A “scream queen” is an actress who has recurring roles in horror films and has significantly influenced the genre. Academy Award winnerJamie Lee Curtishas proven she is one of the most influential contemporary Scream Queens, specifically in slasher films. Most known for her role asLaurie Strodein theHalloweenfranchise, Curtis has evolved to become one of the most distinguished actresses in horror.
Outside her performances in slasher films, Curtis has shown versatility in several other genres like drama, mystery, and comedy. Following in her motherJanet Leigh’s footsteps,Curtis has elevated the role of the final girlin horror from stereotypical damsels in distress to brave women who fight back. Curtis’ spectacular performances have allowed the horror genre to find popularity within the mainstream audience. Not all her efforts in the genre are great, buteach of Jamie Lee Curtis' horror movies has contributed something meaningful to the fan-favorite genre.
13’Halloween: Resurrection' (2002)
Directed by Rick Rosenthal
Set three years afterHalloween H20: Twenty Years Later,Halloween: Resurrectionfollows a group of college students who create a live internet show in Myers’ childhood home. Curtis briefly stars as Strode, now institutionalized in a hospital. WhileHalloween: Resurrectionhas a cult following, it is widely known asone of the worst films in the Halloween franchise. It currently stands ata 10% rotten ratingfrom Rotten Tomatoes and acts as the last installment within the H20 timeline.
Critics weren’t the only ones questioning the film’s execution. During a promotional interview for 2018’sHalloweenwithJason BlumandJohn Carpenter, the latterexpressed horror and cringeafter seeing the movie, “I watched the one in that house, with all the cameras. Oh my god. Oh lord, god. And then the guy gives the speech at the end about violence. What the hell? Oh, my lord. I couldn’t believe.”EvenCurtis was skeptical about joiningthe project but was convinced by her godson,Jake Gyllenhaal, to make anotherHalloweenfilm.
Halloween: Resurrection
12’Virus' (1999)
Directed by John Bruno
Based on Chuck Pfarrer’s comic book, Curtis stars alongsidethe late greatDonald Sutherlandas Kelly Foster, an ex-Navy officer in charge of a tugboat namedSea Star. TheSea Starcrew encounters an abandoned Soviet research ship inhabited by a hostile extraterrestrial entity, and terror ensues.
WhileViruswas ultimately a flop at the box office and with critics, it nonetheless garnered a cult following among fans of Curtis and sci-fi horror.
With Academy Award-nominated visual artist and frequentJames CameroncollaboratorJohn Brunoin the director’s chair, it is somewhat surprising thatViruswould do so poorly critically and commercially. In an interview years after the film’s release,Curtis expressed shock and embarrassmentabout her role. She explained thatthe film was “so bad it’s shocking” and referred to it as an “all-time piece of sh*t.” WhileViruswas ultimately a flop at the box office and with critics, it nonetheless garnered a cult following among fans of Curtis and sci-fi horror.
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11’Terror Train' (1980)
Directed by Roger Spottiswoode
Terror Trainfollows Alana Maxwell (Curtis) and a group of pre-medical students who host a rowdy New Year’s Eve costume party on a train. After a distasteful prank three years earlier, a traumatized man vows to get revenge on the students. A sequel film titledTerror Train 2was released in 2022 on the Tubi streaming platform. Due to the success of Curtis’ horror slasher classics,HalloweenandProm Night, executive producer Daniel Grodnik desired to reproduce such results. Hence, Curtis was specifically sought out as a lead.
While it received moderate critical and box office success, Chicago criticRoger Ebertexplained that it was fartoo similar in theme toHalloween. He specifically called out overused horror tropes such as knives, blood, and endangered young girls.Curtis added a kiss scenewith co-starDerek McKinnonto differentiate her past slasher performances. However, her efforts only half worked:Terror Trainis formulaic and lacking in originality, coming across as a rehash of better movies rather than an individual effort.
Terror Train
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10’Prom Night' (1980)
Directed Paul Lynch
The film revolves around high school senior Kimberly Hammond (Curtis) and her friends, who must survive the wrath of a vengeful killer on the night of their school dance.Prom Nightreceived moderate success at the box office because of theslow theatrical release across major U.S. citieslike New York and Los Angeles. Additionally,Prom Nightis currently regarded as a cult classicand one of the major slasher films of the 1980s.
Producer Peter Simpson stated in an interview thatEve Plumb, who is most known for her role as Jan Brady inThe Brady Bunch, was initially envisioned to play Kimberly. Simpson explained thatCurtis did not fit his visionof “the ultimate victim” role and portrayed herself as confident during auditions. However, Curtis ultimately delivered one of her most famous horror performances, cementingProm Nightas one of the pillars upon which the slasher genre now stands.
Prom Night
9’Halloween Ends' (2022)
Directed by David Gordon Green
Four years afterHalloween Kills,Halloween Endsrevolves around Strode, her granddaughter, andtheir final battle with Michael Myers. The new character of Corey Cunningham (Rohan Campbell) also received considerable attention, a narrative choice that polarized fans. Green stated that the film was meant to bea “love story” to the franchise. While the film had moderate success at the box office, the ending disappointed some critics and fans.
