💥Every Scream Movie Ranked By Kill Count💥
0Every Scream Movie Ranked By Kill Count
The Scream franchise isn't the goriest or deadliest horror offering out there, but the bodies do pile up during Ghostface's killing sprees — and some Scream movies boast higher kill counts than others. Scream reinvented the thriller genre back in 1996, introducing a villain and final girl who would eventually become horror icons. The film challenged all the conventions of the genre, breaking just about every slasher movie rule in the process.
Part of the reason Scream works so well is that it's incredibly self-aware, and that trend continues through its sequels and reboots (or "requels," as the characters call them). But even at its most meta, Scream takes its story seriously enough to claim numerous lives, making Ghostface a force to be reckoned with. For the most part, the villain's violence increases over the course of the franchise, making each of his killing sprees feel more consequential than the last.
The original Scream finds Ghostface wreaking havoc on the town of Woodsboro, and Billy Loomis and Stu Macher's time in the suit results in eight deaths — two of which are their own. The first killing of the original Scream takes place off-screen, with Billy killing Sidney's mother for having an affair with his father. He admits to this later in the film, but this death technically isn't shown like the others. The first on-screen deaths belong to Steven Orth and Casey Becker, both of whom perish during Scream's iconic opening.
Following this, Billy and Stu don't stack up too many bodies, as Sidney is their primary target. While the pair are more than happy to kill anyone who gets in their way or helps further their plan, they mainly focus on Sidney and others they dislike. There are later attempts to kill characters like Gale Weathers and Randy Meeks. However, Billy and Stu only manage to murder three more people — Principal Himbry, Tatum, and Kenny — before their plan gets turned around, with them perishing as a result.
2022's Scream reboot follows many of the same beats as the original film, so it's fitting that it has the same death tally. Eight characters die during Scream 2022, with the reboot's main friend group mostly surviving the latest killing spree. The biggest death of 2022's Scream is undoubtedly Dewey Riley's, as the original Scream actor gets a heroic send-off during this fight against Ghostface. The other Ghostface murders include Vince Schneider, Sheriff Judy Hicks, Wes Hicks, Deputy Clay, and Liv McKenzie.
The ending of Scream 2022 reveals another duo as Ghostface: Richie Kirsch and Amber Freeman. In true Scream fashion, both die gruesome deaths at the hands of the movie's protagonists. Richie's demise sets up the big reveal of 2023's Scream VI, which boasts a much higher kill count than its predecessor.
Scream 3 moves the action to Hollywood, where the franchise's most meta storyline finds Ghostface killing the actors filming Stab 3 — the fictionalized version of the very movie it appears in. This inventive addition to the franchise maintains the same number of kills as Scream 2, clocking in at 10 deaths in total. The film's opening kills off talk-show host Christine Hamilton and Scream 2's Cotton Weary. Ghostface then goes on to murder Sarah Darling, Steven Stone, Tom Prinze, Angelina Tyler, Tyson Fox, Jennifer Jolie, and John Milton, mostly using his usual tactics.
The third Scream installment sets itself apart within the franchise, as it's the only movie to reveal just one Ghostface killer at the end. Sidney's half-brother, Roman Bridger, isn't just responsible for this movie's murders, either. The ending also reveals that his actions led to Billy's massacre in the first Scream movie. Like every Ghostface before him, Roman perishes after his time in the costume is done.