5 up-and-coming scream queens to keep an eye on

With September just beginning, this time of year is when many horror movies begin to be released. One of the big pieces for a lot of the iconic films in the genre is a good scream queen. A few that come to mind are Jamie Lee Curtis for her portrayal of Laurie Strode in the Halloween franchise and Linda Blair for The Exorcist movie series.

But as time passes, the next generation of scream queens is beginning to appear. Here are five up-and-comers who have been making their mark in the horror category and won us over:

5. Willa Fitzgerald

If you haven't seen Strange Darling yet, then see it. In one of the more thrilling movies of the year, Willa Fitzgerald steals the show with a performance in the thriller/horror category that is more than deserving of awards. Keep an eye on her in the upcoming years.

Read More: Movie Brat: Every film that pop star Charli XCX is set to appear in

4. Kathryn Newton

Kathryn Newton has recently made her mark in the horror department, starring in two movies that were released this year, Lisa Frankenstein and Abigail. Before that, she was in Freaky, where she played a high school student who switches bodies with a serial killer.

3. Maika Monroe

It's hard to forget Maika Monroe's breakout performance in It Follows, which ignited her acting and horror career back in 2014. But after starring in an intense psychological thriller Watcher in 2022, Monroe delivered another strong performance in the heart-pounding film Longlegs, released this year.

Read More: Did you miss M. Night Shyamalan's Trap? Don't worry, it's streaming

2. Mia Goth

Mia Goth continues to run the horror category after showing her acting prowess throughout the X trilogy while playing Maxxxine Minx and Pearl. Goth also starred in Infinity Pool and is set to play the Bride of Frankenstein in Guillermo Del Toro's Frankenstein.

1. Jenna Ortega

There is no question that Jenna Ortega takes the number one spot for the current scream queen at this point. From her appearances in the recent Scream films, starring in X, and playing Wednesday Adams on the popular hit Netflix series Wednesday, Ortega continues to rise in stardom. She also will star in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, which hits theaters this week.