. The Perfection asks audiences to pay attention to every single moment and the pay-off is especially dramatic considering the twist that changes everything.

Becky can be considered an underrated psychological horror movie and the plot goes somewhere that audiences can't guess from the start of the film. Redditor Mothrasmilk posted that "Becky" is about a victim who fights villains and wrote, "That pencil crayon scene."

Becky Hopper is only 13 years old and dealing with a terrible family life. When she is attacked by prisoners who have escaped, she doesn't sit back for a second and makes sure that she fights back just as hard. The Redditor mentioned a dark moment when Becky uses a pencil in a particularly gruesome way.

Redditor fake_plastic_peace said, "I nominate Fresh" as a horror movie where the victim character goes up against the villain. Noa is having a hard time with the dating world when she meets Steve while buying groceries and then it turns out that he is nothing like she ever thought.

Fresh is the kind of film that changes completely once its second act gets underway and Noa reveals herself to be an incredibly tough person who doesn't take what Steve is doing lightly. Noa and Mollie, who is also someone who Steve has hurt, team up against him, which is satisfying and powerful.

NEXT: 15 Best Horror Movies On Netflix, According To Rotten Tomatoes

Aya Tsintziras is a Senior Writer at Screen Rant who enjoys writing about TV and movies. She has a Political Science and Media Studies degree from the University of Toronto and a Masters of Journalism from Ryerson University. She lives in Toronto with her husband and has a special interest in teen dramas, reality TV, and horror movies. Aya has been a freelance writer since 2014 and has written about topics ranging from pop culture to travel, parenting, and dating and relationships. When she's not writing, Aya enjoys working out, reading a good book (usually a thriller) with a cup of coffee, and spending time with friends and family. Aya's favorite movies are Scream and You've Got Mail and her favorite TV shows include My So-Called Life, Gilmore Girls, You, and Seinfeld.