There is no denying the fact that Maika Monroe has become a modern scream queen of sorts. By appearing in some of the most compelling horror movies of the last decade, she has portrayed characters that have lingered long in the minds of horror enthusiasts. The actor is still in her 30s but she has solidified herself as one of the most promising names in the industry.
Monroe has an innate ability to convey emotions like strength and vulnerability. She first grabbed our attention with her role in It Follows, where she brought fear and tension to the screen as Jay Height, a teenager being stalked by a mysterious supernatural entity. In the years since, Monroe has continued to play remarkable roles in horror movies and psychological thrillers.
Whether confronting unrelenting terrors or solving chilling cold cases, Monroe has the ability to immerse audiences in each role with her outstanding screen presence. In 2024’s Longlegs, she united with Oz Perkins to play an FBI agent grappling with uncovering the identity of a serial killer, played masterfully by Nicolas Cage. This list ranks all of Maika Monroe’s performances in the horror genre and demonstrates why she is one of the most astounding faces of modern horror.
9 Case Hardin
God Is a Bullet (2023)
A fairly disappointing entry into the genre, God Is a Bullet centers around Detective Bob Hightower, who discovers that his daughter and ex-wife have been kidnapped by a satanic cult. Instead of waiting for them to come to their senses, he takes matters into his own hands, teams up with Case Hardin, the cult’s only female victim escapee, and a mysterious social renegade who only goes by The Ferryman, to infiltrate the cult and take down its leader.
Delivered With Chilling Intensity
Adapted from Boston Teran’s novel of the same name, God Is a Bullet is not so much horror as it is a psychological thriller with interesting notes of action. It stars Nikolaj Coster-Waldau alongside Maika Monroe and Jamie Foxx. As Bob and Case and Ferryman, their chemistry is electric and unpredictable. Fans who know Monroe for her traditional performances are in for a treat because it showed new dimensions to her talents and range within the genre.
8 Julia
Tau (2018)
A multi-language Netflix original directed by Federico D’Alessandro, Tau is a movie that dabbles in science fiction, horror, and psychological thriller genres. Maika Monroe takes the lead role of Julia, a young woman and petty criminal who is abducted from her home and held hostage by a man named Alex, who wants to conduct scientific experiments on her.
She interacts with an artificial intelligence named Tau, who eventually understands her enough to be willing to help her escape isolation.
Haunting and Heartbreaking
Unlike other movies centered around AI, Tau only lightly dips its toes into the conceptual part of it all and instead focuses on the main character’s fragile state of mind and the subtle conversations she has with the titular robot.
Monroe delivers a deeply unnerving performance as a woman whose independence chips away bit by bit. Gary Oldman, who voices the AI, and Ed Skrein, the scientist, shoulder the movie with their equally complex and haunting performances. The movie, however, was not a hit with critics because they expected the writing and the plot to be more gripping.
7 Ruth
Significant Other (2022)
A hidden gem with a generic plot, Significant Other stars Maika Monroe as Ruth, one half of a young couple who have been in a relationship for six years now. She reluctantly joins her boyfriend, Harry, on an isolated hiking trip in the woods. As you’d expect, Ruth begins to believe there is a sinister force in the forest that threatens her and her boyfriend’s safekeeping. Events soon start spiraling out of control and Ruth is forced to face the supernatural.
Constant Feeling of Rising Terror
Monroe expertly balances the movie on a knife edge with her performance. The scenes, which are equal parts ambiguous and explosively scary, help elevate the genre to greater heights. Opposite her is Jake Lacy, who crafts a tense and vulnerable character and makes you root for him.
According to critics, Significant Other “does not reinvent the genre, but its narrative flourishes make for an exciting outing.” The movie is a delight for even non-horror fans because of its constant build-up, paranoia, effective reveals, and a plot that burrows deeply under the skin.
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6 Jules
Villains (2019)
Like Significant Other, Villains is also written and directed by Dan Berk and Robert Olsen. It is a black comedy horror that stars Bill Skarsgård as Mickey, a small-time crook committing petty crimes so he can raise enough funds to live a dream life in Florida with the love of his life, Jules, played by Maika Monroe.
The two break into the large home when their car runs out of fuel, but they discover far more than they’d expected to and end up being kidnapped by the owners of the home instead.
An Unusual Descent Into Chaos
The fact that Villains strays away from the usual horror fare where the main characters are innocent is only the first interesting thing about the movie. From crime to drama to horror to bizarre darkness, it’s got elements that give you offbeat entertainment and gut-wrenching anxiety.
Villains is also Skarsgård’s most refreshing role; he maintains his own unstable and volatile energy and balances it with Monroe’s realistic one. Critics cheered their jolting chemistry and the movie’s quirky black humor. Overall, an impressive entry into the home-invasion subgenre.
5 Erica Penn
Greta (2018)
Greta
- Release Date
- February 28, 2019
- Director
- Neil Jordan
Greta is another stylish psychological thriller horror. Directed by Neil Jordan, it follows Frances McCullen, a young waitress who becomes obsessed with a lonely widow named Greta Hideg after finding her handbag on a subway train. Frances reaches out to Greta, learns about her life, and is so intrigued that she starts keeping her company. But as Greta inserts herself deeper into Frances’ life, the waitress finds herself ensnared into a dark web of manipulation and secrets.
