The Final Girl Concept

Final girl (Jamie Lee Curtis) to the right of the picture. (Halloween)

A Final Girl is used in thriller and horror films (particularly in the thrasher genre). It refers to the last woman that is alive, and consequently the last one to face the killer and ostensibly the one left to tell the story. The stereotype of a final girl is one of a girl who is sensible, academic and intelligent, concerned with school and dressed in a way which is not revealing (covered up). A typical final girl is brunette and not in a relationship. This is the opposite of a stereotype scream queen. Scream queens  are typically blonde, busty, sexually active and/or in a relationship and not overly bothered with school. The scream queen is usually the character who is initially killed, scream queens also are known for wearing bright and revealing clothes unlike the boring or unattractive outfits that a final girl would wear.