For decades, the horror genre has sought to scare, terrify and frighten its viewers to the point that the things they witnessed on screen haunt their dreams. Whilst many have achieved this through jumpscares and gore, the genre has also been known to employ characters that lack intelligence, leaving many viewers to scream at the main protagonist's stupidity.
The recent release of Smile sought to challenge this by employing educated Dr. Rose Cotter to uncover the mysterious curse that is not only responsible for a series of deaths but is now haunting her. Smile sparked Redditors to other characters who have proved to be much cleverer than your average horror movie victim.
Smile (2022)
Available In Movie Theaters
Smile is easily the most talked about horror movie of the year and opens with Dr. Rose Cotter witnessing a horrific event that sparks the very same thing to terrorize her as well as viewers.
Despite seeing a definite change in Rose and her appearance, fans witness her emotional resilience as an educated psychotherapist as she tries her best not to succumb to the entity by "quickly figur[ing] out what is going on", according to BiggieAndTheStooges. Her character abandoned the common need to run from terror to instead face it head-on in an attempt to use her education in psychotherapy to understand its inner workings and stop it, making her an interesting female character.
Alien (1979)
Stream On Starz
Alien is considered Alien franchise created a series of intricate characters that were highly skilled which one Redditor labeled "the best team humankind can offer" as they calmly navigate an unfamiliar entity even when under extreme amounts of stress.
The group formulated several strategies as they battled for their lives rather than just approaching the situation with conflict and violence, the team's ability to assess the situation whilst being faced with a series of attacks showcased not only their resilience but also their combined intellect.
A Quiet Place (2018)
Stream On Paramount+
A Quiet Place sparked conversation when it was first released in 2018 by inviting viewers into the Abbott family's home who have become equipped for their new silent world which has been invaded by noise-sensitive monsters.
From the offset, viewers are given an insight into how the Abbott family have adapted their way of life to survive, including the ingenious inventions they have come up with, highlighted by the absence of cutlery and a soundproof crib. Everything the family owns is designed to make as little sound as possible, and it becomes clear to Redditors that the Abbott family have plenty of intelligence, having "literally invented a silent way of living" in order to survive as a family. This resilience certainly makes them worth rooting for.
Insidious (2010)
Stream On FuboTV
Insidious is one movie fans claim is too scary to finish as viewers are given an insight into the Lambert's life as they move house, but their new home soon loses its charm when strange happenings begin to happen following their son Dalton's coma.
In the eyes of true horror fans like Spielburger_witFries, the couple "did everything they possibly could correctly" and defied becoming a series of horror characters that succumbed to the danger that surrounded them. Instead, the pair used initiative and tried to remove each threat, which was recognized by BeneficialPompelo6485, who noticed how they "actually move" when they think their house is haunted, highlighting the edge they have over other horror victims who didn't even attempt to escape.
Split (2016)
Rent On AppleTV
Split is M.Night Shyamalan's follow-up to 2016's Unbreakable, and it documents three girls who are kidnapped and then held hostage by a man called Kevin as they discover he has 23 personalities. While the film has been criticized for its inaccurate portrayal of Dissociative Identity Disorder (per CBR), some Redditors still think it deserves a shout-out for its intelligent protagonist, Casey.
Casey proves her intelligence when she analyzes Kevin and utilizes her calm personality to communicate with his different personalities. Her communication skills allow her to cleverly build a rapport that viewers watch develop on screen as Kevin begins to trust her, as recognized by Redditor rebeccassmileyface who suggested that "she used her own trauma to make him feel understood" which eventually led to her surviving.
The Cabin In The Woods (2012)
Rent On AppleTV
The Cabin In The Woods is considered one of the best horror movie of the 2010s as five friends travel to enjoy a vacation away but what they hope to be a weekend of partying soon turns into a fight for survival.
The movie throws viewers into a false sense of security before providing them with five characters that are much more intelligent than they first thought. Dana hints at her commitment to the studious side of college life in the opening scene whilst Marty constantly questions everything around him. The unlikely pair employed their combined knowledge to predict what happened next and attempt to counteract it as recognized by tygerprints, who explained how they loved that "what they said would happen, actually happens."
Escape Room (2019)
Stream On Starz
The group immediately deflects the usual narratives that accompany unlikely strangers within the horror genre and employs their strengths to work as a team, with each individual having their own skill set and adapting them accordingly to the situation. The two remaining contestants showcase their ability to think outside the box, with Zoey even faking her own death resulting in one Redditor explaining how "they literally documented themselves outsmarting each room and even tricked the gamemaster himself."
You're Next (2013)
Stream On Peacock
You're Next may have turned 10 in 2021, but the horror movie has certainly earned its place as a fan favorite within the genre through its petrifying game of cat and mouse that accompanies the Davidsons on a family getaway turned sour.
You're Next follows the standard layout of a horror movie and even plays into some tropes but provides viewers with a series of interesting characters, particularly Erin, who challenges the role of women within the genre. Erin seems like a calm individual before impressing fans with her hidden survival skills which she put to use by utilizing everyday items as a weapon, sparing no gore when it comes to killing, with one Redditor saying "I must it I liked the blender scene a ton."
Hush (2016)
Stream On Netflix
Hush hones in on remote living through the eyes of Maddie, a deaf woman who becomes a masked killer's next target, but she's not an easy victim as she defies both horror and disability tropes by utilizing her other senses alongside her intelligence to save her life.
The movie cleverly employs an inner narrative that gives viewers an insight into her thought process whilst also contrasting the idea that people who are deaf have no inner voice. Maddie's thoughts showcase her desire to outsmart her villain by disabling him through the use of light, and she even writes a description of the man so that police could catch him if he was to murder her, resulting in randomrandomski stating how Maddie is "really smart about fighting him."
The Thing (1982)
Stream On Peacock
The Thing tells the story of a research team who become invested in finding 'the thing' that fell from the sky, but the team soon falls victim to the alien that can take multiple shapes.
The film replaces a group of chaotic characters with a team of well-rounded and intelligent researchers who use their investigation skills to fight against an invisible entity and attempt to stay one step ahead. The protagonists cleverly battle both the alien's attack and their isolated location by employing their research alongside innovative plans to combat the elements, which resulted in Batman0127 expressing that it was "so refreshing to see a group of people actually act like intelligent adults," giving audiences someone to root for.
