The Scream franchise returned in a huge way in this year’s fifth entry. From the first film in 1996, the series has gained a loyal fanbase that will always turn up to see the exploits of Woodsboro and Ghostface. The series built itself upon poking fun at the slasher genre and is one of the best meta-horror films of all time. As with any great slasher flick, the real joy lies in the kills. Here are the 10 best kills from the Scream series, from victims to killers.
Major Spoilers For Scream 2022 Ahead
10. Maureen Evans- Scream 2
As of this past Sunday, fans think of Will Smith’s Oscar incident when they think of Jada Pinkett Smith’s name. For horror fans, they likely think of her memorable death in the opening of Scream 2. While attending a screening of the movie within a movie, Stab, Maureen, and her boyfriend, Phil, get closer to the film than they bargained for. The entire crowd is filled with fans dressed as Ghostface, but one among them is the real deal. After making short work of Phil, the killer arrives at the screening and perfectly blends in. Thinking it is Phil, Maureen is none the wiser when she gets stabbed. She makes her way to the front of the auditorium, where she dies in front of a stunned crowd.
9. Steven Orth- Scream
The opening scene of Scream is one of the best in horror history. The scene introduces the world to a sinister new killer, making it clear he means business. While taunting Casey Becker on the phone, Ghostface reveals he has already made it to her boyfriend, Steven. Casey turns on the light to her porch to see her doomed boyfriend bound to a chair with duct tape over his mouth. Casey answers a question wrong, and the light goes out. When it comes back on, Steven has been gutted. This brief kill set the tone for the entire franchise and is fondly remembered as one of the most gruesome Scream kills in the series.
8. Cotton Weary- Scream 3
In the first film, it is revealed a man name Cotton Weary killed Sidney Prescott’s mother before the events of the film. Gale Weathers believes he is innocent, and eventually, it is revealed he is. Cotton returns as a main character throughout Scream 2 and makes an appearance in the opening of Scream 3. As fans of the Scream series know, things don’t typically turn out well for those who appear in these first scenes. Cotton rushes home when he discovers Ghostface is at home with his girlfriend. He returns home to her screaming voice, only to discover it is Ghostface with a voice changer, who then proceeds to kill Cotton. Fans don’t love the idea of the voice changer in this film, but there is no denying hearing a loved one’s voice when they aren’t there is chilling.
7. Wes Hicks – Scream 2022
Scream 2022 is a love letter to the series as well as late director Wes Craven. A character is named after him, although his fate isn’t ideal. The son of returning Scream 4 character Judy Hicks, Wes is overly cautious thanks to his mother, who is the sheriff. These precautions don’t help him, as the killer makes their way into the house and kills him. What makes this kill so brutal is that Wes was attempting to reach his mother, who he didn’t realize was already dead. Wes was a popular character, and characters have a memorial for him where they all say “For Wes.” This was the film’s not-so-subtle tribute to the late horror legend. This is one Scream kill with an odd amount of heart.
6. Amber Freeman- Scream 2022
Not every death has to be a victim. In fact, some of the best deaths are given to the Scream series’ various killers. This is the case with Amber Freeman (Mikey Madison from Once Upon a Time In Hollywood), who is revealed to be one of the Ghostface killers in the latest entry. Amber is overly excited in an obvious tribute to one of the original Scream killers, Stu Macher. Amber unwisely decided to tangle with Sidney and Gale. She ends up covered in hand sanitizer and lit on fire. A while later, she is revealed to be alive and lunges at the survivors. She receives one final shot to the head courtesy of her ex-best friend Tara. This calls back to Sidney’s final shot in the original film, effectively passing the torch.
5. Billy Loomis- Scream
Billy was the sexually frustrated boyfriend of Sidney Prescott and one of the original killers. Along with friend Stu, the two adopted the Ghostface moniker and recked havoc on Sidney’s life. The film’s climax revealed the tragic truth, and Sidney’s life changed forever. Sidney Prescott quickly proves why she is one of the greatest final girls as she escapes the two psychopaths and manages to kill them both. Billy’s death was much more personal to her. She stabbed and shot him multiple times. As Randy reveals, the killer always returns for one last scare. Billy does just that. However, his second wind is short-lived, as Sidney quickly shoots him in the head to put him down for good.
4. Dewey Riley- Scream 2022
Probably the most heartbreaking Scream kill comes in the 2022 film. Dewey Riley, who has been in the series from the beginning, finally meets his end. Dewey gives his group time to escape as he goes toe to toe with Ghostface. He puts up a good fight and even emerges victorious. Before entering the elevator with the others, he realizes he should shoot the killer in the head. Before he gets a chance to, he is distracted by his phone. This mistake proved fatal, as Ghostface jumps up and stabs Dewey with two knives. He is stabbed simultaneously in the front and back, so viewers know this is the real end. This death may have been hard for long-time fans, but it was necessary to show the stakes have never been higher.
3. Richie Kirsch- Scream 2022
The second killer revealed in Scream 2022 is Richie Kirsch. In an homage to Billy Loomis, Richie is the boyfriend of one of the survivors, Sam. This relationship isn’t the only Billy connection, as it is revealed Sam is the illegitimate daughter of Billy Loomis. Throughout the film, she sees visions of her dead father, who tried to get her to embrace who she is. In the climax, she does just that. As the vision of her father looks on, Sam brutally stabs Richie to death. She wipes the blade off after he is reduced to a bloody mess, similar to her father when he was Ghostface. This is not only one of the more brutal Scream kills, but the callback to one of the best killers is what makes this one stand out.
2. Tatum Riley- Scream
Tatum was Sidney’s sassy and independent best friend in the original Scream. For many fans, she is one of the best characters in the Scream series. This could be due in part to her memorable death. She breaks one of the cardinal rules and goes off by herself during a house party. She runs into Ghostface, who she isn’t the least bit afraid of. In fact, she taunts him because she assumes it is someone playing a trick. By the time she realizes this is one of the real killers, it is too late. She attempts to escape through a doggy door on the garage door. She gets stuck, and Ghostface lifts the door up, crushing her against the roof.
1. Casey Becker- Scream
As the Scream series constantly tells fans, nobody can beat the original. This is especially true when it comes to the shocking opening kill. Drew Barrymore was a huge star in 1996. She seemed to be a big part of the film, appearing on every poster and trailer for the film. It was shocking to see her die in the film’s opening minutes. If seeing Drew’s character Casey die so early wasn’t bad enough, it was also one of the more brutal deaths. After the killer taunts her on the phone, he gives chase. Her evasion attempts are ultimately in vain, as the killer catches up. Her mortified parents have to listen to her die on the phone and eventually find her hanging from a tree, with her insides on the ground below her.
