Consider This from NPR

Author Grady Hendrix Explores What Happens To 'Final Girls' After The Credits Roll

Oct 29, 2021

Grady Hendrix, the author of "The Final Girl Support Group," dives into the iconic trope of the Final Girl in horror films, examining their lives once the credits roll. He discusses the blend of trauma and strength these characters endure, showcasing their resilience in the face of societal violence. Hendrix critiques the horror genre's gender dynamics and highlights how market capitalism becomes an inescapable villain. With a blend of humor and insight, he reimagines these survivors as complex individuals, battling both their pasts and the fleeting nature of survival.

11:08

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Grady Hendrix

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Episode notes

Intro

2min

Reimagining the Final Girl: A Deep Dive into Horror Archetypes

4min

Exploring the Haunting Legacy of Final Girls in Horror

4min

The Evolution of the Final Girl Trope in Horror

2min

A final girl in the horror genre is the woman who is left to deal with the aftermath of surviving a terrifying killer. From The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, to Friday the 13th, to Halloween.

The term 'Final Girl' was first coined by writer Carol J. Clover in her book Men, Women, and Chainsaws: Gender in the Modern Horror Film.

Society knows this trope well. But after the credits roll, audiences typically don't know much about what actually happens to that final girl. Or whether she can live a normal life after being hunted down by a masker killer.

Author Grady Hendrix unpacks that in his latest novel, The Final Girl Support Group.

"The ultimate faceless killer they can't escape is the forces of market capitalism. There's always a sequel. So even if you survive Part I and II, they're going to get you in Part III. And there's something terrible about that to me, that you never get to let your guard down," Hendrix said.

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