A little of the dark side can be alluring! Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the cinematic women who best embody a gothic aesthetic.
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00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the cinematic women who best embody a gothic aesthetic.
00:12This could be with regards to their fashion sense, appearances, or general overall attitude.
00:25Number 20, Janice Ian, Mean Girls.
00:28Nice wig, Janice. What's it made of?
00:30Your mom's chest hair. I'm Janice.
00:32The name of this character may have been inspired by a 1970s folk singer,
00:36but this Janice Ian was a little bit goth while retaining the former's musical connection with teenage angst.
00:41Ian's personal style shifted during her school years,
00:44eschewing traditional ideals of feminine dress, and instead getting darker and edgier.
00:48Hey, buddy, you're not pretending anymore. You're plastic. Cold, shiny, hard plastic.
00:54The character may not be full-blown goth, but the darker side of humor and intellect is definitely with Janice Ian,
00:59and she remains one of the most interesting in the large ensemble cast featured in Mean Girls.
01:04I am so sorry, Regina. Really, I don't know why I did it.
01:07I guess it's probably because I've got a big lesbian crush on you.
01:13Suck all that!
01:18Number 19, Kate Acidburn Libby, Hackers.
01:22That's a nice score for a girl.
01:27Think you can do better?
01:28There are few films out there more capital N 90s than Hackers. This isn't really a bad thing,
01:34since the film now serves as a great time capsule of that decade's unique culture.
01:38Angelina Jolie was still beginning her acting career when she starred as Kate Acidburn Libby,
01:43a capable hacker and main protagonist of the film.
01:45Yeah, there's an Olympic-sized swimming pool up on the roof. Take the stairs over there.
01:51This was an era where Jolie's public profile, for better or worse,
01:54largely focused on her sexuality. The performance, as a result,
01:58is more than a little smoldering, to the point where some brief nudity was included
02:02within this PG-13 product. The actress would obviously turn to more serious fare after
02:06Hackers, but perhaps none of those films were as patently ridiculous as this one.
02:11What the hell is going on?
02:13Fool on the roof must have a leak.
02:15Number 18, Amy Blue, The Doom Generation.
02:18Hey, no smoking here.
02:22Jesus.
02:24Films such as The Doom Generation seem to have the words cult classic written all over them,
02:27don't they? Rose McGowan's star was shining brightly back in the mid-90s,
02:31and this film remains a forward-thinking example of transgressive, alternative cinema.
02:36You know, most of my relationships, they last about three days.
02:39Or, uh, three hours.
02:43Yeah. Well, relationships bite.
02:47McGowan's Amy Blue possesses a darkly alluring, powerful aura,
02:50and The Doom Generation practically boils over with sexual tension.
02:53The film was notable at the time of its mid-90s release for featuring a three-way
02:58sexual relationship between a woman and two men. Sure, there's a lot of sex in the film,
03:02but it's not the kind of film you'd expect to find in a movie.
03:05Sure, the situation isn't as shocking today,
03:07but it doesn't seem unfair to label McGowan's Amy Blue
03:10as a goth-slash-sex-subculture pioneer.
03:13I do not want to hear any more of this story.
03:16Number 17, Carol-slash-the-Bowler, Mystery Men.
03:19I guess I'll just have to take my ball and go home.
03:23No!
03:24Miss, please!
03:26There's an over-the-top and morbid backstory to the skull ball
03:29wielded by Carol the Bowler in 1997.
03:32The skull ball wielded by Carol the Bowler in 1999's Mystery Men.
03:36This sometimes-forgotten superhero parody featured Janine Garofalo as a superhero
03:41whose bowling ball is inhabited by the sentient skull of her dead father.
03:46I got my powers from my father.
03:48Oh, okay. Who's he?
03:50Have you ever heard of Carmine the Bowler?
03:52Have we ever heard of him?
03:53Cor, blimey, miss, don't tell us you're the Bowler's daughter.
03:57The Bowler and Carmine the Ball join the Mystery Men team,
04:01while Garofalo's typically deadpan delivery
04:03is aided by severe black eyeliner and dark clothes.
