When discussing the best horror movies, Scream comes up time and time again for being totally groundbreaking and impressive. The popular franchise is known for featuring both comedy and scares but it also has some sadness, as in the first movie, audiences learned about the awful murder of Sidney Prescott's mother Maureen. The franchise's four movies each involve tragic moments and surprising deaths, along with talk of what being in a horror movie is really like, and some coming-of-age storylines.
Scream has beloved characters and it's hard to think of a more popular franchise or one that still has such staying power all of these years later. With the fifth movie set for release in 2022, it's a great time to look back on the past four films and discover all the hot takes that fans are posting on Reddit.
Scream 3 Is Good
While many horror fans consider the first Scream movie to be the best in the franchise, a fan shared on Reddit that they think the third movie is good, too. They called it "a really solid sequel" and mentioned that they loved watching Gale and Dewey's romance.
This is an unpopular opinion as several fans commented in the thread and said that they think the third movie is the weakest.
The Scream Franchise Should Have Ended With The First Movie
Another unpopular opinion about Scream is that franchise should have ended with the first movie. A fan posted in a Reddit thread and explained, "The whole crux of this movie is that it's set in the real world, not the world of a cheap slasher franchise, and yet we're supposed to buy that more or less the exact same thing has happened to the same group of people coming up for five times now."
While it's fun to watch all the movies and anticipate if fan theories will come true, the first film is definitely excellent and could stand on its own.
Scream 4 Isn't As Great As People Think
While Scream will always be considered the best movie, the sequels have some cool aspects. Often when a film franchise gets to the fourth movie, the quality goes down, but many Scream fans think that the fourth movie is well-done. They enjoyed watching new teenagers deal with the killers and seeing Sidney revisit her hometown, the place where it all began.
A few fans posted in a Reddit thread arguing that they don't like Scream 4. One fan said that Kirby should have been more of a main character, as she was fun to watch, and that they didn't like the portrayal of Ghostface here.
Tatum's Death Isn't Well-Done
Fans remember watching Tatum die after getting stuck in a garage door, as this is one of the most iconic deaths from the franchise.
While this is generally considered a scary moment in the first movie, not everyone agrees that Tatum should have met this particular end. A fan posted on Reddit about Tatum's death and said, "While I appreciate the creative intent behind Tatum's death, it's actually my least favorite in the film and ranks low in the franchise for me. It's the one moment in an otherwise perfect movie that feels like spoof, thinking she could possibly fit her entire body through the pet door."
Scream 4's Opening Is A Favorite
For many fans of the Scream franchise, the opening scene of Scream 4 definitely wasn't as good as the first movie, as nothing could compare to Casey's tragic storyline. Watching Casey answer the phone, realize that a killer was quizzing her, and watch her boyfriend die before being killed herself was surprising and terrifying.
A fan said on Reddit that they liked Scream 4's opening sequence. There were a few comments disagreeing with this, and one fan pointed out that the deaths at the beginning of the first two movies were more "dramatic," which is true.
Randy Is Irritating
Randy is generally thought to be a likable character as he's smart and savvy. Of all the characters, he knows the most about the horror genre and he wants to help others understand what's really going on.
A fan wrote on Reddit that there is "hype" about Randy and they don't feel the same way, calling him "annoying." This is an unpopular opinion as it's true that Randy is a popular character, thanks to his discussion of the rules of horror movies and his fascinating meta-analysis.
Scream 2 And 3 Are Better Than The Original
When comparing all of the movies in the franchise, it's safe to say that many people would say the first one is the best.
Sharing an unpopular opinion on Reddit, a fan said that they prefer Scream 2 and 3. They said they're "campy and exciting" and there seems to be more plot to pay attention to.
Scream 2 Seemed Like The First One But Set At College
Many horror fans enjoy Scream 2 and think that Cici's chase scene is a solid entry. Her evening alone at her sorority house was one of the most memorable parts of the whole movie.
While there's love for Scream 2 as people feel it's a solid horror sequel, not everyone sees it that way, and a fan said that they felt the sequel was too similar to the original. They posted in a Reddit thread, "It always bothered me that Scream 2 felt like a basic copy of 1 just at a college instead of a high school."
The Franchise Is Too Proud Of How Meta It Is
Scream has a scary but hilarious tone and that's thanks to its status as a parody movie. It's a meta take on the genre and it pokes fun at how characters typically fare in scary movies. With so many weak movies without any character development or an intelligent story or motivation for a killer's actions, it's no wonder this franchise is so beloved.
While many praise the franchise for being meta and for analyzing the genre in this way, a fan shared on Reddit that while they call it a "landmark," they think the movie is "a little too smug and proud of itself in parts."
Scary Movie Made Scream Less Fun
Someone asked on Reddit if anyone agreed that Scary Movie ruined Scream. They said that after watching the parody movie, whenever they watched Scream, they couldn't help but compare the two and expect there to be more jokes as Scary Movie poked fun at it.
Several fans replied that they didn't think that was the case, making this an unpopular opinion as many think of the movies are two totally different things.