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The first Scream film was a huge success, but it’s become one of the most celebrated modern horror franchises. More than 25 years after the release of the original, 2022’s Scream continues to rejuvenate the slasher formula and proves that there’s still plenty of life left in this franchise.
The Scream movies are filled with memorable characters. The franchise benefits from how each instalment continues to follow its original final girl, Sidney Prescott. Sidney’s role has changed in interesting ways throughout the course of the Scream franchise. She’s been responsible for some of Scream’s most iconic lines of dialogue.
10 “Hope You Enjoyed The Movie”
The quote may not be an absolute winner, but it follows a very satisfying moment where Sidney busts a prank caller. Someone attempts to replicate the Ghostface routine on Sidney, only for her to immediately turn to her caller ID and ruin their fun.
This is the perfect way to establish how much Sidney has grown since the events of the first film. She’s become savvier after the release of “Stab” has made her a bit of a celebrity. “Hope you enjoyed the movie,” is as much about the original Scream as it is about “Stab.”
9 “Would You Settle For A PG-13 Relationship?”
The Scream films are unabashedly referential when it comes to pop culture, especially horror movies. The first Scream really bakes the significance of cinema into much of the characters’ dialogue. The first scene between Sidney and Billy Loomis cleverly compares their relationship to an edited-for-TV R-rated horror movie.
It’s a touching way to explore these characters. Sidney’s compromise to engage in a “PG-13 relationship” is the perfect distillation of Scream’s dialogue. This line is echoed back in Scream 3 and there’s real weight behind the moment when it happens.
8 “Not So Fast, We’re Going To Play A Little Game. It’s Called: Guess Who Just Called The Police”
The third act reveal in every Scream film contains some of the most satisfying sequences from the franchise. The first Scream helps set a high standard. Billy and Stu’s motivations come to light and a bloody confrontation ensues, which allows Sidney a brief opportunity to get the upper hand.
Billy and Stu are lost in their own drama. It’s incredibly satisfying when Sidney turns the tables on them and terrorizes them with a phone call. It’s a fantastic moment where Sidney secures the power and grows into this capable survivor.
7 “God, Why Don’t You Stop Your Whining And Get On With It…There Is No-One Else To Blame”
Scream 3 is a controversial entry in the franchise that fans have slowly started to reclaim in recent years. One of the most difficult elements to accept in Scream 3 are the motivations that push Roman Bridger, Sidney’s half-brother, to put all of these murders into action.
So many of the Scream movies feature the killers justifying their actions through factors that pin them as the victim. Sidney has had enough of this. It’s great that she just shuts down Roman’s excuses and hammers in the fact that the only reason that he kills is because he wants to.
6 “They’re all the same. Some stupid killer stalking some big-breasted girl who can’t act who is always running up the stairs when she should be running out the front door. It’s insulting.”
One of the reason Scream films have found such an audience is because the characters are as savvy to horror movie conventions as the audience. There are tons of scenes where characters chastise the events of fictional horror characters, only to succumb to the same mistakes when they’re in the heat of the moment and hunted.
Sidney’s dismissal of horror movies early on in the original (when she first gets called by Ghostface) elegantly says everything that it needs to. It speaks towards Sidney’s level-headed nature.
5 “I’m Sidney Prescott, Of Course I Have A Gun”
2022’s Scream has been a strong return to form for the series and many fans are considering it to be one of the strongest sequels. This new Scream handles Sidney and the rest of its “legacy characters” in a more subdued manner as they help protect a new generation of teenagers that are in peril.
Sidney’s presence in 2022’s Scream is minimal, but crucial. The above quote is a quaint way for Sidney to reflect just how accustomed she’s grown to defending her life. It’s a line that’s just cheeky enough, but also comes from a very real place.
4 “It’s Your Turn To Scream, A**hole”
Sidney has some incredibly empowering moments across the five Scream films. However, so many of Sidney’s victories in the first Scream hit the hardest because of her innocence. Sidney faces tremendous emotional and physical pain during Scream’s final act, so it’s difficult to not get excited when she’s able to reclaim her power and enact vengeance. Sidney’s take down here is simple and to the point, but Neve Campbell’s delivery is astounding and it releases an entire movie’s worth of pent-up pain.
3 “Not In My Movie”
The Scream franchise loves to subvert expectations when it comes to horror tropes. Sidney becomes a living embodiment of this idea when she survives the initial Woodsboro massacre. The finale is about how Billy and Stu’s plan will work because they’ve followed the rules of movies so well.
Sidney’s direct use of “not in my movie,” before she executes her aggressor is the perfect retort. It sets her up as a protagonist that will always break conventions and forge her own path.
2 “You Forgot One Thing About Billy Loomis. I F***ing Killed Him”
The Scream movies know how to build to a big finish. These emotional conclusions are usually great opportunities for Sidney to deliver some winning one-liners over the killers who terrorized her. Scream 2’s conclusion makes heavy mention of one of the original film’s murderers, Billy Loomis.
Mickey praises Billy’s actions and the blueprint that he’s established. Sidney confidently tears all of this down with the humble reminder that she took out Billy and she’ll take out him too. This is exactly what she does.
1 “You Forgot The First Rule Of Remakes, Jill. Don’t F**k With The Original”
Scream 4 is an exceptional sequel that didn’t get enough love upon its initial release. Scream 4′s message is even more relevant today, over ten years later. The motivations behind Scream 4’s killer are especially grim. Emma Roberts’ Jill tries to replace Sidney as the new “star.”
Jill is evidently not thorough enough with her actions. Sidney’s means of attacking Jill are particularly appropriate for a series like Scream. Sidney reiterates that she’s the “original,” and that she’s not going anywhere as she takes out Jill and ends this “remake.”
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