While the prom horror movie category is not that popular, the Prom Night franchise is surely the standard when it comes to bad pranks, teenagers, and great performances. Jamie Lee Curtis set the standard for screaming in horror movies, especially in the first film, but her outfits, too, did not disappoint.
In fact, the franchise was so good that we often overlook the beautiful dresses the characters wore. Lisa’s lilac strapless gown, accompanied by a flower pin, looked amazing in contrast with the spilled blood in HELLO MARY LOU: PROM NIGHT 2. At the same time, the third Prom Night Movie showcased some of the best prom dresses, adorned with metallic elements, puffy sleeves, and sequins that we saw on the dance floor.
So, as a tribute to prom fashion in horror movies, let’s see what some of the best gowns the ladies wore.
Carrie
Carrie is an iconic movie that will never go out of style. The story from 1974 revolves around the main character, Carrie, who is going through a rough time at school and at home, with her classmates bullying her and her mother demonizing femininity. Still, after an otherworldly awakening, Carrie becomes prom queen and will take revenge on the entire student body.
Regardless of these happenings, Carrie literally carries the show with her dress, wearing a faintly pink gown. The dress has a low-cut design, is made of satin, and emphasizes the body with an empire waistline. The reason for the dresses’ color might surprise you, but it was chosen to contrast with the blood during the final scene, contributing to the narrative.
On another note, the pink prom dress has become a motif for many artists to send a message, including Olivia Rodrigo in her album “Live Through This,” as she was paying homage to Carrie. The dress started a trend for Halloween costumes where girls wearing a pink gown would drench themselves in (hopefully) ketchup to recreate the look.
Cabin Fever 2: Spring Fever
An underrated movie from 2009 is the sequel to Cabin Fever, in which a flesh-eating bacterium infects a high school prom, causing chaos. That’s because the ignorance of a cop thought the corpse of Paul would cause no issue when dumped into a water source from which the local bottled water company sells its products. Hence, chaos ensues.
Of course, the movies couldn’t be iconic without the dresses covered in blood. Alexi Wasser (Cassie) is wearing a modest yet stylish grey dress that contrasts with her blonde hair (and later the blood), while the prom queen is wearing a pink dress with a deep V-neck and ruffled elements on the sides.
The movie blends the aesthetics of prom with gore moments and unbelievable occurrences in a high school, but the movie is definitely worth it if you’re into stupid installments. If you’re considering people’s reviews, you might not want to watch the film, but trust that the cringeworthy horror style will make it entertaining.
Dance of the Dead
Dance of the Dead is an amazing horror comedy creation (like most on this list), but this one’s got zombies. It was released in 2008, highlighting the period when companies were embracing the teen horror genre, and it features the usual plot elements: chemicals, a cemetery, and teenagers trying to defend their prom event.
Jimmy and Lindsey are the main characters, and they’ll fight zombies until they embrace their crushes on each other (and also turn into zombies). Of course, we’ve got the necessary scene where both are dressed for prom but covered in blood, with Lindsey wearing a pink strapless dress that suits her skin tone beautifully. However, the prom queen is Jennifer, wearing a blue dress.
If you’re wondering why you should watch this movie, consider watching geeks and jocks working together to defeat the zombies as they’re led by a military leader (who might be psychotic). In addition, the fact that zombies don’t like rock music and can be eliminated with the power of friendship between a guitarist, a bassist, and a drummer is surely why you should watch this movie.
Killer Prom
Killer Prom is a pretty modern movie from 2020, and tells the story of a teenager whose mother died in a car accident. Following this event, she and her father will welcome a distant cousin into the house, and things take a turn when the cousin’s plan is to recreate a bloody prom.
While it’s safe to say the movie didn’t do well with the audience, as the psychotic leading character overdid her mannerisms, we can appreciate the dresses both girls will wear at some point (trust the plot), which feature an interesting crop on one shoulder, while the other is strapless. The dress is a dark violet, fitted to the body, and is paired with a pearl necklace. However, the hairstyle choices differ for the cousins.
Party Night
Party Night is a 2017 movie that is a great anxiety inducer if you watch it at night. When six high schoolers decide prom is too boring and want to make their own party, a sadistic psychopath will tune in and definitely make their night more interesting.
Here, the girls are wearing fairly typical prom dresses, ranging from a pink dress with a boat neckline to a deep V-neck satin dress in black and violet, as well as the standard red dress. Well, the indie slasher did what it could, with the special effects being quite simplistic, so the story doesn’t really bring anything new to the table. But there’s a lesson to be learnt here: never take your friends to a remote cabin in the woods.
Excited for Prom?
These are some of the best prom movies that dictate prom dresses, as actresses can slay any outfit, even with blood spilled on them. The choice for most gowns is, obviously, pink, to achieve a more aesthetically pleasing look with the ketchup and water effects, but we’ve seen older movies delve deeper into fashion and try unique garments as well.
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