When it comes to the world of horror, there are few greater franchises than Scream. These movies bring the perfect balance of scares and comedy and have no problem mocking themselves with their tongue-in-cheek parody moments, yet the plots are still well constructed with a real element of mystery.
While each movie follows the same beat of having to guess who is under the Ghostface mask, they all tell the story in a different way. But is it the original movie that stands out in this slasher series, or are the sequels more impressive?
The Original: Shocking Star
The opening scene of Scream will go down as one of the best in horror movie history and makes this movie memorable. It breaks tradition by killing what many deemed to be the main character straight away, which was a huge shock from the start.
The creepy phone call and the brutal murder of Drew Barrymore's character is something that nobody expects to happen when they first turn the movie on. However, the fact that it starts out that way grabs the attention of viewers right from the start.
The Sequels: Kills Get More Creative
There is ultimately only so much that can be done with a slasher series like this in terms of the deaths. These movies aren't supernatural, like Nightmare On Elm Street, it is just a normal human carrying around a knife. However, as the movies progressed, so did the creativity when it came to the murders.
The sequels get clever in the setups of the deaths, and that helps to enhance the movies, overall. It makes them more brutal, bloodier, and a lot scarier to watch, which is ultimately one of the main reasons people watch a horror movie.
The Original: The Pacing
Pacing is crucial in a horror movie, especially a slasher. Too many jump scares can be overkill, while not enough makes many question whether they're watching a horror or not. This is something that Scream does perfectly, and certainly better than any of the four movies.
The movie doesn't slow down much, but it does so at just the right times to develop relationships between the characters or add tension when needed. It highlights the biggest moments and allows some comedy to shine through, as well, even in the unveiling of the killers, which is a testament to how well-paced everything is.
The Sequels: The Mix Of New & Old
This point only works for Scream 4, but it is something that makes the movie impressive. In the original flick, the main characters all play on different tropes from the horror genre to establish their characters. But by the time the fourth movie arrives, they all break out of them. For instance, Dewey is no longer just a clutz for comedy, he is the Sherrif and someone more than capable of handling himself.
This is where the younger characters step in, as they then become the troped characters. They all blend together nicely, telling a fresh story with the older characters blending in perfectly to keep the franchise connected in a clever manner.
The Original: Randy Meeks
Randy Meeks is one of the greatest characters in the franchise, but he is only properly used in the original. He is the movie geek who shares all the rules of horror movies, and his character breaks things down and does an amazing job at it.
In Scream 2, Randy is murdered and it makes that movie and the subsequent movies a lot weaker. The fact he's brought back in a videotape before his death in the third movie showcases that the movie misses him, and the fourth installment brings in new characters similar to Randy, but without his charm.
The Sequels: The Prescott Family
In the original movie, it is only Sidney Prescott that is focused on when it comes to her family. However, the sequels end up diving into her family history a lot more, and that adds a lot to the stories. It opens up Sidney's past in further detail, especially the storyline with her mother and what happens to her.
It gives the follow-up movies a lot more emotion, which makes them easier to attach to. This is something that does make the movies stronger, as people only become more invested in what is happening because the backstory of Sidney's family begins to shine.
The Original: Less Predictable
Because it's the first movie in the series, the original Scream is naturally just less predictable. While all of the movies thrive on being mysterious, the sequels do follow many of the same beats that the original provides in terms of the jump scares and how the characters behave.
However, it is the original that does it best. Nobody is able to truly guess the twists and turns that are going to take place, and that is something that helps this movie be the best in the entire franchise.
The Sequels: Greater Satirical Comedy
The big reason that these movies are so much fun is that they bring a lot of comedy as well as horror. They essentially mock themselves and use satirical humor, with the original movie mocks different tropes in the horror genre, in general.
However, as the movies go on, there are more tropes that can be utilized, and they do just that. Whether it's mocking sequels, trilogies, or reboots, all three of the follow-up movies do satire a lot better, which makes them slightly funnier.
The Original: Strongest "Final Girl" Character
A classic trope of slasher horror movies is to have a "final girl," who is someone that survives right until the end and allows fans to really feel sympathy for them. Each movie provides this character, but it is Sidney Prescott who does it the best.
While she finds herself in danger throughout the franchise, she is the true final girl in the original and it's a role she does well. The character is easy to connect with and feel sorry for, while she also has the fire to stand up for herself as well, which makes her character even better.
The Sequels: The Characters Develop
Unlike a lot of horror franchises, the beauty of the Scream movies is that many of the core characters play a part in all four movies. While the likes of Sidney, Dewey, and Gale aren't as involved in every movie, they do feature, and because of that, their characters, personalities, and involvement in the story grows.
Audiences are able to really connect with the characters even more in the later movies because fans know what they have been through along the way. It's something that only helps the sequels, as there are characters that fans can connect with immediately.