EachScreammovie brings something different to the table. While the original movie focuses on Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) being betrayed by her boyfriend Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich) and dealing with the murder of her mother Maureen, the next movie is set at college, and the third movie examines a film set.Scream 4returns to Woodsboro to tell the story of Sidney’s cousin Jill Roberts (Emma Roberts), andScream (2022)sees new teenagers facing Ghostface.
Every film in the horror franchise has a smart conclusion as the events are always wrapped up, the main characters are off on the next part of their journey, and fans feel satisfied with the answers that they have been given. When comparing all of the movies, though, it does feel like one ending in particular stands out. So whichScreammovie has the best ending?
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TheScreamsequelis a great movie, and while the original film does have an exciting ending, with Sidney beating the twoGhostface killersand Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox) reporting on what just happened, there’s an argument to be made forScream 2having the best ending. It’s an especially satisfying one considering fans have seen Sidney trying to have fun at college and realizing that she is still in grave danger.
At the end ofScream 2, Sidney has shot and killed Billy’s mom Mrs. Loomis (Laurie Metcalf) and fans learn that Dewey Riley (David Arquette) hasn’t died, which is amazing news since he’s such a favorite character. One reason why this conclusion works so well? Gale and Dewey’s love story really begins at this moment. While Gale could report on the murders like she did at the end of the 1996 film, she gets into Dewey’s ambulance and the two realize that they love each other and want to be together. This ending feels even more special and full of meaning when fans think thatDewey dies inScream (2022). Audiences can’t deny the compassion that these characters have for each other and the strength that they each bring to trying to take down Ghostface.
Scream 2also has a solid, smart ending because Sidney doesn’t want to be famous and she doesn’t want to speak to the press. Instead, she lets them know that Cotton Weary (Liev Schreiber) will answer anything that they want to know. There are a few reasons why this is a compelling ending. For one thing, it proves that even though Sidney will go on to write and publish a memoir calledOut Of Darknessin theimpressive movieScream 4, she isn’t looking for money, fame, or attention.
Sidney spends much ofScream 3living in total secrecy as she doesn’t want anyone to know where she has been, andScream 2sets up this next part of Sidney’s journey in a compelling and intelligent way. Fans can tell that no matter how many times Sidney will realize that she isn’t safe and that she has to save herself from Ghostface, her mission will always be about helping the people who she cares about. Characters inhorror slasher franchisesdon’t often have many opportunities to show people compassion and kindness since they’re busy running from a killer or trying to murder them instead. But Sidney always looks out for people, and that’s why she doesn’t want to brag to TV cameras that she figured out who the two Ghostface killers were. She doesn’t care if people know who she is or even like her, which makes her even cooler.
It’s also smart thatScream 2ties the first two movies together by having Sidney realize that Cotton isn’t the enemy and that he is actually innocent. There’s an intense, tricky exchange inScreamwhen Sidney and Gale briefly talk about how Gale thought that Cotton was wrongly accused and how Sidney resented Gale for defending and supporting him. Now, Sidney learns the truth: that Cotton has struggled in his life just like she has and he was guilty of loving her mom, but he didn’t mean her any harm.Scream 3has a terrible openingthat features Ghostface murdering Cotton, and it just doesn’t do this death justice.
The end ofScream 3andScream 4do set up potential future movies. The door to Sidney’s house opens and she shrugs it off while audiences wonder what’s going on inScream 3, and in the next film, Sidney catches her cousin Jill and it does feel like another movie could come out. By the time that audiences watch the final scene ofScream (2022), with Gale thinking about writing a moving book about what a good man Dewey was, fans can tell that Sidney realizes that she might never be truly and actually free. But the ending ofScream 2wraps up the sequel so well that if anotherScreammovie was never made, that would make total sense, and fans would be glad that Sidney had found some sort of peace.
