It seems almost too cliché to say that living through one “unprecedented historical event” after another feels like one long horror movie. There are villains who could win, heroes who could fall, seemingly inescapable scenarios, and a tinge of hopeless despair grips you long enough to keep your eyes squarely focused on your screen.
Sometimes you have to remind yourself to breathe out, unclench your fists, adjust your posture, and for god’s sake drink some water.
And sometimes, we all need to admit the truth: we’re scared.
And that’s ok.
All of our favorite final girls get scared. They’re downright terrified. But that fear is not something meant to immobilize us. It’s meant to engage us, kick us into action, even when it seems like all we’ve got left is a knitting needle, an emptied out shotgun, or just our wits to keep us alive.
So, no matter what you’re feeling right now, be it fear or anger, or sadness and doubt. Remind yourself of these lessons from our favorite final girls, and become the hero of your own horror movie:
1. Remember who you are. You are a boss ass bitch (and I mean bitch in a respectful while also gender-neutral context!) You will not let fear nor foe define who you are.
Sidney Prescott, through every Scream sequel, has never not been Sidney Prescott. Even when she was most in fear for her life, she never lost the essence of who she is: someone who, despite all the hell she has seen or felt responsible for, still held genuine and sincere love for the people in her life who deserved it.
She could have easily ghosted everyone in Woodsboro, changed her name and disappeared. But she couldn’t bring herself to do that to Dewey, her dad, and even (though she probably hates to admit it) Gale. She never lost the love and care she had for the people in her life, and that’s what brought her back to her hellbound hometown time and again. Because that’s who she is, Ghostface or no Ghostface.
Be like Sidney. Stay true to who you are, what makes you strong and smart and whole-heartedly you. Sometimes, it’s the bravest thing we can do.
2. Reach back a helping hand to others who need it. Our final girls live to see another day, they return for sequels. They’re the familiar face that arrives halfway through the first act to help the less experienced triumph over the big bad monster.
Think about Nancy in A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors. She arrives with a killer perm and a medical degree to teach the kids in her care how to not just evade Freddy, but to face him down and fight him. Her fear of Freddy never fades, but her commitment to empowering the Dream Warriors kicks back twofold when she finds the strength within herself to square up to Freddy.
So when you think you’re down for the count, think about how you can help someone else. Maybe it’s just a check-in text on a friend going through it, or maybe it’s volunteering your time to support and protect your community through these unsettling circumstances. I think you’ll soon see that when you realize how important — how needed — you are, you’ll find the strength, the courage, and gumption to carry on, even when you know the monster may still be out there, lying in wait.
3. Ask for help. As important and impactful as it can be to help others, sometimes the best thing we can do is find help for ourselves. Even when Laurie Strode prided herself as a lone wolf who was ready to take on Michael Myers solo when he inevitably showed up at her doorstep again, she always found herself surrounded by people who loved her, cared about her, or simply shared the same goal as her. And that was how she overcame The Shape.
I imagine her story would have turned out differently if not for Dr. Loomis shooting Michael (6 TIMES!!!!) in Halloween (1978). And who knows if she would have survived they Michael came knocking in Halloween (2018) if she didn’t have the backing from her daughter, grand-daughter and Deputy Frank Hawkins. The battle became a family affair and they lived to fight another day.
Surround yourself with the Dr. Loomises and Deputy Hawkinses and Josh Hartnetts (I’ll personally take 12 of this one, thanks) and you’ll find the fight is a little less grueling when there’s more than one person swinging.
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I am not a naive person. I know life isn’t always like the movies. There’s more nuance to the plots, characters, and dialogue that we encounter in the real world where we live. But sometimes we need the fantastical or a reality even slightly heightened to remind us of the best parts of ourselves and to keep us going until daybreak, sunset, or the assurance that help is on the way.
Stay safe, stay brave, and know you will always have a place where you are loved and supported in the Hack or Slash community.
