SCREAM Series Retrospective

A few years ago, I was terrified at the thought of watching any horror movie. I was worried that they would scar me in a weird way, so I steered clear of them, until October of 2020. My family decided to only watch scary movies for the whole month, one on every Saturday. We ended up watching Jaws, A Quiet Place, The Thing, and Paranormal Activity. Despite having seen Jaws already, I enjoyed all of them; but none left a greater impact on me than Scream. Personally, I did not think any of them looked very scary, but the one that I was truly terrified of was Scream. I obviously knew who Ghostface was already (I mean, who has not seen at least one Halloween costume of Ghostface?). I had always been creeped out by the design, and I was scared going into the movie for the first time. By the end, though, I knew I had found something that I loved and proceeded to watch the rest of them with my friends and family. I figured that with the new movie out it would be the perfect time to talk about all of them again.  

SCREAM (1996)

This movie is a classic, and I see why so many people loved it when it first came out and still love it even to this day. It balances all of the right elements: fun characters, tense sequences, and memorability. Of course, it works really well as a horror movie, but I did not expect it to be so funny, too. I had no clue that it was a parody of horror tropes, and that really surprised me—in a good way. The first scene does a really great job of building up the suspense while subverting expectations; and, at the start, people might not even be able to tell that it is a comedy. The movie progressively gets more funny, and new characters are introduced just to poke fun at typical horror cliches. The director, Wes Craven, is even guilty of some of the cliches he makes fun of in movies such as A Nightmare on Elm Street and some of the Friday the 13th movies. It is always fun to watch a director poke fun at themself, and he loves to do that with the Scream series. Scream even has an advantage over movies like Halloween and A Nightmare on Elm Street because it is more frightening, at least for me. In my opinion, it is a lot scarier for the main antagonist to be just a regular person, rather than an indestructible being with supernatural powers, such as Michael Myers. Of course, Michael is not literally indestructible; but when nothing seems to faze him, it is hard to believe he can even be taken down, which just leads me to think that the movies are pointless. On the other hand, Ghostface, in all of the Scream movies, makes constant mistakes, and is very vulnerable. It may seem not scary enough, and I even made fun of this myself on the first few viewings. But it legitimately makes it scarier for me, as I can believe in them a lot more as a person. This is a spoiler-free review, so I will not detail anything about the killer’s identity; but in the first movie, the reveal the killer is especially well done, as the whole movie has been building up to it. This movie is more of a mystery with random scenes of killing thrown in; and as more suspects are removed from the story, it gets the audience really excited for the eventual reveal. This series has a different killer every movie, and it always has a mystery setup, but I think that the first one does it the best because the characters are so memorable. The performances are all good, with standouts being Jamie Kennedy’s Randy and Matthew Lillard’s Stu. Those are the fun standouts, but Neve Campbell also does a really great job as the series’ main character, Sidney Prescott. Her story in this film and the following ones is gripping as the audience sees her come to terms with why she is being attacked. As an actress, she is certainly better in the sequels; but considering how young she was, she put on a pretty great performance. My only critique is that some of the series’ core characters who survive and reappear in  the sequels are not introduced the best in this movie, and their performance is better in the other movies. Other than that, this movie’s great! It got a lot of people, including me, into horror movies.I have been a lot more open about trying them since watching Scream. It is a good thing that it did so well financially, because it ended up inspiring a lot of other horror movies. Because of this, it was a no-brainer to release a sequel to Scream, and that happened, less than a year later. 9/10

SCREAM 2 (1997)

