Females Take Action in 2024 Prequels – Michelle McCue reports
Women have played significant roles in science fiction and horror films since the inception of the genres, and over the years, the female characters have become increasingly complex and empowering. In recent decades, there has been a growing trend towards strong female protagonists in sci-fi and horror films. These characters challenge traditional gender roles and demonstrate intelligence in horrific situations. They are often portrayed as capable leaders, skilled fighters, or brilliant scientists. Some notable examples of strong female protagonists in sci-fi and horror include Ellen Ripley from the Alien franchise, Sarah Connor from the Terminator franchise, Laurie Stroud from the Halloween series and Alice from Resident Evil. 2024 has been a year filled with highly anticipated prequels that included many strong performances from women in the lead roles. Here are the actresses and their characters that gave depth, a quiet strength and street smarts to make the sometimes tough decisions.
FURIOSA: A MAD MAX SAGA: This prequel to the 2015 film Mad Max: Fury Road focuses on the character Furiosa and her journey before she met Max Rockatansky. It was directed by George Miller and starred Anya Taylor-Joy as Furiosa in a brilliant performance. As was first played by the amazing Charlize Theron in the previous movie, this was a tough act to follow and Taylor-Joy has the fortitude to make it her own by showing the character’s attempt to get home and who she ultimately becomes – Furiosa.
THE FIRST OMEN: In this psychological horror prequel to the classic Omen films, a young American woman is sent to Rome to begin a life of service to the church. Soon, she encounters a darkness that causes her to question her faith, and that reveals a terrifying conspiracy to bring about the birth of evil incarnate. The First Omen stars Nell Tiger Free (Servant), Tawfeek Barhom (Mary Magdalene), Sonia Braga (Kiss of the Spider Woman) and all were forces to be reckoned with. The film is directed by Arkasha Stevenson who made her feature directorial debut with the 2024 horror film.
KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES: The fifth film in the Planet of the Apes reboot series, this movie takes place several years after War for the Planet of the Apes. It follows a new generation of apes as they struggle to survive in a world ravaged by humans and climate change, as well as the silent human girl, Nova, played by Freya Allan. Her performance is like a feral creature who is an echo of what human beings once were. She’s extremely brave and physically very strong, very driven and has a huge amount of drive and focus and was a terrific addition to the franchise.
ALIEN ROMULUS: This truly terrifying sci-fi horror-thriller takes the phenomenally successful Alien franchise back to its iconic roots. While scavenging the deep ends of a derelict space station, a group of young colonizers come face-to-face with the most relentless and deadly life form in the universe. Starring Cailee Spaeny, Alien: Romulus is directed by horror master Fede Alvarez. The parallels between Rain and the iconic franchise heroine, Ripley, is undeniable and both went face to face with the Xenomorph, while staying calm and resilient. Her character is a 25-year-old girl who, after her parents deaths, wants to find a better life for herself somewhere far beyond Jackson’s Star, the mining colony where she lives. Her badass character is forced into situations where she fights like hell to survive.
A QUIET PLACE: DAY ONE: Expanding the franchise’s groundbreaking universe, taking fans back to the first day of the invasion by deadly creatures who hunt by sound in one of the loudest places on Earth: New York City. Lupita Nyong’o gives an emotional and riveting performance as Samira, a terminally-ill woman, on a harrowing journey through the eerily quiet streets of Manhattan in this prequel to A Quiet Place. It’s a beautiful and courageous portrayal of sacrifice and strength to witness, and one of the best of the year.
APARTMENT 7A: In a prequel to Rosemary’s Baby, the lead female character is Terry Gionoffrio, played by Julia Garner. Terry is a young woman who moves into a mysterious apartment building and becomes entangled in a sinister cult, just as Mia Farrow did in the classic 1969 horror classic. She is portrayed as a strong and independent woman who is not afraid to stand up to those who threaten her. However, she is also vulnerable and easily manipulated by the cult members and ultimately makes the tough decision to sacrifice herself in order to save humanity from the birth of the antichrist.
TRANSFORMERS ONE: The delightful movie is the untold origin story of Optimus Prime and Megatron, better known as sworn enemies, but once were friends bonded like brothers who changed the fate of Cybertron forever. In the first-ever fully CG-animated Transformers movie, TRANSFORMERS ONE features Scarlett Johansson as Elita-1, a fierce, powerful Autobot leader and a close ally of Optimus Prime. In an interview, the Oscar nominated actress said, “Elita-1 is very driven, she has a healthy ambition, she believes in her ability. She has all of these qualities that really make her a leader and she’s really born to be in a leadership position.”
