A horror buff took to an internet forum looking for recommendations for horror films where the protagonist/victim flips the script on the villains. These 12 films are some of the best in the genre because they don't craft conveniently stupid victims that easily fall like pawns in the villain's games, making the stakes even higher and more engaging.

1- Scream (1996)

Scream is a slasher film about a masked killer who terrorizes the small town of Woodsboro. The killer targets a group of high school students, including Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell), who is grieving the loss of her mother. As the body count rises, Sidney and her friends try to uncover the killer's identity before it's too late.

In a twist, the final reveal reveals that there are actually two killers, one of whom is Sidney's boyfriend. Sidney turns the tables on the killers by using their own weapons against them and ultimately survives with the help of her friends.

2- The People Under The Stairs (1991)

This Wes Craven horror film is about a young boy named Fool (Brandon Adams) who breaks into a wealthy couple's home to steal their money. However, he soon discovers that the couple are sadistic landlords who have been trapping children in their basement for years. Fool teams up with one of the couple's previous victims, a teenage girl named Alice (A.J. Langer), to fight back against the couple and free the children.

In a satisfying twist, the victims turn the tables on the villains, using their own booby traps against them to emerge victorious.

3- Happy Death Day (2017)

This Groundhog Day-style slasher film follows a college student named Tree (Jessica Rothe) who is forced to relive the day of her murder over and over again. As she tries to figure out who is killing her, she discovers that the key to breaking the time loop is to solve her problems and become a better person.

Ultimately, Tree successfully identifies her killer and takes back control by killing them before they can kill her.

4- A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

A Nightmare on Elm Street is about a group of teenagers who are stalked and killed in their dreams by a supernatural serial killer named Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund). The final girl, Nancy Thompson (Heather Langenkamp), discovers that she can use her own dreams to defeat Freddy and bring him into the real world, where he is vulnerable.

In a final confrontation, Nancy turns the tables on Freddy and defeats him using her wits and resourcefulness.

5- Ready or Not (2019)

This horror-comedy is about a young bride named Grace (Samara Weaving) who marries into a wealthy and eccentric family. However, on her wedding night, she discovers that her new in-laws are part of a secret cult that requires a sacrifice every time a new member joins the family. Grace is the sacrifice, but she fights against her attackers using whatever weapons she can find.

She uses her resourcefulness and intelligence to evade the family's attempts to kill her and eventually discovers that the demonic entity is real and requires a specific sacrifice. In the climactic ending, Grace manages to lure the family members into a trap and ultimately sacrifices them to the demonic entity instead.

By outwitting the villains, Grace not only survives the deadly game but also ensures that the family's twisted tradition is put to an end.

6- Hostel (2005)

Hostel is a horror film about a group of backpackers who are lured to a Slovakian hostel, where they are kidnapped and tortured by wealthy businessmen who pay to kill people. The final girl, Paxton (Jay Hernandez), manages to escape and turns the tables on his attackers by brutally killing the organization members who have been torturing and murdering people for profit.

He uses their weapons against them, showing no mercy as he inflicts deadly revenge. However, the film also raises questions about the morality of revenge and whether violence begets more violence.

7- It Follows (2014)

It Follows is a supernatural horror film about a teenage girl named Jay (Maika Monroe) who, after sleeping with her new boyfriend, becomes the target of a deadly and relentless entity that will pursue her until she dies or passes the curse onto someone else. As the entity takes on different forms and approaches her slowly but surely, Jay and her friends attempt to defeat it but quickly realize they can only delay it.

Jay must use her intelligence and resourcefulness to outsmart the entity and turn the tables on it. She ultimately passes on the curse to someone else, but not before making a plan to contain it and prevent it from spreading any further.

The ending shows a shadowy figure following her and her new love interest — a purposely ambiguous ending representing the looming presence of death and the inevitability of our mortality.

8- Don't Breathe (2016)

This horror film follows a group of teenagers who break into a blind man's house to steal his money, only to discover that he is a dangerous and violent man who will stop at nothing to protect his home. The final girl, Rocky (Jane Levy), manages to outsmart the blind man and turns the tables on him by using his vulnerabilities against him.

In a surprising twist, it is revealed that the blind man has been keeping a woman captive in his basement, and Rocky ultimately decides to save her instead of taking the money and escaping.

9- The Shining (1980)

This psychological horror film is about a family who moves into an isolated hotel for the winter. The father, Jack (Jack Nicholson), slowly descends into madness and becomes a threat to his wife and son. Wendy runs and hides from Jack in various parts of the hotel, including the famous hedge maze, while Jack pursues her with a fire axe.

Ultimately, Wendy is able to incapacitate Jack and escape the hotel with her young son Danny (played by Danny Lloyd) by using a snowcat to drive through the snow-covered mountains to safety.

She ultimately saves her son and survives the ordeal.

10- Get Out (2017)

Get Out is about a young black man named Chris (Daniel Kaluuya) who visits his white girlfriend's family for the weekend, only to discover that they have sinister intentions. The family is part of a secret society that hypnotizes and brainwashes black people to use their bodies as vessels for white people.

Chris manages to outsmart the family and turn the tables on them by using his knowledge and skills, such as his position as a photographer, to expose the family's crimes online. He ultimately survives and escapes.

11- Doctor  Sleep (2019)

This supernatural horror film is a sequel to The Shining. The film follows an adult Dan Torrance (Ewan McGregor), as he tries to protect a young girl with similar psychic abilities from a cult that feeds on children with these abilities. The final girl, Abra (Kyliegh Curran), uses her mental powers to help Dan defeat the cult and turn the tables on them. They're able to confuse, trap, and defeat the cult and save the lives of the children.

12- The Invisible Man (2020)

The Invisible Man is a sci-fi horror film about a woman named Cecilia (Elisabeth Moss) who is being stalked by her abusive ex-boyfriend, who has found a way to turn himself invisible. The final girl, Cecilia, manages to outsmart her ex-boyfriend and turn the tables on him by using her resourcefulness and intelligence.

After fighting back using everything she has, in the film's final moments, Cecilia manages to record a confession from Adrian in which he admits to his crimes and reveals the truth about his invisibility. She then sends the recording to the police, ensuring that Adrian will be brought to justice for his actions.

Source: (Reddit).