Just in time for Mother’s Day, this list details nine mothers in horror who stood up for their loved ones and proved to be some of the strongest heroines ever depicted on screen. While many of these mothers are protagonists, others are terrifying villains, and yet, they all share a loyalty and fierceness that is undeniable.
Kate Coleman in Orphan
Played by Vera Farmiga, Kate is a matriarch who truly loves her family and will do whatever it takes to protect them, which is why she kicks off our list of the best horror movie moms. In 2009’s Orphan, Kate and her husband decide to expand their family and adopt the seemingly 9-year-old Esther (Isabelle Fuhrman), but anyone who has seen the movie knows the shocking twist concerning the truth about Esther’s origins.
Kate experienced a tragic past before the events of the film take place, and Esther tries to use this against her. However, Kate’s tumultuous past has actually made her stronger, and she is able to defeat Esther in an epic final battle that takes place on a frozen lake.
Orphan is currently available to stream on Max.
Donna Trenton in Cujo
Dee Wallace is a legendary scream queen who has played several characters who could qualify for this list. However, her performance as a terrified parent trapped in a car with her son in this classic Stephen King adaptation takes the cake.
In 1983’s Cujo, Donna, who is experiencing stress in her marriage, goes to her mechanic’s house with her young son, unaware that the family’s St. Bernard is rabid. Donna locks herself in her Ford Pinto for the majority of the movie, protecting her and her child from the monstrous animal. Throughout the film’s runtime, Donna battles dehydration and exhaustion in addition to the risk of being eaten alive by a man-eating dog, and she always puts the life of her son Tad first, which is why she’s one of the best horror movie moms.
Cujo is currently available to stream on Max.
Amelia Vanek in The Babadook
The Babadook is a modern-day classic from Australia depicting a physical representation of grief that terrorizes a mother and her troubled son after they find a mysterious children’s book in their home. Essie Davis‘ Amelia is at first overtaken by the Babadook, slowly becoming violent towards her child, but soon finds the strength inside herself to conquer the entity possessing her.
Amelia’s love for her son is enough to defeat the spirit, who eventually ends up chained up in the family’s basement. Another admirable thing Amelia does in the film is go down to the basement to deal with the spirit of grief without letting it affect her child any longer.
The Babadook is currently available to stream on Netflix and AMC+.
Beverly Sutphin in Serial Mom
Directed by master of camp John Waters, Serial Mom is a hilarious satire on suburban life. The film stars Kathleen Turner as Beverly Sutphin, a seemingly ordinary mother of two and member of the PTA, who is secretly a serial killer.
While Beverly is a murderer, the people she picks off are those who hurt her family, such as her daughter’s cheating boyfriend. The way that Beverly uses her alter ego as a serial killer to help her family is strangely endearing.
Serial Mom is currently available to rent on Prime Video.
Pamela Voorhees in Friday the 13th
The original killer in the first Friday the 13th film, Pamela Voorhees went on a killing spree to avenge the death of her son, Jason. While being bullied at camp, Jason drowns and Pamela kills several camp counselors years later out of a fit of rage.
While Pamela’s murderous actions are inexcusable, her devotion to her beloved son does make her a caring mother. Jason ends up coming back in Part 2 to avenge his mom in another murder spree, and returns for countless sequels, creating one of the most twisted yet admirable mother-son bonds in horror.
Friday the 13th is currently available to stream on Max.
Mother Firefly in The Devil’s Rejects
Now, Mother Firefly is basically pure evil, but she will do anything for her family of murderous psychopaths. In The Devil’s Rejects, the house of the Firefly family is raided by police, and while some escape, Mother Firefly is caught.
Towards the middle of The Devil’s Rejects, Mother Firefly (brilliantly played by Leslie Easterbrook, taking over for the equally great Karen Black) refuses to tell the police anything about her family and is subsequently killed. Mother Firefly is an extremely memorable character whose loyalty is as boundless as her brutality, which makes her one of the best horror movie moms.
The Devil’s Rejects is currently available to stream on Plex and Pluto TV.
Rose in Silent Hill
2006’s Silent Hill is arguably one of the best video game adaptations ever made. The film tells the story of a young girl named Sharon who repeats the name of an abandoned mining town in her sleep. Her mother Rose (Radha Mitchell) decides to take Sharon to Silent Hill, but after a car accident, Sharon is separated from her daughter and thrown into a nightmare involving witchcraft and terrifying monsters.
Rose spends most of the film’s runtime putting herself in danger in order to save her daughter. Rose also manages to uncover the secrets of Silent Hill and bring down the evil that reigned over the city, making her one of the most underrated heroines of all time.
Silent Hill is currently available to stream on Netflix.
Laurie Strode in Halloween (2018)
Laurie Strode may have been a teenage final girl in the original Halloween, but in David Gordon Green’s 2018 sequel, Strode is a survivalist queen who owns more weapons than the average marine. Strode, (once again played by Jamie Lee Curtis), knows that slasher Michael Myers will be back, even when no one pays attention to her.
When Myers does ultimately come back to finish what he started, Strode stands up against him in ways no viewer saw coming. In 2022’s Halloween Ends, Strode is still headstrong and happy after suffering from a familial loss, and she manages to win a battle against Michael one final time, which is why she closes off our list of the best horror movie moms.
Halloween (2018) is currently available to stream with a Hulu premium subscription.