04:06There's historically been a shortage of goth-adjacent superheroines,
04:09so it's a good thing that the Bowler is out there fighting off the bad guys.
04:13You're right. I don't have the guts to kill you.
04:16Because I'm better than you!
04:18Yeah, that's right. A lot better.
04:20Number 16, Angela Franklin, Night of the Demons franchise.
04:31A word of advice.
04:32If goth queen Angela Franklin from the Night of the Demons franchise
04:35invites you to a party, decline.
04:37Otherwise, you might just be in for the fight of your life,
04:39as this demon in leather and lace tries to take your very soul.
04:43The original Night of the Demons was one of the most fun horror flicks from the late 80s,
04:46earning itself multiple sequels and even the remake treatment.
04:56Angela remains a constant presence throughout the series,
04:59but the initial performance by Emilia Kincaid is by far the best.
05:02Her transformation sequence is supremely effective,
05:05as Angela's goth veneer is replaced by a satanic face only the devil could love.
05:19Number 15, Vampira, Plan 9 from Outer Space.
05:23She's the original horror hostess with the mostess.
05:26A B-movie actress who captured the morbid imaginations of a generation
05:30with her character Vampira.
05:32The woman, born Myla Normie, was the pro-typical mistress of the dark way before Elvira.
05:36A tall and striking beauty with a lithe figure, beautiful bone structure,
05:41and a screen presence that belied the camp of Plan 9 from Outer Space.
05:53Vampira was mesmerizing, and Ed Wood's camera definitely loved her.
05:57As Plan 9's earnestness eventually earned the film a cult following,
06:00Normie's legacy will always be tethered to the film.
06:03But this isn't a bad thing, since her character of Vampira
06:05would live on within the memories of monster kids around the world.
06:14Number 14, Lily Munster, Munster Go Home.
06:23We're really glad that they made a Munster's movie shortly after the original series
06:27ended its run back in 1966.
06:29That's because Munster Go Home allows us to include Yvonne DeCarlo's
06:33iconic portrayal of the family's matriarch, Lily.
06:36Sure, Sherry Moon Zombie was able to put her own stamp on the Lily Munster role
06:40in her husband Rob's film, but who are we kidding?
06:47DeCarlo is one of the OG spooky ladies,
06:50who sent every dark heart fluttering back in the 1960s.
06:53Her glamour and charm were matched only by the grace and humour DeCarlo brought to the role.
06:58The actress' chemistry with co-star Fred Gwynn also helps,
07:01allowing Lily Munster's creepy legacy to endure.
07:12Number 13, Tiffany Valentine, Bride of Chucky.
07:21Jennifer Tilly is an actor with an immediately recognizable voice.
07:28She's also never shied away from utilizing her off-the-chart sexuality
07:32to add a little spice to a role.
07:33The character of Tiffany Valentine could have easily been a one-note
07:36scorned lover of the Lakeshore Strangler.
07:38Instead, Tilly leans heavily into a late 90s goth,
07:42accentuated by a bleeding heart tattoo that displays her love for Chucky.
07:51Valentine's character changes along with the franchise,
07:58becoming a mother and even occasionally showing remorse for her actions.
08:01This maturity assists Tiffany in being more than just eye candy in the first film,
08:05and more than a mere accomplice in future entries.
08:12Number 12, Alison Reynolds, The Breakfast Club.
08:15There's no deal, Sporto. Forget it. Leave me alone.
08:19The term goth wasn't exactly being thrown around
08:21in all-American high school subcultures back in the 1980s.
08:24Ally Sheedy's character of Alison Reynolds is instead referred to as a basket case,
08:29which is basically just another way to describe her shy, reserved, and awkward nature.
08:32It's the makeover of Reynolds that tends to divide some modern viewings of The Breakfast Club.
08:45Alison winds up at a very different place at the end of the film.
08:48Sure, every character leaves their Saturday detention a changed person,
08:51but it's only Reynolds that shifts her personality and appearance to the extreme?
08:55Was it for the better, however? You decide.
09:06Number 11, Stokely Stokes Mitchell, The Faculty.
