About
Podcast Overview
Final Girls is a dynamic podcast that dives deep into the world of horror by examining one iconic Final Girl per episode. Co-hosted by Kellie and Sarah — both UC Davis alumni with strong academic backgrounds — each installment dissects the tropes, triumphs, and challenges of these resilient characters. Drawing on Kellie’s expertise in film and Sarah’s insights into feminist and pop culture, the show brings a unique blend of sharp analysis and genuine passion to every discussion.
Each episode explores the Final Girl's journey in detail, from the creative escape scenes that have become cult favorites to the narrative complexities that define their battles against overwhelming odds. Final Girls celebrates the spirit of women who fight back, inviting listeners to rethink classic horror tropes and appreciate the empowering narratives that make these characters enduring cultural icons.
This podcast is not only a must-listen for horror enthusiasts but also for anyone interested in the intersection of storytelling, gender, and cultural critique.
The Hosts
Kellie Nicole Hill
Kellie Nicole Hill (she/her) is a techie and AI enthusiast with a BA in Film Studies and an MS in Human-Computer Interaction. She shares her life in Auburn with her fiancé, Nirvan, and their pets (including her beloved cat, Madge). Outside of podcasting, she enjoys playing video games and rewatching episodes of comfort shows she has seen a hundred times. Her passion for cosplay has led her to view every day as Halloween, and she is a frequent attendee of conventions like SDCC.
As the co-host of Final Girls, Kellie delves into the nuances of the long-standing horror trope, blending her academic background with a deep passion for the genre. She will happily discuss good movies, bad movies, or anything in between.
Sarah Spurlock
Sarah Spurlock (she/her) is a Los Angeles-based historian, writer, and cultural critic with a master’s degree in history from Sacramento State and a bachelor’s in political science from UC Davis. Specializing in the Y2K era, she explores the tangled web of girlhood, pop culture, belief systems, and identity with humor and zero tolerance for bullshit.
A half-and-half mix of spooky and girly, Sarah is as fluent in glitter as she is in ghosts. She’s the co-host of Final Girls, a femme-forward horror film podcast dissecting the tropes, traumas, and triumphs of iconic Final Girls of the genre. Her work has appeared in The Hollywood Reporter, Los Angeles Times, Architectural Digest, Sunset Magazine, and more. She’s also served as a guest editor for Francesca Lia Block’s Lit Angels and is the author of three forthcoming baby witchcraft books. Her DIY witch zines are stocked at Salem’s beloved HausWitch.
Sarah’s voice is bold, playful, and grounded in both academic rigor and lived experience. When not writing or podcasting, she’s pole dancing, reading, learning Italian, cuddling her cat and foster dog, and collecting vinyl with her husband Eric (Kellie’s brother). Her heroes include Elvira, Dolly Parton, and RuPaul — fierce femme icons who, like her, know exactly who they are.