When it comes to horror movies that changed and influenced the genre, many may come to mind for different reasons. Each film has molded the horror genre in some way, but there is one franchise in particular that has really made it what it is today and that’sScream.Screamwas unique in how it balanced its humor and horror aspects, and opted for a more self-aware approach that sort of poked fun at classic horror tropes. It’s an approach that easily could have gone off the wayside but instead instantly became a classic. From the “whodunnit” aspect, to the genuinely funny humor, and the surprisingly effective scares,Screamset up a new era of horror that is still prevalent today. It also helps thatWes Cravenis the mastermind behind the film, as well as other horror classicssuch asThe Hills Have Eyes,TheLast House on the Left, and of course,A Nightmare on Elm Street.
NaturallyScreamwent on to garner some sequels and quickly became a franchise that audiences couldn’t get enough of. Franchises in the horror genre aren’t exactly a rarity, in fact, some of the most well-known films are a part of a franchise. ButScreamhas always stood out from the rest, for more than just reshaping the genre. Unlike other franchises such asHalloweenorFriday the 13th,Screamnever got ahead of itself or felt like it was spinning its wheels. Sure, nothing will ever top the original, but as far as horror sequels go,Screamhas some of the stronger ones. And withthe news thatNeve CampbellandKevin Williamsonare returning to collaborate onScream 7, fans couldn’t be more ecstatic. It’s more clear than ever thatScreammay be the one horror franchise that will never die, and perhaps it’s that fact that has allowed it to remain so successful, all these years and sequels later.
A year after the murder of her mother, a teenage girl is terrorized by a masked killer who targets her and her friends by using scary movies as part of a deadly game.
‘Scream’ Is Different From Other Horror Franchises
One of the biggest reasonsScreamhas remained so successful all these years is because it’s so different from other horror franchises. But not in the way you may immediately think. Yes,Ghostface (Roger L. Jackson) is a vastly different villainthan that of Michael Myers or Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund), but that isn’t what makesScreamstand out. It isn’t even its self-aware approach — though that is certainly a highlight.Screamis different because it has always followed a linear storyline. EachScreammovie is a sequel to the previous one and it never strays from the story. Even theScreamtelevision series has no real connection to the movies, and doesn’t add anything to the canon of the films. Most franchises have a reboot somewhere in their lineup, which often breathes new life into the franchise and updates it for newer audiences. Or, some franchises go the retcon route and bring out a sequel that ignores every other movie aside from the original, such is the case withDavid Gordon Green’sHalloweentrilogy. ButScreamhas never done that.Even when things got a little messy or convoluted in the timeline it rolled with it and made it work.
Screamconstantly builds upon lore established in the first movie, and adapted storylines and new characters to fit into it.InScream 2Randy (Jamie Kennedy) meets a tragic end, but inScream 5his niece and nephew are main characters and carry on his legacy.Scream 6found a way to bring back Kirby(Hayden Pannetiere) even though she seemingly died inScream 4, but does so in a way that doesn’t feel messy or unbelievable. And considering the newestScreammovies come a decade afterScream 4, it wouldn’t have been all that unusual for the filmmakers to retcon some stuff and just make it a new era, or even a reboot. Instead, they kept everything the same and simply evolved the story by mixing new characters with the legacy ones, and playing off the original story in unique ways. Such as making Sam (Melissa Barrera) the daughter of Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich). It’s why the sequels are so successful, they don’t change anything or ignore that the original exists, and instead embrace it and build upon it to create a brilliantly cohesive story.
The ‘Scream’ Movies Will Never Die
Screamis unique in how it only follows one consecutive storyline, but it’s also unique in the sense thatits villain is kind of indestructible. Ghostface isn’t indestructible in the same way that Michael Myers or Freddy Krueger is, there’s no magical reason as to why Ghostface comes back every time. Ghostface is just a random person every movie, someone with a sinister motive,whether it be they’re a copycat looking for the infamy a mass killing would bring them, or they have some sort of tie to the original or previous Ghostface. InScream 5Amber (Mikey Madison) and Richie (Jack Quaid) are the Ghostface duo, and Amber lives in Stu Macher’s (Matthew Lillard) (one-half of the original Ghostface duo) old house. InScream 6the people behind the Ghostface mask are Richie’s family. It all comes full circle.
There’s no way to fully extinguish Ghostface since it’s a new person every time,giving the franchise an eerie longevity that can outlast all other franchises - for better or worse. The protagonists may manage to defeat whoever’s behind the mask by the end of the movie, but someone always dons the mask again, and we’re never truly rid of Ghostface’s reign of terror. There will always be someone who getsa little too invested in the original murdersand decides to copycat them, meaning there’s endless content for theScreamfranchise. As unbeatable as a villain like Freddy Krueger may seem, there are creative ways to do and put a proper end to the story. But there’s no such conclusion for Ghostface, and it’s honestly frightening just how unbeatable a villain they are. It’s so easy to make aScreamsequel for that reason, but it’s also interesting how the people behind the movies haven’t exhausted that fact. In comparison to other franchises,Screamis relatively tame in its length with only six movies under its belt, and a seventh on the way. Other franchises are bafflingly long, having numbers high in the double digits, butScreamplays it close to the chest and because of that remains one of the better horror franchises out there. It’s not exhaustive, it’s not overdone, and even though it follows a linea storyline it still manages to add new and exciting aspects that keep the franchise feeling fresh. So long live Ghostface, andlong live theScreammovies, here’s to many more.