Monroe Is a Vital Supporting Character
Director Jordan crafts a tantalizing thriller filled with feelings of confusion, fear and desperation. The understated precision as the relationships between the characters spirals towards a shocking climax deserves all the praise. Chloë Grace Moretz plays Frances and Isabelle Huppert plays Greta.
Maika Monroe stars as Erica, Frances’ best friend and roommate who not only sends warning signals her way but stays close in case of trouble. The movie may focus more on Frances but it allows Monroe’s Erica to showcase her clever and steady side.
She’s also present in the movie’s two standout scenes; one of which is a chase between her and Huppert’s character. Overall, Monroe’s supporting turn took Greta from a pulpy horror to a thoughtful examination of toxic relationships and loyal friendships.
4 Anna
The Guest (2014)
2014 was the year that put Maika Monroe on the map as a scream queen. The Guest is one of the two movies that helped establish that status for her. Directed by Adam Wingard, it follows a small-town family, the Petersons, who are grieving the loss of their son, Caleb, a soldier lost to the war in Afghanistan.
A mysterious drifter named David Collins appears in town and claims to have known Caleb, soon inserting himself into the Petersons’ lives and becoming responsible for a series of killings in town.
Features Raw Intensity and Dread
The Guest is not like Wingard’s other horror movies. It is dark, twisted, deceptive and slow-burn. Dan Stevens delivers a simmering performance as David Collins and drives the narrative from an unassuming thriller to a full-on slasher by the end.
But beneath the smoldering intensity, it is Monroe’s turn as Anna, the sister of a fallen hero, that stands out the most. She is suspicious of Stevens’ character from the beginning and watching her convey enthralling duelties – naivety and wisdom – is truly interesting. Overall, The Guest arrived early in Monroe’s career and announced her skills in the horror genre.
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3 Julia
Watcher (2022)
Watcher
- Release Date
- June 3, 2022
- Director
- Chloe Okuno
Based on an original screenplay written by Zack Ford and directed by Chloe Okuno in her feature directorial debut, Watcher is a near-perfect horror movie. Maika Monroe portrays a young woman named Julia, who moves with her husband Francis (played by Karl Glusman) to Bucharest for his new job.
It isn’t long before Julia begins to feel uneasy in her high-rise apartment and sense unseen eyes watching her every move. She tries to convince Francis that someone is stalking them from the building across the street, but when no one seems to care, Julia questions her own sanity.
A Nerve-Shredding Horror
Okuno ratchets up an exquisite slow-burn that makes you squirm in your seat. Monroe fully inhabits the role of Julia, who cannot decide if it is the unfamiliarity of the new city or if she’s losing her grip on sanity by imbuing even the most mundane moments with anxiety. She is a complex character, but you can relate to her.
The cat-and-mouse plot leaves her perspective blurred and fractured but she nails the role so accurately that you can literally feel the intimate terror and distrust around her. Watcher ends on a brilliant tone too, allowing Monroe to emerge as a final girl.
2 Lee Harker
Longlegs (2024)
Longlegs
Longlegs is a horror thriller film by writer-director Osgood Perkins. When FBI agent Lee Harker is assigned to a serial killer cold case, their investigation leads them down a rabbit hole riddled with disturbing discoveries and the occult at the center of it all. When the trail of evidence reveals a personal connection, it becomes a race against time to prevent another murder.
- Release Date
- July 12, 2024
In Longlegs, Maika Monroe plays a young FBI agent named Lee Karker, who is assigned to investigate the bizarre murder cases left behind by the titular killer, who has been on a spree for decades now. Families have fallen victims to his elusive kills and all that’s left at the crime scene are coded letters. Lee’s intuition leads her to where others fear to tread and she discovers clues beyond mortal understanding. The deeper she dives, the more cryptic and chilling her journey gets.
Plays With Minimalism and Paranoia
Nicolas Cage, in his role as Longlegs, is nothing short of phenomenal. His portrayal of the erratic, disfigured antagonist requires him to oscillate between calm and menace, and Cage’s ability to switch gears makes it effortless and riveting. Directed by Osgood Perkins, the movie is both quiet and creepy. She uses short lenses and distorted frames to create an occult-y atmosphere.
But more than anything, it is Monroe’s brilliance and wild predictability as Lee that makes the movie so compelling and one of the year’s best.
1 Jay Height
It Follows (2014)
The only reason Longlegs ranks second on the list is because it can be too niche for some. It Follows, on the other hand, is a modern horror masterpiece. Directed by David Robert Mitchell, the movie revolves around Jay Height, a university student who has a sexual encounter with an older out-of-town guy.
Following this, she finds herself being stalked by a sinister supernatural entity only she can see. Jay slowly realizes that the only way to escape its curse and save her own life is to pass it on to someone else.
Iconic Debut Into Final Girl Legacy
It Follows is a waking nightmare to watch. Despite drawing inspiration from movies like The Blair Witch Project, it is smart, original, suspenseful, and sustained in its own right. Mitchell’s premise and use of camera adds nuance and emotional complexity to the predictable tropes of the genre.
Monroe, who plays Jay, delivers a performance so unforgettable it resonates even today. She conveys the confusion, terror, and determination of her young character and anchors the movie’s allegory about physical intimacy and peer pressure. It Follows, thus, remains the landmark horror movie that introduced Monroe as a final girl for the new generation.