Scream 2 is pretty good. I have seen it three times now; and while I was not a big fan the first time, I have grown to really like it. It is not the best one in the series, but it has some of the most memorable setpieces. The fact that it is set on a college campus makes the tense sequences really interesting. There are scenes set in a sorority house, in a theater, and even in a crowded library. The budget on this movie was much higher than the original, due to how much the first one earned, and you can really tell where that money went. The sets are very impressive, making every location feel like a real, yet exaggerated place. The cold open, set in a cinema in the first few minutes of the movie, is a great scene because of how creative it is and how well the scene was put together. Wes Craven actually got well known actors and actresses to perform in a horror movie set inside the Scream universe, based on the original story from the original Scream. It only plays for a few minutes before the scene moves on. The meta-humor in this movie may be my favorite in the entire series. The characters in SCREAM 2 are watching a movie, and the movie they are watching (titled Stab) is a retelling of events from SCREAM.  The characters see the events of their lives a few years prior played out on on the screen. Essentially, the audience is watching a parody based on the parody that was the original Scream. Aside from just being funny, I really like the tone of this movie; it is really well-balanced. There are funny scenes, sure, but this is also one of the best Scream movies in terms of emotional moments. Some of the series’ recurring characters, Dewey Riley and Gale Weathers, have an on-again, off-again relationship throughout all of the movies. However,  this was the first movie where I believed in their relationship and wanted them to get together. It does help that Gale is more likable than she was in the original, so I ended up enjoying seeing their relationship develop a lot more. Sidney is still a great main character, and I especially like her story with Cotton Weary. He was briefly mentioned in the first movie; but his first full appearance is in this film, and he is a pretty interesting character. He seems to be written as a character where the audience cannot tell if he is a good person or a bad person, and I enjoyed his presence when he was on screen. Sidney’s new boyfriend, Derek, is a pretty fun, but forgettable character. That is true of a lot of the characters in this movie. Many of them are annoying or they are not memorable at all, so the audience is not as invested in the mystery of Ghostface, when compared to the original. The killer themself is pretty enjoyable in this movie for the most part, but not nearly as memorable as in the original. It is really just the action scenes and setpieces that make this movie stand out, and those are some of the best in the series. So, overall, this movie is pretty great, just not quite as good as the first one. 7/10

SCREAM 3 (2000)

Many people consider Scream 3 the worst one in the series, and I did not like it the first time, but after a rewatch, I actually really like it. Even if this is the worst Scream movie, it says a lot about how good the series is. This movie is still pretty similar compared to the other entries, but it stands out in a few really good ways. It seems as if this series was planned to be the final one, as there are a couple of meta-lines from some of the characters who talk about trilogies and how the final movie in a series will go, implying that there are no rules and main characters can die. It gets both the characters and viewers worried, and the meta-commentary still continues to be funny—even three movies into the series. This movie is still funny, but it is definitely the movie that has the most personal stakes for Sidney. I really love Sidney as a character, just personality-wise. She is super brave; and by the third movie, she is not even phased by the situation that she is in. At this point in the series, she is used to these horrific things happening to her, and it is really sad. The viewers really just want to see a happy ending for Sidney. Other characters hint at her dying the entire movie, and it just leaves the audience on the edge the whole time. The storyline with her mother also wraps up in this film. However, Sidney still has to accept some things relating to her mother, and she is clearly still working through all of the issues in her head. Of course, the killer of the movie does take advantage of her desperate state in a few scenes, just to scare her. As a whole, the killer is actually very entertaining in this movie, and is definitely the smartest killer of the series. The kills are expertly planned; and while there are plot holes in some of the scenes, fantheories and headcanons can help with these, of which some were actually meant to be left up to interpretation. It is not a huge deal, but it is noticeable when rewatching the movie a few times. Once the killer is revealed, they become less intimidating, but it is still a great reveal once you learn the backstory and motive. The only small issue that I have with this movie is that, like Scream 2, some of the side characters are not very interesting, but it is really a small issue in the grand scheme of things. Personally, I do think that this movie would have been a great movie to end the series on, but I do like that the series continued. There are so many stories to tell with this premise as opposed to other horror series, which only have one antagonist throughout. This movie provides great closure for the stories set up in the previous two films, while also being a great, fun, horror blockbuster at the same time. Rewatching it was a lot of fun, and I appreciate it a lot more now. 7/10

SCRE4M (2011)

