Do you like scary movies? Scream is an iconic horror movie that I’m sure plenty have heard of. This 90’s film helped revive the slow dying horror movie genre. Scream was a type of movie that caught many people’s attention, and it’s still a movie that gets played today in 2024. Scream, directed by Wes Craven and written by Kevin Williamson, was released in 1996. This production brought life to classic horror tropes and changed them for the better.
Before reading, it’s important to note that this review does contain spoilers!
Scream (1996)
In the town of Woodsboro, Sidney Prescott is mourning the death of her mother a year after she was murdered. The following year, Casey Becker also is murdered. Sidney, along with her boyfriend and friends, get to thinking and they come to the conclusion that there’s a connection between the recent murder in Woodsboro and Sidney’s mother’s death.
My Take on the Movie
I rate this movie a 5/5. I really enjoyed this movie out of all the Scream movies. This is my favorite movie in the entire franchise. That may be because it’s the first movie, and in a movie franchise it’s kind of hard to beat the original concept. Just like other reviewers, I agree that Wes Craven made a huge impact on the horror movie genre. Scream was seen as the new foundation of horror movies, specifically slasher movies.
What I liked most about the movie was that it was very suspenseful and had me on the edge of my seat as you don’t know who Ghostface is until the end of the movie. Another thing that I liked was the casting. The cast for Scream was amazing, and I could feel a sense of connection with the actors and their characters.
My Favorite Characters
Billy Loomis
Billy Loomis is Sidney Prescott’s boyfriend in the first film. Billy had a motive for targeting Sidney. He believed Sidney’s mother’s affair with his father was the cause of the breakup of his family. Billy plays the role of the caring, sweet boyfriend to gain Sidney’s trust. He was known as a big horror movie fan, and he used all his knowledge of slasher movies to execute his revenge. He uses references from Halloween, Friday the 13th, When a Stranger Calls, and The Exorcist.
Billy Loomis is my favorite character because of his personality. His personality was fun to look into, whether he was presented as Ghostface or just himself. In front of others he was seen as the perfect boyfriend who loves and supports his girlfriend. When he’s with Stu, we see more of his darker side where he’s set out to get revenge on Sidney. Some characteristics of Billy Loomis that you see is that he’s manipulative, unstable, obsessive, vengeful, and arrogant.
When I first watched the movie, I was immediately fascinated by Billy Loomis. He made me think and analyze things and once I found out he was Ghostface I was shocked, not by him being Ghostface but by his way of thinking and plotting.
Randy Meeks
Randy Meeks was seen as the horror expert and was a close friend of Sidney. Just like Billy Loomis, he was obsessed with horror movies, except he was using his knowledge to help him and his group of friends survive the sudden murders occurring in Woodsboro. Randy held an important role in the film: he was able to figure out Ghostface’s identity by using his rules about horror movies; for example, how to tell if a person is going to die. He left an impression as the lovable, geeky, horror movie lover.
Randy Meeks is one of my favorite characters because of his way of bringing light to the movie. When he talks about his knowledge of horror movies, it’s funny to watch because it looks like he’s been prepping for this moment all his life. Aside from his humorous personality, I also like his status with Sidney. Sidney’s trust in Randy was always strong, which led them to be really good friends. Seeing their friendship in the film was nice and light compared to Sidney’s relationship with Billy Loomis.
I was instantly in love with Randy when I was met with his jokes. I felt like he could be one of my friends who would make a joke in a serious situation to take away the awkwardness and stress. Seeing him use his movie knowledge to help made me value his character more.
Dewey Riley
Dewey Riley was another person who could add some light to the darkness by bringing a form of humanity and hope. Dewey gets caught up in the Ghostface killings since he is a police officer. While he is slightly experienced, he made sure to do his best to protect the citizens of Woodsboro. Dewey’s presence in the film made it so the audience could relate and feel a sense of hope throughout the movie.
Dewey is another one of my favorite characters because of his connection to Sidney. He builds a relationship with Sidney that showcases his caring and protective nature that he often shared with his younger sister Tatum. Unlike most officers in other films who just care about solving the case, Dewey actually shows that he is a good friend who actually cares for others. Dewey’s friendship with Sidney shows that even with the murders going on in Woodsboro, it’s important to have a strong, meaningful connection with your close friends and loved ones.
When first being introduced to Dewey, I felt a brotherly connection. After seeing the death of his younger sister, Tatum, I felt so sad for Dewey. In the film, we don’t see Dewey finding out the news of his sister. But it’s nice that Dewey still kept his loyalty and love for Sidney in the later films.
CONCLUSION
Overall, I really enjoy Scream. This franchise is my favorite horror movie franchise, and I enjoy every movie even though the first is my favorite. So if you’re looking to binge watch a 6 movie series, this one is definitely worth checking out this summer!
