2 years after the first set of Ghostface killings, the survivors of the first attack settle into their new lives. Sidney is doing well with a theatre major, Randy is getting comfortable in his film classes, and Gale has a successful debut of STAB, her movie based on the events of Scream (1996). The first scene has a couple heading to the opening night viewing, however, surrounded by energized fans all donning the Ghostface costume, an individual is able to easily pick off each of the college students without arousing any suspicion. The news of the couple's deaths quickly makes the news, and Gale Weathers finds herself once again in the path of Sidney Prescott attending college. Now though, we have her pulling Joel, her new cameraman, and Cotton, the man Sidney accused of the murders in the first film, around. While Joel is apprehensive of covering a murder story, Cotton seems excited to profit off of the buzz after living a year in prison and becomes further unhinged as the film goes on, and Sidney repeatedly denies his attempts to get her on a talk show with him. Sidney is quick to brush off the crew, landing another solid fist to Gale's face, before her new group of friends, Mickey, Randy, Hallie, and Derek (her new man) usher her away from the cameras surrounding her. Once more, the Ghostface calls and taunts the group, looking to finish the original killers' job. After the first two victims, he takes out Cici, a sorority sister (who I actually enjoyed as a character), before going for the main crew. Randy is killed in broad daylight after being pulled into Gale's news van, then as Gale and Dewey both rekindle their love, and uncover possible clues toward the killer, Dewey is stabbed mercilessly again, and left for dead. Gale escapes the scene, however simultaneously as Hallie and Sidney are being escorted to safety, they are attacked by an incredibly agile Ghostface, who is able to kill 2 highly trained police officers, and then Hallie. Sidney is able to escape, and heads to the theatre (because she could hear the music playing from the inside?), and is confronted by Derek and Mickey. Derek is tied up to a cross after being hazed by his frat house, while Mickey reveals himself to be the first Ghostface. Mickey then tricks Sidney into believing Derek was the second Ghostface. Mickey then kills Derek, and after a struggle, the second Ghostface, the original Ghostface's mom, is revealed. Gale is shot as Mrs.Loomis kills Mickey, and Sidney then has a struggle with Mrs.Loomis. Then COTTON shows up, saves Sidney, and the film ends. Dewey turns out to be alive, and the survivors live happily ever after.

The movie opens and seems to set the stage for dealing with the issue of under-representation of POC in horror films and I thought that was a new interesting problem in horror to try and base a film around.

I liked the satire of STAB having scenes from the original film recast and done again. It felt like a good amount of poking fun at themselves and I appreciated that.

The film doesn't try and confine itself to horror, there are mystery and even romance elements between Dewey and Gale which I found to be interesting and enjoyable.

The movie backs away from constant horror references and no longer pretends everyone is an expert in every horror movie known to man, but the movie references live on in Mickey, Cici, and my favorite, Randy, throughout the film.

There are hints to Mickey being one of the Ghostface early in the film. He gives off the same wild vibe as Billy in the first movie and I think it is fair to expect him to be one of the killers.

The sound design is well done and isn't over the top.

The consistency with the characters is well done. The introduction of new characters like Mickey and Derek doesn't feel like too much, and they pair that well with bringing characters referenced in the first film onto the screen, with Mrs.Loomis and Cotton Weary, Cotton being one of my favorite characters introduced in this movie.

The clumsy killer aesthetic of Ghostface is kept through the first half of the film and the creepy cringy phone calls return as well. These are elements I think fundamental to the character now so I hope they remain in later installments.

The subtlety problems I found in the first film no longer exist. The characters feel more consistent throughout the film and don't go overboard.

The film abandons the "lack of POC representation" idea almost immediately. Joel and Hallie are the only two POC characters that remain through most of the movie, and neither of them has any real role to play in the film. I feel baited after that opening scene.

I don't think Billy's mom being one of the Ghostface's was a good idea. I don't really get it. I feel like it was undeserved because there are no suggestions that is who she is throughout the whole film. If she was known to be Billy's mom from the beginning then alright, but making her a fake reporter ruins it.

I think the two killers should have been Joel and Cotton. Cotton has a reason to be the killer as revenge for Sidney putting him in jail, and he seems to love attention. Joel I think should have been the second killer because it would give the two Ghostfaces strong information as to how close Gale and Dewey are getting to solving the mystery, and it would make a POC play a big role in the film. They both are all about the news but in different ways and want to get famous. Cotton as a star, Joel as a cameraman. But no.

Clearly, Mickey was the Ghostface that was able to kill both the cops and Hallie, but how? What gives Mickey the skills to kill 2 highly trained detectives? Nothing. If it was Cotton you could excuse it with something like "prison made him tough" and that wouldn't be enough but it would at least be something. This also goes against the clumsy killer aesthetic that I love about Ghostface and really seemed like a dumb idea for this movie.

I think Wes loves his "the audience is the villain" idea too much. That is the obvious message in Wes Craven's New Nightmare (1994) but it seems hamfisted into the opening and closing of this film as well? I just don't think it fits with the rest of the movie and didn't appreciate it here.

Scream 2 (1997) delivers a similar aesthetic to the original Scream (1996) but is more consistent in its quality, if less consistent in its messaging. While the end suffers similarly to the original film, it is less because of poor delivery, and more because of an unnecessary secret plot twist that takes away from the fun hypothesizing that one finds in the Scream franchise. As a whole, I think I enjoy the sequel more than the original, however, while the lows aren't as low, neither are the highs as high.