Scene Stealers: 10 Underrated On-Screen Dark Feminine Badasses
The formidable actresses we should all be talking about
By: The Lace Ledger Staff
There is something compelling about watching an actress disappear into a character we’re not entirely sure we should root for. These are the disrupters: actresses willing to inhabit characters who are damaged without making them helpless; dangerous without stripping away their humanity. They find beauty inside ugly stories without sanding down the edges that made them uncomfortable in the first place.
Their work makes space for women to be contradictory and occasionally difficult to love—and infinitely more interesting because of it.
From established actresses whose range deserves greater recognition to emerging talent already pushing at the boundaries, these are 10 dark feminine badasses we cannot shut up about.
In the Dressing Room with The Devil Herself: Emma Vauxdevil on Creating Cobweb Cabaret
As gothic burlesque's most distinctive production captivates audiences, Emma Vauxdevil reflects on the conviction that transformed an improbable idea into a world of its own
By: The Lace Ledger Staff
If you'd asked someone to predict where a Texas cheerleader would end up, gothic burlesque provocateur probably wouldn't have topped the list.
Then again, Emma Vauxdevil has always known how to make an entrance.
Like any accomplished burlesque performer, Emma understood the power of the slow reveal. Years of relentless practice, careful refinement and unwavering devotion to her vision preceded the moment audiences met "The Devil Herself."
What began as dress-up in front of a childhood mirror eventually became Cobweb Cabaret, a gothic burlesque production built with uncompromising artistic direction. It stands as proof that some dreams aren't found; they're built so boldly that other people eventually discover they were searching for them all along.
Ahead, Emma reflects on the winding road from growing up in Texas to taking centre stage on the West Coast, reflecting on the perseverance that forged an improbable dream into the career she couldn't imagine living without.
17 Fierce Mothers of Film & Television
A Mother’s Day watchlist honouring the absolute weapons who protected their children with strategy, violence, wit and conviction
By: The Lace Ledger Staff
This Mother’s Day watchlist is built on a special kind of devotion. One forged through sweat, blood, fire and deep inner strength of matriarchs that would do anything … and we mean anything … for the ones they love.
Motherhood is often framed as soft. And, it can be. It can also be something far more strategic. These women raise dragons, run empires, survive the end of the world, or dismantle anyone who mistakes care for weakness.
What they share is precision. Love becomes a decision. Protection becomes a method; nothing is left to chance.
Poise & Provocation: 22 Films That Celebrate Feminine Strength
An alt International Women’s Day watch list honouring heroines who claimed power on their own terms
By: The Lace Ledger Staff
Not every revolution arrives draped in righteousness.
Some arrive lacquered in gloss. Some step forward in armour. Some smile before they strike.
Across fantasy epics, revenge thrillers and period dramas, feminine strength has evolved beyond endurance and into authorship. These women do not wait to be rescued. They negotiate, dismantle, seduce, avenge and ascend, often within systems designed to confine them.
This International Women’s Day, we turn toward heroines who did not simply survive their stories. They altered them.
Don’t Answer the Phone: A Ghostface Date Night Guide
In celebration of Scream 7, a flirtation with fear, Final Girl fashion and a ringing phone you should absolutely ignore
By: The Lace Ledger Staff
With the release of Scream 7, horror’s most self-aware franchise returns to remind us that fear has always been intimate; we’ve curated an evening that will get your heart racing, one way or another.
This isn’t a date night about surviving the movie, it’s about leaning into the electricity that follows. From pre-theatre cocktails to a Final Girl style guide, this is an intimate evening that plays by the rules—just not all of them ;).
Walking After Midnight: Tools to Keep You Safe as the Nights Grow Long
Because empowerment is the most elegant accessory of all
As the days shorten and twilight lingers, many women quietly change their routes or keep a friend on the phone until they’re home. It’s not paranoia — it’s pattern. According to a 2023 Gallup survey, 60% of women in North America report feeling unsafe walking alone at night, compared to 25% of men. The numbers echo across Canada as well, where one in three women say they’ve experienced harassment or intimidation in public spaces (Statistics Canada, 2022).
For those who find beauty in moonlight, the goal isn’t to retreat from the dark — it’s to move through it wisely.
Safety is a staple. Preparation is power.
Below are tools that blend protection with subtlety, designed to help you walk safely after midnight without surrendering your freedom.