This film does a good job having the same vibe as the original trilogy, even though it was released over ten years later. Of course, it still has the meta-humor and scenes of tense horror, but it also adds a couple of plot twists—some that work, and some that do not. I personally really like this movie, but I do have to admit that it does have some issues. In a lot of people’s eyes, this is actually the worst Scream movie. While I do not agree, I can see why people would think this. This movie tries to differentiate itself from the others, while still feeling connected to them, but it does not always take risks. It definitely feels like this was made right after the original three, which is good for consistency; but after eleven years, I am sure people were expecting a little more. Some of the plot twists are great though. I really enjoyed the killer and their motive in this movie, and think that they are the most fleshed out killer aside from the original Scream. The cold open of this movie starts out just as you would expect it to based on the other three movies, but it subverts expectations in a really fun way. Overall, I did enjoy the meta-humor, with the horror genre changing a lot after the original trilogy, and they poke fun at it a lot. This movie also has some really great setpieces, and the kill scenes are always super gorey, even more than usual for this series. The movie even tries to fool the audience into believing that the movie is over way sooner than it is, but it goes on much longer. Honestly, I think my favorite thing about this movie is that Ghostface is around the whole time, killing left and right. Aside from the action and humor, I will say that the emotion in this film has been scrapped. Sidney does not really go through anything new, and does not struggle, as her story pretty much ended in Scream 3. The movie shifts to focus on Gale and Dewey, who are honestly more interesting in this movie than Sidney. Sidney is still fun, and the way that she sympathizes with her cousin Jill was really sweet. This movie attempts to write  Jill as the main character (instead of Sidney), but I think it butchered that. Jill is not an interesting character in this story, and it honestly still feels like Sidney is the main character; so that could have been done better. Despite all of the nitpicking that I have done with this movie, I do really like the cast, unlike some of the other films. The humor is good, once again, and the kills and plot twists are just as enthralling as ever. I do see why people were disappointed with this movie at the time; but for me, it was a lot of fun to watch. 8/10

SCREAM (2022)

What I love about this movie is that it really brings back some of the magic of the original, but with a new main protagonist. The screenwriters tried that concept back in 2011 with Scream 4, but Jill was not very good as a main protagonist—especially with Sidney returning. Sidney returns in this one, as well; but she is pushed off to the side more in order to allow the new protagonist to shine. Sidney becomes very important to this story, but it really is Samatha’s story all together. Samantha Carpenter is introduced as the main character in this movie; and, like Sidney, she also has to come to grips with the fact that her past is connected to the new string of murders and overcome this obstacle. Sidney tells Sam that this will keep happening for a long time, and Sam just has to face that fact. There are also some pieces to Sam’s story that are connected to past movies, and I am sure long-time fans will love the references. That is actually something that this movie does very well. It has a lot of callbacks and references; but in my opinion, they do not feel forced. They feel like a very natural progression in the stories of these characters. So many of the callbacks are clever, funny, or just add to the lore. With a whole new set of characters, as usual, a lot of the focus is put back on the mystery of who the killer is. Unfortunately, once again, the killer is not that interesting, in both motive and in intimidation. That is what is stopping me from saying that this movie is on equal footing with the original. I just think that the original movie’s killer was a much more interesting character, and no killer has ever matched up. Of course, while in the Ghostface costume, the tension and suspense are just as prevalent as ever with the killer pulling many tricks that the audience and the characters do not see coming. This movie in particular has some really fun characters, and it is sad to see them be killed off, but that is what makes this the best Ghostface action in a long time. It is also very gorey, which does not automatically make something better; but it makes sure that deaths will take the viewer off guard and make it more realistic. I am so glad that they are already planning a sixth Scream movie after this one, because I cannot wait to see more action like this. It feels really good to get a movie as great as this, especially five entries in and in a slasher franchise. That is even more impressive, considering the reputation that the genre has. I really love the comedy in the movie, because it explicitly references other movies, and it is really fun to watch. You can definitely tell it is a modern film; and even though Wes Craven has passed, it still feels like his style and part of the series.. Overall, this movie just feels like classic Scream again, and it was a lot of fun to watch in theaters. I’ve seen it three times now and liked it every single time. Now, I cannot wait to see what they come up with in Scream 6. 8/10

This series is really fun. It has a lot of heart, and a lot of passion was put into it. Wes Craven started something great and really poured all of his attention and care into it. He always planned everything, even little details, such as how the killer holds the knife as a clue to reveal the identity. I am really excited for this new trilogy, as I like all of these movies, and I cannot wait to see what is next for it. As long as it does not go for too much fanservice and can show the audience something new and special, then I’m in for it. If I had to rank these movies (from worst to best), I would say Scream 3, Scream 2, Scre4m, Scream (2022), and the original Scream (1996). Overall, I would recommend the series to anyone who likes horror or somewhat enjoys parody movies. Even if you have been scared to try a horror movie, I would say these are great gateway movies that anyone can enjoy. All I know is, personally, I am very excited to see what comes next for this franchise.