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My Love for the Scream Series
- March 26, 2023
Hey everyone, I am back for my first blog post of 2023! This month’s post is all about the Scream series. Scream is a rare horror series that has spawned numerous sequels, yet always has been great. I recently watched each film in the series over the course of last month leading up to my viewing of Scream 6.
Scream(Original)
Drew Barrymore being a popular actress at the name sets the tone for the entire series with her iconic death scene. It is one of the near-perfect scenes that you’ll see across any film that effectively builds tension and timeliness.
As the film proceeds, mystery is built up swiftly when Ghostface calls Sidney the first time and she “clowns him”. Ghostface gets agitated and tries to kill her unexpectedly; immediately her boyfriend Billy comes and he a hint that he may be the killer.
A big Ghostface moment comes by way of the garage death scene where we have a comical interaction that led to Tatum getting crushed.
My favorite part of Scream is the rules of a horror movie that Randy explains:
- Never have sex
- Never drink or do drugs
- Never, ever say I’ll be right back
Lastly, my favorite line of the film is in the final scene when Stu, bleeding out, responds to Sidney saying his excuse for killing is “Peer Pressure, I’m far too sensitive”
Verdict: Excellent start to the slasher franchise. 8/10!
Scream 2
Scream 2 is a horror classic! That being said, I heavily disliked the opening sequence in this one because it delved too far into disbelief.
Naturally, I am a huge Buffy: The Vampire Slayer fan, so seeing Sarah Michelle Gellar’s character death was tough. The murder mystery element of this film was superbly done. The film also ramps up in terms of gore and deaths compared to the first film. My biggest complaint about the movie is Randy’s death because I felt it was too soon and the next film in the series suffers because of it.
It is a solid film throughout and paints an excellent scenario where we think the killer is Sydney’s new boyfriend only for it to be revealed that it is Billy’s mother.
Verdict: A murder mystery film worth watching. 8/10
Scream 3
Quickly upon my rewatch, I remembered why this is my least favorite Scream film. It is a sequel that plays on franchise tropes far too much without great effort and has a laziness factor to it. The feel of this movie is definitely the most wacky of them all, such as the prop sequence that happens midway through the film.
Right away we lose Cotton Weary, who I think is one that should have stayed alive longer to develop. We simply don’t care about him and this is a through line for Ghostface and the rest of the characters here. Randy’s return in old school VHS format was much welcomed and reaffirmed to me that he was the heart and soul of the first two films. He presented another classic set of rules in what was my favorite moment from this film.
Overall, this film is one I think was made without a true purpose and it greatly shows, but it did manage to deliver one solid Sidney one-liner when she says “It’s your turn to scream asshole”.
Verdict: Skip it! 4/10
Scream 4
This film doesn’t get mentioned too much when the word Ghostface comes to mind. I absolutely loved the opening sequence that is very inception-esque having stab 6 within Stab 7 within Scream 5. Kristin Bell being the surprise killer was epic.
I felt the score in this one was much more prevalent than the original trilogy, as it had a different tense, rock influence.
My favorite line in the entire film and one that gave me a chuckle is when the rules are explained and Robbie says “In fact, the only sure-fire way to survive a modern horror movie, is you pretty much have to be gay.” Soon after he tries to use that rule before his death and it doesn’t work. It isn’t revealed if he really is LGBTQ or not, so that rule is up in the air. I am jumping ahead to films now, but this does show how dated that and incorrect that line is. Our first LGBTQ character in the Scream series is still alive, but not all of them have survived thus far.
Rewatching this film and knowing the ending makes me feel that the scenes with Sidney and Emma Roberts seem superficial and I do think this movie was missing a deeper suspect list.
Verdict: Underrated darling of the Scream series. 6/10
Scream 5
Scream 5 acts structurally as a remake of the first film, but with use of legacy characters. Scream 5’s opening sequence isn’t as iconic as the first film but sets the stage for Tara Carpenter taking the co-lead of the new group of protagonists. This film brings a level of mystery and re-establishes the rules of the series.
The star of the film is now Sam Carpenter, daughter of Billy Loomis, and she gives this film a psychological edge to it. The first of two big moments in this film that make it standout is the death of Dewey. Up until this point, all of the main characters were plot armored. This is huge because it really makes the rest of the film and subsequent films in the series have stakes.
Sidney Prescott’s return doesn’t feel particularly refreshing because she was in each sequel, but she acts great as a “passing of the torch” character to Sam.
The standout moment to me is small but iconic because in the final moments after Sam stabs Richie, she does the signature Ghostface knife clean.
Verdict: One of the best requels of any film series. 8/10
Scream 6
Scream VI took my vote for most anticipated film of 2023 for me and boy o boy it absolutely did not disappoint! Personally, it stands above the rest as my favorite of the series.
Again, very reminiscent to the first film in the opening sequence with a big name actress being the first victim. This time it is Ready or Not alum Samara Weaving. The opening scene is by far the most interesting of the series as we get a Ghostface reveal early on that quickly gets squashed.
=Sam & Tara Carpenter are the highlights of this film, but Ghostface was superb here. Ghostface is unlike any other we have seen this far. This Ghostface has a level of brutality and anger that makes the kills more ferocious. This is exemplified with the standout sequence that takes place in a food mart. In public, we get a shocking Ghostface kill on a customer amidst his chase on the Carpenters. This leads to him wielding a shotgun. I never thought that I would see a moment of “Ghostface with a shotgun”, yet we have it.
Sam Carpenter is the highlight of the film! I feel that she has been the most interesting character in the series. In this film, she is conflicted over the darkness she feels from within herself. Tara Carpenter, played by Jenna Ortega, comes into her own as well, and this leads to the Carpenters having a badass fight with the Ghostfaces of the film.
This movie brings its own set of iconic moments such as three Ghostfaces, the naming of the group as the “Core Four”, Ghostface with a shotgun, and an iconic moment of two Ghostfaces on screen at once with a dual knife swipe. Lastly, the final act was one to remember culminating in Sam donning a Ghostface outfit and displaying the running through-line of deeper brutality for the Ghostfaces. Certainly this is my favorite of the Scream series and instantly puts Scream 7 as my most anticipated for the year it will be scheduled
Verdict: Favorite of the series!!! 8.5/10