ISSUE #144
BEAM FROM THE BOOTH | GRAND RAPIDS FILM SOCIETY
[EDITED BY: SPENCER EVERHART & GRIFFIN SHERIDAN]
Welcome back to BEAM FROM THE BOOTH, the official newsletter of the GRAND RAPIDS FILM SOCIETY!
A reminder that TOMORROW EVENING (6/9) at 7:00pm, we’re hosting another free installment of our INDUSTRY PANEL SERIES, which features a panel-style discussion on various aspects of working as an independent artist, hosted in Wealthy Theater’s Koning Micro-Cinema. This event’s topic is INTRODUCTION TO ART DEPARTMENT so if you or someone you know is a budding art director, we highly encourage you to join us.
Likewise, NEXT MONDAY (6/15), we are thrilled to be partnering with the GRAND RAPIDS PRIDE CENTER to bring you all a screening of Jennie Livingston’s PARIS IS BURNING. This is sure to be both a lively and introspective evening, which we will layout further in an event preview later this week...so keep your eyes peeled.
It has been a historic couple of weeks at the box office with regards to the runaway success of low-budget horror hits Obsession and Backrooms. While there are many different facets of this that we could all chat about, our friend Anna Davis put together a very interesting piece regarding Backrooms’ costume design and how it compares to other horror icons. Check it out!
FINAL GIRL FASHION: BREAKING DOWN THE ELEMENTS OF A GREAT HORROR HEROINE OUTFIT
[BY: ANNA DAVIS]
While watching Backrooms (2026), I noted the delightfully dated outfits, particularly those worn by Renate Reinsve’s Mary. It got me thinking: what makes a good horror movie costume? In particular, I thought of Final Girl outfits — the ones worn by heroines during a film’s final act as she tries to defeat or evade whatever demon, serial killer, or monster that has been tormenting her.
I have a working theory that the best Final Girl looks nail five key elements, which are as follows...
Element 1: There should be a layer of clothing that can be shed. A headband, a jacket, a scarf — something that can easily be lost or, at the very least, torn as the Final Girl makes her way to safety. This helps to emphasize how much peril she is in. Preceding the climax of Backrooms, Mary removes her shoulder-padded blazer and lets her hair down, as we see it in a ponytail just moments before. The updated ‘do is also much better for getting bloody (see Element 2).
See also: Hunter Schafer, as Gretchen, before losing her jacket in the finale of Cuckoo (2024)
Element 2: It’s gotta look good covered in blood, duh. A leather jacket wouldn’t stain well, whereas silk would stain far too much. In Backrooms, the blood on Mary’s blouse stands out vibrantly on the light colored shirt — the gore surrounded by sweet pink flowers. Clearly, costume designer Mica Kayde (Longlegs [2024], The Monkey [2025]) put great care into finding the right fabrics for the climactic sequence.
See also: Sophie Thatcher, as Iris, in Companion (2025)
Element 3: Though plenty of Final Girls have donned mini-skirts and halter tops, wearability is critical. The actor has to be able to move. Mary’s perfectly-tailored slacks are a comfortable choice for scenes that require a fair bit of running, ducking, and falling. Her loafers both make sense for her character (see Element 5) and would be supportive for long days on set.
See also: Jamie Lee Curtis wearing Laurie Strode’s classic blouse + jeans combo in Halloween (1978)
Element 4: It has to be replicable. For scenes with lots of gore, costume departments will create multiples of outfits in various states of disarray. In many low-budget flicks, you’ll note the Final Girl often dons a very simple look of a white tank top and jeans because it’s cheap and easy to stock up on copies. Outfits with many frills or ties can be tough for continuity, especially once the blood starts flowing (see Element 2). Though Mary’s blouse is unique, with a budget of $10 million on Backrooms Kayde could afford a few dupes.
See also: Sophie Wilde, as Mia, wearing a white tank top and black trousers in Talk to Me (2022); also notable is the yellow motif running in her wardrobe throughout the film.
Element 5: It needs to be iconic, a visual representation of the character herself. It’s also the outfit that is generally most remembered from the movie, tossed on promo materials, and seen most in trailers. And, for a studio looking to profit in perpetuity, it’s ideally a costume that is wearable on Halloween forevermore.
Mary is a therapist, and her well-tailored outfits are fashionable for the movie’s time period, reflective of her professional stature, and a bit humorous when seen in the liminal underworld of the Backrooms. It’s also easy to find similar clothes at your local thrift store — perfect for a Mary & Clark couples costume (or perhaps Mary & Phil?).
See also: Mia Goth in Pearl (2022)
So that’s my pitch for achieving a perfect Final Girl horror look. If you think of Final Girl outfits that align with this, or perhaps totally violate it, I always welcome you sending me a mention on Letterboxd.
If you’d like to nominate someone else in the community for a future spotlight, please fill out this form. If you’d like to explore the archive of past Community Spotlights, click this link.
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Look for ISSUE #145 in your inbox NEXT WEEK!
Until then, friends...
