The Scream Queen

Are they here to help us or to replace us? Will they continue to listen to us or will they one day develop their own free will, and use that freedom to take over? Well, that is certainly the case for the murderous automaton on this list. Here are my picks for the top 5 killer robots:

* Spoilers ahead!

5. Fembots, Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997)

Kicking off this list is a group of robots that’s totally groovy, baby. The Fembots from the Austin Powers series are a classic comical take on a cross between a bond girl and the bionic woman. They are both seductive and seriously deadly with their Nancy Sinatra beehives and shotguns for nipples. Of course, they’re representation of an objectified male fantasy is far from progressive or feminist; but they are satirical in nature, poking fun at the femme fatale bond villain, with whom they are not so different from. This is particularly true of Vanessa Kensington, Austin’s wife who turns out to be a Fembot at the beginning of the sequel. In a series renowned for its spoof characters, the Fembots over-the-top portrayal is among the most memorable, and are a nostalgic reminder of 1960s pop culture.

4. Iris, Companion (2025)

Possibly one of the worst onscreen boyfriends of all time, I think we can all agree that when Iris kills Josh in Companion, we are all on her side. Companion doesn’t reveal that Iris is a robot immediately, but rather leaves a trail of breadcrumbs that are so apparent upon second viewing that you won’t believe you missed them the first time around. Although Iris does kill people, she isn’t outright murderous; rather, her killing is an act of self-defence against the men who use and disregard her. Companion explores the role of the robot within the ever expanding world of incels, and their idealisation of having a girlfriend while simultaneously disregarding any respect towards women. Making Iris a robot is symbolic of the loss of female autonomy in an age where it feels like our rights are regressing at times; for example with the rise of the Trad-wife lifestyle, clean girl conservatism, and a certain spray-tanned individual in the US Office. So, when Iris gains full control of her autonomy and ingeniously kills Josh with an electric corkscrew, it is a celebration of becoming truly free from the patriarchal constraints that have ahold of us.

3. Killbots, Chopping Mall (1986)

Anyone who works in retail will understand the plight of the Killbots from Chopping Mall; drifting into a robotic state of automated movements, mindlessly serving the unappreciative general public, and at the end of it all, telling them to ‘have a good day!’ with a superficial saccharin smile. It can feel like a dehumanising way to make a living, but aren’t most jobs anyways? Chopping Mall is an examination of our capitalist culture, as the teen protagonists party and have sex in excess (big no no’s in a horror film) in a place that could not be more symbolic of consumerism; a shopping mall. The Killbots, originally designed for mall security, therefore represent the increasing loss of humanity through consumerism, both in the way that service workers are treated and how easy it is to become a cog in the machine. The Killbots may seem ridiculous now as they laser their way through their victims, but they continue to remind us that in the end, consumerism is killing us all.

2. M3gan, M3gan (2022)

There isn’t much to say about M3gan that hasn’t already been said. Despite only being introduced to us only 3 years ago, she has already entered the lexicon as a cultural icon. It is rare to see such tangible villains in horror movies in the current cycle we are going through; so called ‘elevated horror’, which has taken the genre by storm, is far more concerned with thematic depth than cheap scares. In many ways, M3gan feels like a throwback to villains like Freddy Krueger and Chucky, who were imbued with a sense of maniacal fun while terrifying audiences. M3gan is upgraded for our modern sensibilities however; she is a product of internet culture, of memes, and of viral sensation. Yes, she commits murder, but she also bursts into song and has sassy comebacks; and that’s why we love her. And just because she’s a teenage version of the Terminator, it doesn’t mean she’s any less ruthless. She rips a bully’s ear off, sprays her neighbour in chemical fertiliser, and threatens to paralyse her creator Gemma. But what makes M3gan truly interesting, is how it investigates the way society feeds technology to children. Do parents nurture their children anymore, or do they let an iPad do that for them? Well one thing is for sure; do not let them be raised by M3gan.

1. Terminator, The Terminator (1984)

Hasta la vista, baby. There was only ever one choice for first place on a list of killer robots; the Terminator. First appearing on our screens in James Cameron’s 1984 sci-fi horror classic, the T-800 and its subsequent forms are the ultimate assassins. A relentless killer, the original T-800 is flawlessly characterised by the indelible Arnold Schwarzenegger, who has immortalised the automaton as one of the most recognisable pop culture icons of all time; the phrase ‘I’ll be back’ is a reference that is eternalised within our vocabulary. Although Cameron’s original The Terminator is a masterclass in low budget suspense, storytelling, and practical effects, his own sequel Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991) is one of the greatest action movies ever made. With groundbreaking visual effects and a more high-octane approach, T2 pulls a 180 on audiences and makes Arnie the good guy in this one. Rather than killing John Connor, his mission is to protect him against newer, stronger, and shinier Terminator, the T-1000. Watching the T-800 transform from killer to father figure sets up an emotional climax in which the T-800’s death is so tragically human. Of course, the series continues far beyond T2 as he did in fact come back (many times), but Judgement Day is Cameron’s magnum opus, and cements the Terminator as the greatest killer robot of all time.