Three of the four Scream movies are absolutely wonderful. The Scream movies have always managed to a satire the slasher genre without beating audiences over the head with cheap jokes (*cough* Scary Movie *cough*). Scream’s one, two, and four are easily enjoyed as a clever comedy or a thriller, depending on your taste. However, Scream 4 came out six years ago, and despite rumors that it would kickoff a new trilogy, there hasn’t been a peep about Scream 5 since.
I believe this is because of how Scream 4 ended. While it was good, and played into the series much, much better than Scream 3 did, they missed a golden opportunity to make the series fun again.
How Scream 4 Should’ve Ended
Spoiler alert, in order to explain how I believe Scream 4 should’ve ended, I have to tell you how the movie actually ended. So if you haven’t seen the movie yet, this is probably where you should stop reading. It seems like common sense, but I’m not willing to take that chance, lest I incur the wrath of new little ghostfaces.
The Actual Movie
The plot of Scream 4 is that Sidney Prescott, the protagonist of the series, has written a self-help book and is touring the country. She returns to Woodsboro the day after a murder very similar to the one that took place in the first movie. What’s fun about Scream 4 is that in a way, it feels like a reboot of the first. Right down to her niece, Jill, struggling with her angsty boyfriend.
Most of the movie is still based around the three survivors from the original trilogy, Sidney, Dewey, and Gale, but the movie slowly introduces new characters like Jill, her best friend Charlie, and their friends Kirby, Trevor, and Robbie. It seemed like they were trying to introduce a new cast to move forward.
Instead, it turns out that Trevor and Jill were the killers. They idolized the original killers and Jill wanted the same attention that her aunt got for being a survivor. Yeah. Basically they became killers because they wanted to be famous. This was a mistake.
You can’t move forward now. What, is Sidney going to be harassed by an eight person in a Ghostface mask? That’s more absurd than an undead psychopath in a hockey mask that really hates summer camp. They didn’t just kill off the new characters, they killed off the series. Here’s what they should’ve done.
My Ending
Instead of curb-stomping the series like 2014 Seth Rollins, they should’ve used Scream 4 the same way Disney used The Force Awakens. They should’ve cashed in on the nostalgia of the original trilogy while introducing new characters at their expense. The first three quarters of the movie are fine, but here’s what should’ve been different.
Gale Weathers and Sheriff Dewey should’ve been killed off early in the third act by the mysterious Ghostface. It should’ve been a sweet moment as they died together, preferably with some smart-ass comment from everyone’s favorite reporter. As a couple of the teens are killed off at the house, it should’ve been revealed that Sidney herself was the killer.
Maybe her book wasn’t selling well and she needed some good publicity, after all, what a coincidence that she came to town right as the killings started. And who could blame her for having a screw loose after killers stalked her all over the country? Everyone she’s ever known or loved has been killed, often right before her eyes.
What Does This Do?
This gives the Scream series a chance. Poor Jill is where poor Sidney was all those years ago, all her friends and family dead, with a ton of fresh demons to play with. You can move forward with Jill and a couple of her friends. You just can’t do that with Sidney. Turning Sidney “heel” would give the original trilogy a chance, without burying the new one. Now? Now we’re stuck with a mediocre MTV show and a small stack of DVDs.