I WATCHED ALL THE SCREAM MOVIES—HERE’S MY THOUGHTS (SPOILERS AHEAD!) S t o r y : E m i ly We l l s
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“Do you like scary movies?” Over the summer, I watched all of the movies in the “Scream” franchise. Here are my rankings: 1. “Scream” (1996) Overview: Obviously the first “Scream” is ranked at No. 1. “Scream” came out in 1996 and revitalized the slasher genre. Part of the reason that “Scream” is so enjoyable is the way it calls out horror movie tropes, often while it’s happening. There’s even a character that is a “horror movie expert,” who explains the rules of a horror movie and how to survive it. It uses the audience’s knowledge of the slasher genre, and the horror genre overall. It opened the door for modern meta horror movies that deconstruct the “rules” of horror films. Neve Campbell’s Sidney Prescott redefines the requirements of being a “final girl” in this film, and for future films. Billy Loomis and Stu Macher are arguably the most iconic Ghostface killers. They weren’t the most subtle, but they created a legacy and they are referenced in every movie. It’s also important to note that statistically, a woman is more likely to suffer violence from a romantic partner. Some of the Ghostface killers are a little more unrealistic, but intimate partner violence is very real and very scary. The film also contains the most iconic scene out of the entire franchise – Drew Barrymore’s phone call. 2. “Scream V” (2022) Overview: I didn’t expect this one to rank so high, but it is a fantastic “requel,” as it is coined in the film. It sticks to the ideas presented in the original and brings back several legacy characters, while still managing
to bring something new to the table. It introduces two new heroines – Jenna Ortega’s Tara and Melissa Barrera’s Sam – as well as a new friend group, made up mostly of relatives of legacy characters. This film is also very meta and explores the rules, not only of horror movies, but of the “Stab” franchise (the franchise within a franchise). It has a perfect balance of
favorites. After an absolute rollercoaster of an opening, Sidney’s cousin, Jill Roberts, and her friends are introduced as the focus of the film. Sidney is back in Woodsboro on her book tour and Sheriff Dewey and Gale Weathers are married and living in Woodsboro. The film was not that well-received, but it’s actually pretty clever. It’s all about
nostalgia and originality. Richie Kirsch is the first Ghostface killer since the first film to be the love interest. It’s tradition to suspect the love interest at the beginning, but I have to admit, I did not see it coming. Amber Freeman is brutal as Ghostface. 3. “Scream IV” (2011) Overview: This may be a little controversial, but this one is one of my
trying to live up to what came before, and the awareness that that is not possible, and this idea is reflected in everything, even the casting. Emma Roberts (Julia Roberts’ niece) is cast as Sidney’s cousin, Jill, who is struggling in Sidney’s shadow. Rory Cullkin (Macaulay Culkin’s brother) is cast as Charlie Walker, the president of the school’s film club, who
complains about franchise installments struggling in their predecessor’s shadow. Charlie is actually pretty forgettable, but Jill Roberts was one of the most interesting Ghostface killers of the franchise. Her motive is that she wants her “15 minutes of fame” and goes to extreme lengths to achieve it. 4. “Scream VI” (2023) Overview: I thought this was a good follow-up to “Scream V.” Like “Scream V,” it follows the ideas of the film it is supposed to be rebooting (in this case, “Scream II”), while still being original. In fact, it outshines “Scream II.” Like in “Scream II,” the killer is a parent avenging their child, who was the Ghostface killer in the previous movie. Also like “Scream II,” it is set at a college. Campbell does not come back as Sidney in this film due to a pay dispute, but interestingly, in “Scream V,” it is said that Sidney is in all the “Stab” movies but the last one. This is purely an accident, but it is kind of cool how it played out. There are tons of physical callbacks to previous films, such as all the original masks and robes. This film has the most Ghostface killers out of the franchise, with one of them being revealed right off the bat. The first killer is a film student named Jason Carvey who kills one of his professors over a bad grade, and then plans to kill Sam and Tara to finish the movie Richie started. The other three killers are Ethan Landry, Quinn Bailey and Detective Bailey. Quinn fakes her death as her alibi, while Detective Bailey uses his police connections to cover his tracks and lull Tara and Sam into a false sense of security. Ethan is kind of just there. Detective Bailey is Richie’s father and Ethan and Quinn are Richie’s siblings. THE FORUM, October 2023