09:10Played by Clea Duvall, Stokely Mitchell's life is turned upside down when she and her
09:17classmates suspect that their teachers may have been body snatched and replaced by a race of aliens.
09:33Stokes is your run-of-the-mill high school goth gal.
09:35Like, doesn't she just bring up memories of that mysterious and talented artist
09:39who smoked by herself before class?
09:41In this film, Stokes has got the gear down. Unkept dyed hair? Check.
09:45A sneer that succeeds in being a little cute and mysterious? Check.
09:48Oh, and don't forget her signature choker chain.
09:50Stokely understands that it takes a lot of effort to look like you don't care,
09:54even though she makes it look totally effortless.
10:03Number 10, Morticia Addams, The Addams Family.
10:10She's a trendsetter with sinister style. The OG goth, if you will.
10:21Morticia Addams is one of the innovators of the goth look, with her slinky black dress
10:26and funeral parlor complexion. The classic character was brought to life by Angelica
10:30Houston in the movies. Created by Charles Addams, the maternal head of the sallow and
10:47ghoulish Addams clan was reportedly inspired by his first wife. A lover of pruning the buds off
10:52her roses and taking care of her carnivorous plant, her hobbies seemed to match her macabre appearance.
10:57As her hubby Gomez famously said, when he met her at a funeral,
11:00she was so pale and mysterious, no one even looked at the corpse.
11:04Number 9, Jennifer J. Wilson, My First Mister.
11:27Lili Sobieski plays Jennifer, a gothic teen who only comes out of the stock room to make fun of
11:32her stuffy boss, Randall. But soon, they learn to trust each other and share their experiences
11:37of estrangement from their respective families. Lili's take on the goth punk look is a bit sharper,
11:42with numerous piercings, half-purple hair, and tattoos here and there.
11:45Despite her general keep-away vibe, there's a soulful nature in her eyes. Deep down,
12:04J, as she prefers to be called, eventually drops the moody outfits and self-imposed distance from
12:08others, and through her efforts, reunites her Randall with his estranged son.
12:16Number 8, Tosh Guarneri, Urban Legend.
12:30Danielle Harris plays Tosh the goth, a late-90s representative of the gothic subculture on a
12:35bit more of a Victorian trip. With her dark lipstick and alluring black corset, what freshman
12:40wouldn't want to have a dorm room on her floor? That is, except for the whole bit about the
12:45serial killer prowling a university campus and slaying students according to famous urban legends.
12:55She missed a big warning sign in the movie, and being the main character's roommate and all,
12:58poor poor goth Tosh was pretty doomed from the start. Well, at least she looked good.
13:02Number 7, Astrid Magnusson, White Oleander.
13:19An interesting anomaly on our list, played by Alison Lohman, Astrid doesn't seem to initially
13:23fit the pro-typical gothic standard, blonde hair and all. That is, until we see Astrid's pain and
13:28hardship manifest itself in her outward appearance as she goes from blonde and sunny to black and
13:33complicated in her hair color and clothing choices. She faces a family crisis and bounces from one
13:47foster home to another until she visits her long-absent and murderous mother in jail,
13:52intent on finding out what really happened to her family. Watching her journey gives us a
13:55deeper representation of her character, making Astrid seem more attractive and real.
14:13Number 6, Kim Diamond, Book of Shadows Blair Witch 2.
14:17You know, if you don't believe in the Blair Witch, then why the hell did you bother to come?
14:21I thought the movie was cool. This sequel to the successful flick The Blair Witch Project
14:26gives us the cynical goth psychic Kim. After she decides the location of the original film's
14:31mysterious goings-on would be a perfect road trip destination with her friends,
14:34she gets a bit more than she bargained for when her gang is beset with hallucinations.
14:39Erica, I've got the same thing, okay? It's nothing. It's like poison oak or something.
14:43They're Kim. They're growing. Kim is more of the drama school goth type,
14:48wool red and cynical, and with eyebrows made up in a permanent arch of irony.
