What is your favorite horror film? It is on this iconic phrase that Scream launched hostilities in 1996, in front of the camera of Wes Craven. Thirty years and six films later, the saga has survived Craven’s death and given birth to a Scream 7always worn by the unstoppable Sidney Prescott, sorry, Neve Campbell. What if today we had to give our favorite horror film, Scream could wear the crown without flinching. It’s well worth a little ranking of the best deaths in the saga.
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10 – Marnie Cooper (Britt Robertson), Scream 4
The murder of Marnie Cooper is Ghostface’s first action in Scream 4. A priori, it has nothing special compared to many others in the saga. However, it comes after Wes Craven had fun offering us several meta opening scenes with fictional deaths, thus criticizing the voyeurism of the spectator and beginning his main criticism on reboots. When Marnie dies, we still don’t know if her death is real or if it’s still a clip from a movie Stab. The murder is creative, not in the staging, but in the diegesis of the film.
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9 – Anika Kayoko (Devyn Nekoda), Scream 6
Anika’s death is one of the most violent in the saga. Ghostface attacks the group in their apartment, leaving Mindy (Jasmin Savoy Brown) injured in the arm and Anika stabbed in the stomach. We think it’s over for her, but the three girls manage to lock themselves in and then try to escape via a ladder suspended between their apartment and that of Danny (Josh Segarra). Anika is the last to pass, but is caught by the killer who knocks her off the ladder and she crashes to death.
If this death is striking, it is not only because of its visual violence, but also because Scream 6 manages to create suspense around his fate. The viewer initially thinks she’s ruined, before having a tiny bit of hope, then witnesses a certain sadism on the part of Ghostface who has fun with the ladder. The whole sequence builds to a crescendo of tension before the shock of the character’s crushed face.
8 – Richie Kirsch (Jack Quaid), Scream 5
In the pure tradition of the saga, Richie is therefore one of the killers of Scream 5confirming that you should never trust the heroine’s boyfriend, just in case (yes, we know, the majority of the time, it’s mostly a false lead). Why choose the death of the latter instead of that of Amber (Mikey Madison), more graphic? For the symbolism.
The latter dies from Sam’s (Melissa Barrera) stab wounds with quite incredible violence for a “heroine”. Billy Loomis’ daughter murders her ex-boyfriend in rage, as if, for a moment, she was indeed the villain our Ghostface wanted to make her. She seems taken by certain hereditary murderous impulses (her grandmother was the culprit in Scream 2), enough to suggest that she could cross the line by wearing the mask during the next opus.
7 – Randy Meeks (Jamie Kennedy), Scream 2
Randy was one of the survivors of the first opus and as he himself says so well, for a sequel to work, you have to eliminate one of the previous survivors. He didn’t think he was saying that well. While he has Ghostface on the phone and they know they are being watched, everyone is looking for where the call could come from. Randy is then pulled inside a van and suffers numerous stab wounds.
There are two reasons why Randy’s death is included in this ranking. The first, as we have already said, was one of the key characters of the first opus and, at that time, we did not yet know the rules of the saga. His murder therefore remains a surprise. Especially since it takes place in broad daylight, in a public space, which is extremely rare in all films Scream. The other is becausehe was the meta character, the one who gave the codes of horror filmswhich broke the fourth wall, and will be missed.
6 – Maureen Evans (Jada Pinkett Smith), Scream 2
Maureen is the second victim in the opening scene of Scream 2. While she is at the cinema with her partner to watch Staba film inspired by the Woodsboro murders (a film within a film), the latter is murdered in the toilet and his killer takes his place, well hidden under the mask – like the majority of the public. She gets stabbed and dies in the middle of the crowd.
Its importance in this top 10 is explained by the description above. Ghostface’s prerogative has always been his taste for staging. What better staging than an assassination in the middle of a cinema, in front of a wild crowd who believe it was a trick? Not only is it strong narratively speaking, but also in the double talk that Wes Craven liked to do with his screenwriter Kevin Williamson.
