Scream is one of the few horror franchises that has yet to produce a truly terrible installment. Not even the biggest horror buff would defend sequels like Texas Chainsaw 3D, Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare, Halloween Resurrection, Jason X, or The Exorcist II: The Heretic, but even the more divisive Scream sequels have still had their redeeming elements. While there was concern that the series would not be able to retain its creative strength following the tragic death of original director Wes Craven, the new filmmakers Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, collectively known as Radio Silence, delivered a quality soft reboot with 2022’s Scream and an even better follow up with Scream VI. The franchise has remained fresh and exciting because at its heart, it's really a mystery series.
While horror sagas can grow repetitive after multiple installments, audiences have never grown tired of seeing detectives like Hercule Poirot or Phillip Marlowe investigate new murders and put together the pieces of a case. In fact, Sherlock Holmes has inspired more cinematic adaptations than nearly any other character, and audiences have shown their interest in new sleuths with the success of Knives Out and Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. Scream is the perfect “whodunit” for a modern age, and each mystery has unpacked a different way for the franchise to navigate the popular culture landscape.
There’s a genius in the premise of Scream that distinguishes it from other horror sagas, as a new killer dons the mantle of “Ghostface” in each sequel. Not only does this give the characters a new mystery to solve, but it offers a different interpretation of what Ghostface represents based on their motivations. The nature of repetition is inherent to the commentary on violence and media sensationalism that Scream unpacks; the saga examines why viewers are drawn to psychotic killers and donate so much of their attention to them. If there’s ever any concern that this would feel tedious after a while, the self-awareness of the characters allows them to air those frustrations out loud. Mystery isn’t just a fun quirk to the Scream saga; it’s the reason that it’s such a success.
Detective-Like Characters
When creating the original Scream, Craven wanted to express his frustrations with the way that the horror genre had evolved. While Craven had attempted to craft a self-aware horror film with the underrated 1994 masterpiece Wes Craven’s New Nightmare, Scream appealed to younger viewers because the teenage protagonist Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) wasn't a hapless victim. Having seen her fair share of movies, Sidney was able to see the similarities in the twists and look into the case for herself. She wasn’t a screaming target waiting to be a preyed upon, but a junior detective determined to be the hero of her own narrative.
Each of the main characters has their own reason to investigate each case, and they each have a different skill to add. Gale Weathers (Courtney Cox) is an investigative journalist who wants to cover each case in depth, and Dewey Riley (David Arquette) is a police officer who wants to put the killer behind bars. It’s fun seeing this trio return to their familiar stomping grounds of Woodsboro when a new threat emerges, and there’s tension to solve the case quickly. Seeing a new Ghostface emerge only reminds Sidney of the demons she’s faced in the past; however, Sidney has also evolved after her past experiences, so she’s able to connect the dots when killers use different tactics.
Self Commentary and Satire
The “whodunit” quality of the Scream series fits in thematically with each film’s element of satire. Having a new Ghostface has allowed each sequel to attack a different trend within cinema and analyze its impact on popular culture; the motivation of the killer is often linked to what the audience is drawn to the story. If Scream was intended to be a response to the horror genre itself, then Scream 2 was a satire of sequels. There’s even an extended college campus discussion scene where the main characters discuss the merits of famous sequels like Aliens, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, The Empire Strikes Back, and The Godfather: Part II. However, the revelation itself ties into the mystery of “why make a sequel to Scream?” Debbie Salt (Laurie Metcalf) is the mother of Billy (Skeet Ulrich), and is literally trying to replicate her son’s crimes.
Each new mystery allows the characters to explore a different “whodunit” setup that serves as additional metatextual commentary. Scream 3 takes place on the chaos of a Hollywood film set and analyzes greed and sensationalism within Hollywood; Scream 4 returns the franchise to the original Woodsboro high school as Sidney has her own “legacy sequel” take place; 2022’s Scream introduces a new cast of characters who look at being the stars of a “soft reboot.” Scream VI examines why certain sagas remain popular for ages, and how the Ghostface killings represent a societal issue surrounding cyclical violence. Although the series has now “passed the torch” following Campbell’s exit, the younger heroes Tara (Jenna Ortega) and Sam (Melissa Barrera) have just as much reason to solve each mystery, as they’re both determined to emerge from their traumatic experiences as victors, not victims.
Staying Fresh
Slasher films often appeal to audiences for their value as exploitation, but Scream has remained engaging because of the characters’ intelligence. Cycling out a new set of victims grows dull after a while, but having an active cast of recurring protagonists that are empowered to prevent others from experiencing the same horror they endured is why Scream continues to spawn new fans. The audience can see themselves in these heroes, and in many ways they’re examining the mystery together at the same time.
Scream VI is a terrific new installment that showed why the series continues to draw in audiences; we venture into each new installment determined to “outsmart the killer,” and there’s a rush to see each new film in its opening weekend in order to avoid getting spoiled on whom the culprit is. If it retains the same mystery element that distinguished it in the first place, Scream isn’t going away anytime soon.