In the ‘80s and '90s, horror movies were almost an ingrained element of social and popular culture. Although they weren’t generally respected by critics or audiences with refined taste, their B-movie status and absurd plots captured young audiences and genre-lovers alike, bringing them to the theaters time and time again to laugh and scream and everything in between. It wasn’t all fun and games, though. Stars like Jamie Lee Curtis, Courteney Cox, and Neve Campbell got their starts in famous horror franchises. For many other actresses, like Heather Lagenkamp and Barbara Crampton, the horror genre became their home and a place where they found a fiercely loyal fanbase. 

Although horror as a genre never goes out of style, the 2020s has seen an objective boom in horror movie production compared to other genres proportionally. In this myriad of freaky films, some new young actresses have found stardom. We call these young talents the New Scream Queens, as it seems the cinematic tradition of the Final Girl is coming back to the big screen, giving new stars brand new chances and the genre a fresh take on traditional tropes. Here are some of our favorite emerging scream queens!

1. Mia Goth

Mia Goth is as "horror" as they come -- it's right there in her name! Her first credit is a music video with the word “Haunted” in its title, and after that, she’s filled her resume with horror movies, from Nymphomaniac II to A Cure For Wellness. Most recently, she served as the sole star of Ti West’s X horror trilogy. She plays a legacy of characters, including Maxine Minx and Pearl, who are mirror images of each other that cause quite the racket — and spill quite a lot of blood — through the 3 films they are featured in. Mia Goth’s reserved persona and unique aesthetic add to the effect, and we’re thrilled to see where her stardom can take her next.

2. Jenna Ortega

We’ve all seen the social media firestorm that is Jenna Ortega on our feeds. She’s extremely young but has a legacy in Hollywood as a child actor and continues to impress with each new role. She’s wholly entrenched in every corner of the genre, playing the viral and sillier role of Wednesday Addams in the series reimagining "Wednesday" and a supporting role in Ti West’s X, where her memorable scream solidified her as a horror sensation. Soon, she’ll be starring in Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, a sequel to the original film. 

3. Jasmin-Savoy Brown

Although perhaps less famous than the others on this list, Jasmin-Savoy Brown is a force to be reckoned with. Her popularity exploded in 2023 with Missing and has only risen since. Her character on award-winning supernatural series "Yellowjackets" is perhaps the scariest of them all, and her presence in the Scream revival films is undeniable. Fans love her, and horror has a home for her. We’re excited to see what direction she takes, whether it be horror or not. She’ll always be a scream queen to us.

4. Sophie Thatcher

Getting her start all the way back in 2016, Sophie Thatcher carried the role of Young Reagen in "The Exorcist" television series. She explored a variety of different genres over the past few years, where she dove headfirst into the horror genre. She co-stars with Savoy-Brown on "Yellowjackets", noted for her character’s complexity and her layered performance. She also starred in underrated horror film The Boogeyman in 2023 and has a small but memorable role in Ti West’s MaXXXine. Thatcher is an incredible talent and can convey just about any emotion out there. She has the perfect on-screen persona to be a Final Girl, and we’re just waiting for the spotlight to come her way. 

5. Sadie Sink

One might not think that science-fiction can solidify someone as a scream queen, but Sadie Sink fans may argue otherwise. Smash hit series "Stranger Things" put Sink on the map in 2017, where she still carries the role of Max Mayfield in the upcoming final season of the global sensation. Here, she’s had to escape countless monsters — both human and not — and endured dozens of events worth screaming about. Elsewhere, Sink starred in all 3 installments of the Fear Street Trilogy, a tour-de-force performance that will likely have her considered for more horror roles in the future. Her striking look and incredible talent will be sure to take her far.