Scream Didn’t Need a Sequel or Subsequent Franchise
Scream 2 #Scream2
“What’s your favorite scary movie?” It’s a line spoken in Scream’s iconic cold open that sets the stage for what would soon become one of the most influential films in the horror genre. It kicked off the self-aware, comedic trope that a lot of horror films tend to lean into nowadays, but it still managed to be scary at the heart of it all. Perhaps such a feat was accomplished due to the genius of Wes Craven, or maybe it’s due to the stellar performances of its cast. Whatever it may be, Scream is an excellently done “whodunnit” that never gets old, but it’s also a perfect stand-alone film that didn’t need a sequel and certainly didn’t need a franchise.
Naturally, franchises are the backbone of horror because whether they’re good or not, they always draw a crowd and spark conversation. Scream was no exception, and it’s continuing to spawn sequels to this day, with Scream 6 arriving in March of next year. While it makes sense that Scream garnered sequels both from a business and entertainment perspective, I argue that the Scream franchise may just be the weakest of the big-name horror franchises. Now before the pitchforks come out, let me preface this by saying the original Scream is one of my all-time favorite horror films. I don’t necessarily think the sequels are bad, but I also don’t think the original film needed a continuation.
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A Franchise Is Born
Scream 2 arrived just one year after its predecessor and changed the setting from Woodsboro to Windsor College. It follows Sidney (Neve Campbell) as she tries to return to a sense of normalcy post-Ghostface attack. It’s the best of the sequels and the most natural feeling. The movie theater opening is the best opening of the franchise aside from the original. The chase scene of Gale in the sound booth and the tension-filled escape of Sidney and Hallie from the cop car are among some of the best and most suspenseful horror scenes. And of course, the reveal of Billy’s mother (Laurie Metcalf) being one of the killers is unexpected and great. Aside from those though the film is sort of meh. Plus, it also kills off Randy which feels utterly pointless and played for shock value more than actual story purpose.
Scream 3 kicks off with the murder of Cotton Weary (Liev Schreiber) and his girlfriend. And aside from that and Gale’s bangs, there isn’t anything truly notable about the film. Jamie Kennedy who played Randy makes a guest appearance via an old videotape, which only proves that the decision to kill him off in Scream 2 was a regretted one. It’s nice to see him again, but the reasoning is quite laughable. The entire film mostly centers around Stab 3, and while it’s a strange premise, in a franchise that’s known for its meta-commentary, it does make sense. But does it work? Not entirely. That can be overlooked though. What doesn’t make sense is the reveal of Sidney having a half-brother all of a sudden. A half-brother that has apparently been around for a while and supposedly even being the reason Billy found out about his father’s affair with Maureen. It doesn’t make a lot of sense and trying to justify it or work out timelines only causes a headache. The one good thing that fans can agree about though? The Dewey and Gale relationship of course. But that may just be it.
It was 11 years before another sequel was added to the franchise, with Scream 4 arriving in 2011. Scream 4 follows the path of Scream 3 in keeping a familial link between Sidney and Ghostface, only this time it actually makes sense. Scream 4 is more in tune with the first two films, but it doesn’t do much to truly stand out on its own. Of course, it has the excellent addition of Kirby, played by Hayden Panettiere, and Emma Roberts’ Jill is a surprising Ghostface and among the best who have donned the costume. There really isn’t much else to say about the film. It has a different feeling in terms of cinematography, opting for a more Vaseline-slicked lens look which is an interesting choice stylistically. But story-wise, it’s pretty cut and dry. However, it was Wes Craven’s final film, as the famed director and creator of the franchise passed away in 2015, so it will always be a special one in that regard.
The series remained dormant for another decade with constant rumors of a new film in the works, but it wasn’t until early 2022 that the rumors were proven true and Scream 5 hit theaters. With Halloween getting revived by David Gordon Green back in 2018, and Chucky moving to television in 2021, it was only natural that bringing Ghostface back would ultimately be successful — and it was. The film raked in an estimated $140 million at the box office and was a hit among fans old and new. But what was meant to be a sequel felt more like a modernized rehashing of the original film, with humor and pieces of dialogue meant to appeal to a newer audience. It’s a fun film, and it amps up the gore and scare factor with some extra tense scenes, but it also wastes its biggest selling point: the legacy characters. Bringing back Gale, Dewey and Sidney was arguably the most exciting part of the film, but they were sidelined so much that it almost felt like a waste to include them. The film easily would have worked without them, and while I appreciate their addition, given how hyped up their inclusion was, the ultimate screen time they were given was a major letdown.
‘Scream’ Is A Perfect Stand Alone
Scream was always going to become a franchise, purely due to the era it was made in. So many films got a sequel, from I Know What You Did Last Summer to Final Destination, there was just something in the air. But in comparison to other big-name franchises such as Child’s Play and Friday The 13th, the Scream sequels never really strayed from their original idea and didn’t do anything new or unique with them. Of course, this is still partly true for the films previously mentioned but they at least try and step outside the box, whether it works or not. For instance, Child’s Play became more of a parody of itself, where Friday The 13th brought Jason to space, and while the latter may not have been an entirely well-liked idea it was certainly new and unlike anything the franchise had seen prior.
Scream just seemed to regurgitate the same idea with a new killer every time, becoming more and more convoluted in its reasoning and motive. There also isn’t much growth behind the characters either, (breaking up Gale and Dewey off-screen with little explanation, killing off Dewey and Randy for no reason, etc…) It takes the phrase “if it isn’t broke don’t fix it” a little too far. It’s a shame because there’s so much potential that it just never manages to reach.
The original 1996 film has a perfect ending. There aren’t any loose ends, there’s a badass final girl, and it’s genuinely smart. It does what we all scream at our protagonists to do in most horror films: make sure the killer is truly dead. There wasn’t any need for a sequel and there wasn’t any allusion to one either. It’s a perfect standalone film and always will be, where the sequels are sort of like the surprise toy at the bottom of a cereal box. Nice to have but not necessary.