20 best badass women of horror movies
10. Jess Bradford (Black Christmas)
Not to be too glib about it, but it often seems like merely existing in a film-version sorority house is a horror show. As a sorority sister, you’d be constantly assailed by clueless frat bros, catcallers, and menacing house mothers. You’d also have to deal with a whole bevy of cultural assumptions about sororities, none of which are generous regarding your brains or ambitions.
In horror movies, in particular, sorority houses are the sites of some truly horrible crimes. After all, these can be potentially spun out as places full of naive, vulnerable young women. It’s practically a serial killer’s dream. In fact, in one genuinely awful real-life example, that was the case for the sisters of Chi Omega house.
At least in some horror films, however, the sisters can get their revenge. Such is the case in Black Christmas, a 1974 Canadian film. It begins during a Christmas party hosted by Jess Bradford (Olivia Hussey) and her fellow sorority sisters Barb, Phyl, Clare, and more.
An obscene phone call soon turns menacing when the caller threatens to kill the women. Some aren’t inclined to take him seriously until the killings begin. Jess starts to suspect that her boyfriend, Peter, may have something to do with it. After all, they’ve been arguing; Jess is pregnant and wants an abortion, while Peter is determined that she should go ahead with the pregnancy. One of the phone calls even apparently quotes an argument the two had.
Jess begins calling the police and, when that fails, arms herself with a fireplace poker. The killer — who may or may not be Peter — is in for far more than he had bargained for.