Scream (1996)
Directed by Wes Craven, written by Kevin Williamson
Opening Scene:
The film kicks off with one of the most legendary horror openings in cinema: high school student Casey Becker (Drew Barrymore) receives a creepy phone call while home alone. The caller starts off playful but quickly turns sinister, quizzing her on horror movie trivia. When she fails a question, the killer murders her boyfriend outside — then attacks and kills Casey too, right before her parents arrive home.
Main Story:
News of the brutal double murder rocks the quiet town of Woodsboro. The focus turns to Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell), a classmate of Casey’s who is still dealing with the trauma of her mother’s murder one year earlier. When Sidney is attacked in her own home by the masked killer — who uses a distorted voice and wears a ghostly white mask — it becomes clear the murders are just beginning.
The next day, Sidney’s boyfriend, Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich), is arrested after a cellphone falls out of his pocket at the scene, but he’s soon released. Suspicion swirls among their group of friends:
- Tatum Riley (Rose McGowan), Sidney’s best friend
- Stu Macher (Matthew Lillard), Tatum’s boyfriend
- Randy Meeks (Jamie Kennedy), the movie-obsessed nerd
- And of course, Billy, who always seems just a little too intense
Investigations and Red Herrings:
Local deputy Dewey Riley (David Arquette) investigates the case alongside hard-nosed reporter Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox), who previously accused Sidney’s mother, Maureen, of having an affair with the man who was arrested and convicted for her murder — Cotton Weary. Sidney begins to question whether Cotton was guilty at all.
Randy begins laying out the “rules” of surviving a horror movie:
- Don’t have sex
- Don’t drink or do drugs
- Never say “I’ll be right back”
Cue everyone breaking all those rules.
The House Party & Reveal:
Everything culminates at a wild house party hosted by Stu. Tatum is killed in a garage door. Gale sneaks in to snoop. Randy gets drunk and watches Halloween alone.
Eventually, the killer strikes again, and the truth is revealed: there are two killers — Billy and Stu. They orchestrated the murders as part of a twisted revenge plan. Billy blames Sidney’s mother for ruining his family by having an affair with his father. Stu? He’s just doing it “for fun.”
They plan to frame Sidney’s father for the murders and become the heroes who “survive” the massacre. But Sidney fights back, using horror movie knowledge and pure grit. With help from Gale and Randy, she turns the tables, kills both Stu and Billy, and survives.
