I am not a horror movie fan at all. So when I kept seeing posts on my Instagram feed during my freshman year of high school to watch the 1996 movie Scream, I was very hesitant. I am not a fan of jump scares and don’t like being scared, but I decided to step out of my comfort zone and watch the movie.
“Scream” is not your typical horror movie. The entire thing is basically satire but is done in such an incredible way, that you can’t really tell. Throughout the whole movie, the characters make fun of horror movies and the idiotic mistakes that characters in these movies make, only for them to make the exact same mistakes that they ridiculed. I really love this aspect of the movie and think that it adds much-needed humor.
I think this movie is unique because of the first twelve minutes of the film. I won’t name which character, but in the beginning, the audience sees one of the supposed main characters killed off–mind you, this is in the FIRST TWELVE MINUTES. The death is unexpected and sets a shocking tone for the rest of the movie. It really showed the audience that nobody was safe and that any main character could be killed off at any moment.
I can’t talk about Scream without talking about fashion!! All of Gale Weathers’(played by Courteney Cox) outfits are 90s realness, and I can’t lie when I say that I am always on the lookout for a lime green skirt suit like she wore in her first scene. Tatum Riley (played by Rose McGowan) also had iconic looks like her intricately patterned skirt and yellow mock-neck top she wore in an iconic scene. Casey Becker (played by Drew Barrymore) also has an iconic outfit with the fisherman’s sweater and jeans with her signature light blonde bob. And of course, Sidney Prescott (played by Neve Campbell) did not disappoint with her outfits, even if they were more casual, but she was being chased by a serial killer, so I will give her a break. Even the guys’ fashion in the movie didn’t falter, with Billy (Skeet Ulrich), Stu (Matthew Lilliard), and Randy (Jamie Kennedy) showing off some typical 90s looks.
The thing about this movie that makes it so genius to me is the ending. When it is revealed who the killer is, I will always get goosebumps. Some people may find it predictable, while others may be genuinely shocked, but the way that it is revealed is so unique compared to other murder mysteries, and the entire scene is so iconic. The last shot of the movie is not how you would expect the movie to end, and it leaves you with a lot of questions, but don’t worry, there is a slew of sequels that may answer questions you might have. Of course, I won’t say anything about who it is, but if you want to watch a movie with a good ending, you need to watch Scream.
To see the trailer for the Scream watch here!