5 – Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich), Scream 1
Billy is the last to die during the final sequence of Screamfirst of the name. Not surprising since he was the last killer alive, the original Ghostface. He is first stabbed by Sidney before being shot in the head by Gale (Courteney Cox).
Beyond recounting the killing of the ultimate villain of Scream (Stu playing more of a sidekick role), Billy’s death marks an indelible rule in the saga, the double tap. Or the idea that the killer always comes back to life and that it is better to make sure a second time that he is really dead. A plot twist which will constantly recur in the following films, to the point where it could be considered fan service. Ghostface can only die once unmasked and you must always aim for the head.
4 – Stu Macher (Matthew Lillard), Scream 1
Speaking of heads. While Billy and Stu revealed themselves to Sidney, now the only survivor (which we believe), she manages to escape, knocks Billy out and smashes a vase on Stu’s head even though he had just declared his crush on her. The latter responds by dropping the TV on his head, electrocuting him.
In many ways, Stu’s death is more emblematic than that of his comrade. Already, through his creativity. He is one of the few who did not die of stabbing. Moreover, he is the one who best embodies the self-conscious spirit of Scream sincehe is symbolically killed by an object which fueled his passion for horror films, TV. Sidney puts an end to his “illusions” (including his affection for her) by bringing him back to reality. Nevertheless, he is the only Ghostface not to have been entitled to the rule of double tapthus creating the theory that he survived. The presence of Matthew Lillard in Scream 7 seems to confirm this theory, but a mental apparition like Ulrich in Scream 5 et 6 cannot yet be ruled out.
3 – Dewey Riley (David Arquette), Scream 5
While trying to protect Tara (Jenna Ortega) at the hospital, dear Dewey is attacked by Ghostface who ends up disemboweling him with two daggers.
It’s not hard to understand why Dewey’s death ranks so high in the rankings, despite its lack of credibility (sorry, but Amber would never have had the physical strength to kill him like that). We’re talking about Dewey, the third member of the surviving trio from each opus since the very first. In many ways, the ex-cop was the least likely to die, simply becausehe seemed indestructible.
A man whose mimicry was to be stabbed in every film, left for dead and ultimately survive. The Ultimate Survivor. Ghostface’s violence is such that this time, we know there will be no chance to see Dewey again. This puts an end to the life of the “big brother” of the saga and thus allows a new generation to make their mark. A creative, violent and symbolic death at the same time.
2 – Tatum Riley (Rose McGowan), Scream 1
Sidney’s best friend and, incidentally, friend of one of the killers, will bear the brunt of a painful breakup when her companion dresses as Ghostface to trap her in the garage. Tatum defends himself rather well before trying to escape through the door’s cat flap. Stu then pulls up the door and Tatum ends up crushed in the mechanism.
We will always have affection for Tatum’s death. For us, this is the most creative Ghostface kill in the saga. Creative, because it is both original and iconic – just like the logs in Destination Finale 2we no longer see a cat flap like before -, and because it has a little ridiculous side. We know that the actress had room to go through the small trapdoor since certain shots show her with both shoulders out. We know it! Justice for Tatum!
1 – Casey (Drew Barrymore), Scream 1
While she is alone at home and preparing to watch a horror film, Casey receives a call from a stranger who suggests she play a game. She ends up disembowelled and hanged from a tree while her parents have just returned.
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Casey’s death could only be in first place in this top 10 of emblematic deaths of Scream. For his violence firstly, since there were two versions of the scene. One shown in the cinema, shortened, and the other where the editing emphasizes the crueltyrevealing a more explicit, visible massacre, traumatizing an entire generation. Then, for its symbol. In line with Psychosis, Wes Craven assassinates his main star in the first quarter of an hoursuggesting that everyone can do it.
An idea from Drew Barrymore herself, wanting to shock the viewer. She, who was to have the role of Sidney, proposed to the director to change his plans and focus all the promotion on her, being the best-known actress in the cast. Result, a viral marketing strategy, a memorable narrative upheaval and a scene that has become cult.
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