Rather than being focused on Laurie,Halloween Endslargely sidelines her in favor of Corey, a character meant to represent the timelessness of evil. The result is a film that isuneven, confused, and only half-successful at presenting its main themes. Green revealed thatthe writing team tested multiple endingsfor the ultimate finale. He explained that some of the endings were “very bleak,” but the ending they agreed on was “optimistic” and “hopeful.” Green also said that he wanted Strode to feel satisfied after killing Myers.
Halloween Ends
8’Halloween H20: 20 Years Later' (1998)
Directed by Steve Miner
Twenty years after the presumed death of the infamousHalloweenfranchise villain Micheal Myers, Strode attempts to rebuild her life at a private boarding school in California. However, Strode soon discovers that Myers has returned and seeks vengeance against her. The film’s storyline disregards everyHalloweenfilm sinceHalloween IIand also starsMichelle Williams, Janet Leigh,Josh Hartnett, andLL Cool J.
Curtis’ anticipated return to the franchise was a box-office hit,earning $55 milliondomestically with a budget of $17 million. Fans also love it due to its faithfulness to the first twoHalloweeninstallments. Curtis has expressed regret about not working withthe greatJohn Carpenterand late writer-producerDebra Hillfor the film. However, she has also stood by the film’s result because ofits focus on Laurie’s trauma, a crucial theme throughout the series, andher first substantive paycheckfrom a movie in the Halloween franchise.
Halloween H20: 20 Years Later
7’Halloween 2' (1981)
Halloween IItakes place directly after the events ofHalloween, with the escape of Michael Myers and the hospitalization of Strode. She soon discovers that Myers tracked her to the hospital and must survive his wrath. Despite its low ratings from critics, fans have been more receptive to its twists, as it holds a63 percent audience scoreon Rotten Tomatoes.
The development of the film was contentious asCarpenter and producer Iwrin Yablans fought via a lawsuit. It was Yablans’ wish to make aHalloweensequel, but Carpenter was more interested in developing his later film,The Fog. Even though Hill and Carpenter wrote the screenplay,Carpenter was vehemently dissatisfied with the themes and plot. He called it“an abomination and horrible movie,”which is quite harsh given Curtis’ remarkable performance. Indeed, more so than its predecessor,Halloween IIrelies entirely on Curtis' performance, and the actress perfects the modern final girl trope with her committed and vulnerable yet resilient performance.
Halloween II
6’Halloween Kills' (2021)
After the successful reboot ofHalloween, the sequel follows an injured Strode at the hospital while the frustrated and desperate Haddonfield residents decide to hunt down Myers. Slasher fans favor the film due tohaving the highest kill count of allHalloweenmovies; additionally,Halloween Killshas a few unexpected humorous momentsthat further make it one-of-a-kind in the franchise.
Halloween Killsbenches Laurie in favor ofan intriguing story about mob justice and the nature of fear. For the first time in the saga, the focus is on the town itself, as Haddonfield becomes a living, breathing machine that takes justice into its hands. It’s not perfect, but it’s at least interesting. Inan interview withCollider’sSteven Weintraub, Green revealed that the extended version of the film contained a different ending than what was initially released.
Halloween Kills
5’Haunted Mansion' (2018)
Directed by Justin Simien
Set in present-day New Orleans, astrophysicist Ben Mattis (Lakeith Stanfield) is tasked to help a widow (Rosario Dawson) and her son (Chase W. Dillion) exorcise their new home, which is haunted by the ghosts of past residents. Curtis stars as Madam Leota, a powerful medium who is cursed and confined to a crystal ball. Although it flopped at the box office,Haunted Mansionsurged in popularity and positive reviews after its debut on the Disney+ streaming platform.
Curtis and the rest of the cast had big expectations to fulfill. The actress carries her role by showing off her comedic acting skills. However,the film lacks in the chills and laughs departments, resulting in a weirdly safe experience that is neither scary nor hilarious yet still offers enough to entertain, albeit barely.In an interview withCollider, Curtis explained thatshe worked with motion capture for the first time in her career.
Haunted Mansion
4’The Fog' (1980)
Directed by John Carpenter
Written by Carpenter and Hill,The Fogtakes place in a small coastal Northern Californian town where residents must survive the ghosts of vengeful sailors. Curtis stars as Elizabeth Solley alongside her mother, Janet Leigh.The Fogfollowed in the path of Carpeters' last success,Halloween, earning a healthy sum at the box office and attracting positive critical reviews, currently sitting at a75 percent fresh ratingamong critics on RT.
The Fogfollowed in the path of Carpeters' last success,Halloween, earning a healthy sum at the box office and attracting positive critical reviews.
Due to their past work together onHalloween, Curtis was an easy pick for a lead role in the film. Curtis was also grateful to Carpenter, who allowed her to expand her acting talents by casting her as a different character.Curtis enjoyed playing Solley because of howmature and independent she iscompared to Strode, who is “repressive.”The Fogremains a cult classicwidely considered among Carpenter’s finest efforts.
