If you a horror movie fan, slasher movies in particular, you are already familiar with the last girl. Coined by Carol Clover in her book Men, women and chainsaws : gender in the modern horror film, the last girl term is used to describe the character who is usually the only survivor at the end of the horror movie. In that vein, a new movie term may have just been invented to describe the exact opposite: the character who gets killed off first in the movie.
“Who’s your favorite ‘first girl’?”
That question was posted on Reddit by user kukes15, the start of a threat that has 77 responses as of now. Kukes15 wrote that while most of these ladies aren’t around long and are among the first to air, there are some notable appearances. For example, they called out Casey Becker (Drew Barrymore). screamwhose death is the film’s iconic opening sequence.
“It’s the fact that she’s so close to being saved….. I remember I was really rooting for her the first time I watched Scream. We were literally screaming in the theater lol ( everyone was) and yelling at the characters and when she finally got killed it blew us all away because no one expected Drew Barrymore to die. They heavily marketed the movie with her name and face. Just again something that makes the first one so damn awesome!” wrote StardustandDreams.
While there was a wide range of responses, there were a few recurring responses. Some mentioned were Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) from PsychoChrissie Watkins (Susan Backline) van JawsPat (Eva Axen) van Suspiria (1977) and Heather (Maya Hawke). Fear Street Part One: 1994. Many people also repeated Casey Becker’s example.
Wait, you mean they’re not the protagonist?
“I love that Janet Leigh is the first girl and Jamie Lee Curtis is the last girl. I love the progression of the family.” wrote Mister Murder.
A notable pattern among prime girls is that they are initially set up as the main characters of the movie. That’s part of why the deaths of Marion Crane and Casey Becker were so shocking when their respective movies came out. Other first girls who initially seemed to star are Tina Gray (Amanda Wyss) out A nightmare on Elm Street and Kate Miller (Angie Dickinson) from Dressed to kill.
“I know the two advisors at the beginning are technically Ms. Voorhees’ first kills. But I consider Annie to be the true first girl on Friday the 13th. I thought for sure she was going to be the last girl. All cute and sparkly and full of hope.” wrote MachineGunTeacher
Other characters’ names were written down despite her not being the first to die, except for Annie, whose name came up a few times. Barb Coard (Margot Kidder) out Black Christmas (1974) was the fourth dead. Lynda Van Der Klok (PJ Soles) out Halloween (1978) was the fifth and final victim.