Jamie Lee Curtis has shown that she is more than just a horror final girl. Winning an Oscar for her performance in Everything Everywhere All at Once and returning as the beloved Tess Coleman in Freakier Friday, Curtis has shown she is just as strong an actress as she was over 40 years ago. Although she has turned in numerous great performances in her film career, arguably her best performance has been in her time on TV.
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It may have only lasted two seasons, but Scream Queens stands as one of the most underrated horror comedy series on television and deserved to go on for more seasons. Curtis’s charismatic and commanding role as Dean Munsch is easily some of her strongest work to date. Stemming from her horror roots, she was able to craft a character that is compelling in multiple genres.
Jamie Lee Curtis Is the Queen of Horror
From her roles in films like the Halloween franchise, The Fog, and Prom Night, Jamie Lee Curtis has proved that no one else captures horror like she does. Whether she’s the innocent final girl or the badass fighter, Curtis delivers on all fronts. This stays true in Scream Queens. She portrays physical and mental strength in every frame, acting as a woman who no one should mess around with. Whether she’s fighting psychopathic serial killers or cancel culture, Curtis is always captivating on screen.
Scream Queens acts as a parody of older horror films like Black Christmas and The House on Sorority Row, and Curtis capitalizes on it perfectly. She is gifted wild lines of dialogue that would never come out of a real person’s mouth, and her serious approach to the dialogue makes it way more hilarious than it otherwise would have been. Whether she is trying to sleep with a sorority sister’s dad or mapping out the killing of her ex-husband, Curtis’s stoic nature brings the world of Scream Queens to life stronger than everyone in the cast.
Curtis’s horror roots are seen throughout the entire series. There are many occasions when she is being chased or attacked by a serial killer, and she plays it like it is something she deals with all the time. From her skilled fighting moves to her constant awareness of her surroundings, Curtis beautifully uses her past roles to create a fully fleshed out character that is easy to root for despite having unlikable character traits.
Scream Queens Is One of the Most Underrated Shows of the 2010s
Jamie Lee Curtis’s incredible performance isn’t the only thing about the show that is underrated; Scream Queens, in itself, is one of the most underrated shows of the 2010s. Although it takes inspiration from countless horror and comedy films, the show has its own distinct identity that was far ahead of its time. From its fast-paced editing to the electronic score, it has all the ingredients of a modern, Gen Z TV show despite being 10 years old. Scream Queens also plays as a mystery, constantly revealing new information about the ensemble that makes predicting the serial killer more difficult than the usual whodunnit. For fans of slashers, this show delivers on everything it should while providing its own voice to the genre.
Curtis isn’t the only actress giving career-best work. Emma Roberts is fantastic as Chanel Oberlin, capturing the bitchy sorority girl perfectly, constantly yelling her lines of dialogue in a hilarious and captivating manner. Glen Powell also gives an amazing frat bro performance, fully immersing himself into the asshole character through his diction and physical performance. The show also includes the likes of Abigail Breslin, Billie Lourd, Nick Jonas, and Taylor Launter, all of whom give great performances. Their mix of overacting and stoic delivery of the dialogue gives the film a distinct tone that is always engaging. Curtis may be the standout of the show, but the entire ensemble is incredible through and through.
Roles in The Last Showgirl and The Bear may express Curtis’ dramatic work that is far easier to empathize with, but her work in Scream Queens stands among her best due to her ability to blend multiple genres into one performance. From horror and comedy, and sometimes even action, Curtis is constantly at the top of her game in a show that deserved far more attention than it got. Two seasons were not nearly enough time spent with these characters.
Scream Queens is available to stream on Hulu.
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