14:52She's not averse to wearing crushed velvet dresses or lying behind a tombstone to feel
14:56the energy. She may be terrifying, but she's not afraid to tell it like it is,
15:00making her that much more attractive. What are you doing there?
15:04Trying to find the energy. Number 5, Lydia Deetz,
15:08Beetlejuice Franchise. We're really thankful that Winona Ryder has returned to public
15:22prominence in projects like Stranger Things and the 2024 sequel to Beetlejuice. Ryder's
15:27character of Lydia Deetz helped normalize a gothic appearance for younger people back in the 1988
15:32movie, while an adult Ryder doubled down on this aesthetic with Bram Stoker's Dracula in 1992.
15:37Lydia is a character endured too, both in animated form and on Broadway. Her obsession
15:42with the strange and unusual was dark, but not impenetrable. The character's sardonic sense of
16:00humor was fantastic too, enabling Lydia to develop alongside the Beetlejuice franchise.
16:07If you say his name three times, he will appear. I know this is a big step for you,
16:13but in the words of Dr. Glickman, I'm gonna give you the push you need.
16:19Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice.
16:24Number 4, Ginger Fitzgerald, Ginger Snaps.
16:28So, uh, Fitz, I think we should get together.
16:32Um, oh.
16:41Ginger Fitzgerald is a dark soul if there ever was one. Along with her sister,
16:45she has a fascination with death, and sports a look that falls somewhere between early 80s Madonna
16:50and suburban rebel. Of course, that was all until she was bit by what she thought was a strange dog
16:54one moonlit night. Soon, after some bizarre behavior and unwanted body hair pop up, Ginger
17:07realizes it was no stray dog, but rather a werewolf who infected her with its werewolf curse.
17:12Nothing like a real dance with the occult to build up your goth cred. Her subsequent possession
17:16gives her that real edge as she's pushed along by her darker urges, making her all the more dangerous
17:22and certainly hotter in the process. Number 3, Elvira, Elvira Mistress of the Dark.
17:44Born with the unassuming name of Cassandra Peterson, Elvira is an iconic late-night movie
17:55hostess who quickly caught our attention due to her enticingly macabre makeup and cleavagy
18:00funeral garb. She's been spun off into movies, comic books, and even a pinball machine game.
18:05She's eminently recognizable with her black beehive hairdo and beauty mark.
18:14She was doing the vampy goth look earlier than most on this list of ghoulish and good-looking
18:22gals, and nobody in the movies does it better. Number 2, Lisbeth Salander, The Girl with the
18:37Dragon Tattoo. Lisbeth Salander leaped off the pages of Stieg Larsson's Millennium Trilogy,
18:48and she's more than just a woman in black. Portrayed by the beautiful Rooney Mara in the
18:52film, she's a dangerous and well-trained woman on a mission who can hack a mainframe one minute
18:58and display her jujitsu skills the next. She's pierced, has a spiked necklace, and of course,
19:03sports the film's titular tattoo. The thing about Lisbeth is that she's not just trying
19:14out different fashion choices. She's communicating that she's a person who has seen some serious
19:18stuff and is not afraid to let her appearance convey her complications. Her tragic, rebellious
19:23spirit makes her all the more alluring. Before we continue, be sure to subscribe to our channel
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19:38occasional videos or all of them. If you're on your phone, make sure you go into your settings
19:43and switch on notifications. Number 1, Nancy Downes, The Craft.
19:50Feruza Balk has a face that was made to rep the goth look, with her dark-rimmed, arresting eyes.
20:04She plays Nancy, the alpha female of a high school coven of witches,
20:08who has a hunger for power and the dark arts.
20:10Her black makeup and pale skin, set off by her pearly whites and maroon lipstick,
20:21make Nancy a bit more rock and roll than your average high school goth chick.
20:25Plus, she's got a smile that manages to somehow be both gleeful and murderous.
20:29This rebellious teen has got that will-ruin-your-life-as-you-love-every-minute-of-it
20:34kind of vibe and is not afraid to get into trouble, making her a great example of a badass babe.
20:41Do you feel that goth characters are underrepresented in modern cinema?
20:49Sound off in the comments.
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