There is a shadow cast on the women in film who create – or possibly worse – assume the roles of monstrous characters. Still, they persist in portraying characters of the darkest natures, from evil villainesses, to women who are just “born bad”, to those who are simply misunderstood, maybe even a little…disturbed. Each actress praised here fearlessly embraces some form of the film world’s most difficult women.
In the process, they redefine and reinterpret the role of women in emotionally and psychologically unnerving material. They are not necessarily in the archetypal roles of “the victim”, “the femme fatale”, or “the bitch”. Therefore, with such nuanced performances, these women represent the full spectrum of female characters in this genre, offering filmgoers a dynamic range that compels us to delve into the deepest of shadows and sit transfixed by both horror and admiration.