Scream

Ghostface is seen at the Los Angeles premiere of Paramount Pictures “Scream 7” at Paramount Pictures Studios on February 25, 2026 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/FilmMagic)

The Scream franchise is one of the most popular slasher movie franchises and is often ranked in the top three of slasher films alongside Halloween and A Nightmare on Elm Street.

The slasher genre had gone quiet for a little while until 1996, when the first Scream movie premiered and brought it back into style. Scream didn’t just revive slasher films — it also revolutionized horror and had an enormous influence on its fans and the genre as a whole.

Ghostface — the antagonist, or rather the “killer(s)” — became one of the most recognizable horror villains ever. Ghostface costumes are consistently top Halloween sellers, which is why every Halloween at least half the neighborhood seems to be dressed as it.

Not only did future generations after the ’90s watch and continue the fandom of Scream, but the fandom has actually kept growing. The franchise is now up to its seventh film, and I wouldn’t be surprised at all if it continues for as long as it can.

Ghostface and Skeet Ulrich as Billy Loomis in “Scream.” Dimension Films

Scream (1996) is the movie that started it all, and it’s my favorite — along with many others’ — being the original.

Not only did this movie keep you on your toes the entire time, but the actual suspects were so hard to pinpoint because of the relationships and friendships involved. It made it harder for us to automatically figure out who the killer was. And oh boy… was it a surprise.

At first, a lot of people — myself included — suspected Billy of being Ghostface because he was arrested after being found in the same house as the protagonist (the “final girl”), Sidney. But he was let go. If the police couldn’t find anything, then he couldn’t have been the killer… right?

We had characters like Stu, the crazy and wacky friend, and Randy, the movie-obsessed guy who works at the video rental store, who were also marked as suspects throughout the film. Then there was Sidney’s best friend, Tatum, who seemed far too sweet to be a killer.

It was a huge surprise when Billy and Stu ended up being the killers. I wasn’t fully sure about their motive at first — and again, hadn’t Billy been cleared by the police? But of course, they were partners, working together. That gave them even better alibis.

They both played it off well throughout the movie — especially Billy, who faked his love for Sidney. I was shocked, but not entirely. Billy had a motive: Sidney’s mother had destroyed his parents’ marriage, which led him to kill her — and now he wanted to “finish the job” by killing Sidney. Stu, on the other hand, was quite literally just crazy and wanted the thrill of it.

Out of all the Ghostfaces, Billy and Stu are my favorites — not only because they started it all, but because their reveal was truly jaw-dropping, especially with the added twist of Sidney’s mother’s murder. That storyline shocked fans and made the film even more impactful.

Not to side with a killer, but Billy is one of the few where you can somewhat understand his reasoning. Of course, that doesn’t justify anything — revenge is never okay — but Sidney’s mother did play a role in breaking apart his family. As a troubled teen with no real parental support, there’s at least some explanation behind his actions.

The ending wrapped up strongly with the teamwork between Sidney and Gale, who ultimately take down Billy and Stu. Sidney had been betrayed the entire movie — by her boyfriend and by someone she considered a close friend. Finding out that Billy was also the one who killed her mother was her breaking point, and she had to finish it.

I’ve loved and enjoyed all the Scream movies (with Scream 3 being my least favorite), but nothing tops the original. It paved the way for the entire franchise, and I love how every movie connects back to it in some way — whether it’s the reveal that Billy had a daughter or Ghostface continuing to target Sidney (which, thankfully, has never fully succeeded).

Who knows — maybe one of the future Scream films will take the top spot. But for now, I’m not so sure.

Scream! 🎬