History Film / Scream1996

* GenreRelaunch: This movie's popularity revitalized the slasher sub-genre, which had been flailing for the last several years. At the time of its release, very few slashers were being released at all, let alone in theaters. ''Scream'' gave the sub-genre a credibility with critics it had never really had before (even receiving praise from critics like Creator/RogerEbert who were notoriously harsh on most slasher films), and its success led not only to sequels but also a trend of slasher films featuring self-aware humor regarding horror cliches that also got theatrical releases (not to mention tons of DirectToVideo releases). There were eventually so many of these meta-slashers that eventually slasher films that played things more straight came back into vogue as well.

* NoodleIncident: A subtle one. Sidney and Tatum, upon being eventually threatened by Ghostface for the first time, both initially assume it's Randy playing a joke on them. Considering that both girls are shown to be pretty smart, and they come to this conclusion completely independently of each other, it does raise the question, what kind of pranks has Randy pulled before?
** Well, this wouldn't be an actual trope. Randy is definitely known for his knowledge of horror movies, and plus, you have to remember they only believed it was Randy before shit got real in their respective situations. In addition to this, ''Scream'' is a whodunnit as well, so as Randy states explicitly, everyone IS a suspect. So, this dialogue is intentional, to make Randy look suspicious.

** A lady at the video store asks Randy about "[[Film/TheHowling1981 the werewolf movie]] with [[Film/ETTheExtraTerrestrial ET]]'s mom in it". Creator/DrewBarrymore plays Casey Becker.
** The references to Meg Ryan are retroactively this as of Film/Scream2022, which features her son Creator/JackQuaid as Richie Kirsh.

* TakeThatCritics: The line "Don't you blame the movies! Movies don't create psychos! Movies make psychos more creative!" is a dig at the people who blame violent media for the actions of crazed individuals. In fact, Wes Craven and Kevin Williamson put said line into the movie after dealing with the UsefulNotes/MotionPictureAssociation, who were concerned that the violence in ''Scream'' would inspire {{Copycat Killer}}s imitating the film.

* CelebrityParadox: A lady at the video store asks Randy about "[[Film/TheHowling the werewolf movie]] with [[Film/ETTheExtraTerrestrial ET]]'s mom in it". Creator/DrewBarrymore plays Casey Becker.

--->'''[[spoiler:Billy]]:''' [[Film/{{Psycho}} We all go a little mad sometimes.]]
** The line that not only reveals [[spoiler:Stu as the second killer, but combined with (and immediately following) the above, reveals there are ''two'' killers]].

--->'''[[spoiler:Billy]]:''' ''Oh no? [[spoiler:[[YouKilledMyFather Tell that to Cotton Weary. You wouldn’t believe how easy he was to frame]].]]''\\
'''[[spoiler:Stu]]:''' [[spoiler:Watch a few movies, take a few notes. It was fun!]]''

* YouLookLikeYouveSeenAGhost: [[spoiler: Billy]] to Sidney, right after the reveal.

* As You Know: When Syd is brough in to talk to the police, Principal Himbry briefly alludes to who her her mother was. This is despite talking to Sheriff Burke, who clearly knows about the case, and Dewey, whose sister is Sydney's best friend. In fairness, Himbry does cut himself off, and may not have known how connected they were.

* TooDumbToLive: [[spoiler:Billy and Stu]] decided to [[spoiler:stab each other ''before'' dealing with Sidney.]]
* TrashyTrueCrime: presented Gale Weathers, the ImmoralJournalist, this way, as she had made her fame off covering Maureen Prescott's rape and murder in a way that centres Cotton, who, Sidney believed, committed the murder. She also follows Sidney (who is around seventeen at the start of the series) around, confronting her repeatedly and trying to mine her trauma for more content. However, this is also presented firmly as JerkassHasAPoint, as Gale is right that Cotton is wrongly accused. Though she and Cotton don't cover themselves in glory when they respond to being vindicated by stalking Sidney at college and trying to ambush her into an interview.

'''[[spoiler:Stu]]:''' [[spoiler:Watch a few movies, take a fun notes. It was fun!]]''

** [[spoiler:Injuries dealt by a knife are incredibly painful, even if the wounds are non-lethal. Billy and Stu learn this the hard way when they try to give each other staged injuries to better establish Sidney's dad as the scapegoat. When it's Billy's turn to stab Stu again, Stu is extremely reluctant to give him the knife.]]

''(Upstairs, Sidney takes off her shirt, revealing her bra)''

* {{Fanservice}}: This is the most fanservicey of all the Scream films, with a scene of Sidney in a leg-baring dress, and her undressing to sleep with her boyfriend. This was likely done as a commentary on the genre's reliance on showing skin, and highlights how vulnerable Sidney is.

* FinalGirl: [[spoiler: Sidney is a reconstruction of the trope. In spite of having sex and not being the most wholesome teenager, she is able to outwit the killer. However, there are three other survivors, too.]]

* {{Reconstruction}}: While the story carries a lot of GenreDeconstruction quirks, ''Scream'' functions as an attempt to revitalize the slasher movie genre by playing with particular tropes and making them frightening again.
** Ghostface is yet another dime-a-dozen slasher movie villain, but his ingenuity and sheer persistence make him intimidating and throws off the audience. They're used to the killer being a slow-paced, lumbering MightyGlacier, so Ghostface ''sprinting'' towards his targets with his knife brandished makes him way more frightening, to say nothing of the ways he can manipulate people into falling for his tricks.
** The identity of the killer is often something given to the audience fairly early into a slasher movie, with the focus more around the scares and gore than anything else. In ''Scream'', the identity of the killer is a huge plot point, arguably to the point of being a DrivingQuestion, which only serves to ratchet up the tension as the body count gets higher and the list of probable suspects gets even lower. [[spoiler:This also works in the film's favor when one of the supposed victims turns out to be the killer, and [[TheReveal it's revealed]] that two people are acting in tandem as Ghostface.]]

** Likewise, TheReveal has a subtle structural difference. [[spoiler:The sequels generally uncover the accomplice's identity first before revealing the leader's identity because the lead Ghostface is usually a major character that has a strong relationship with the protagonist, so their betrayal consequently has the necessary dramatic weight for a WhamShot. However, the first movie operates differently as it plays on the audience's expectation that there is only one slasher villain under the mask when, in reality, there are [[TwoDunnit two killers working together]]. Thus, while Sidney's boyfriend Billy is the lead Ghostface, he is revealed first because the real PlotTwist is that his best friend (and Sidney's mutual friend) Stu is also Ghostface.]]

** In the video store, Randy correctly states that [[spoiler:Billy]] is the top suspect and that [[spoiler:Sidney's dad]] is the RedHerring. Not only that, he calls [[spoiler:Stu]] a "little lapdog" [[spoiler:when he's the accomplice to Billy's rampage]]. In addition, scary music plays when [[spoiler:Billy and Stu]] gang up on Randy.

* PeekABooCorpse: [[spoiler: How Gale finds Kenny with his throat slashed]].

** [[spoiler:Randy]] is a good fit for Ghostface in that like Ghostface, he too is a horror movie fanatic. In fact, during Sidney's first phone call with Ghostface, Sidney initially believes that the caller was [[spoiler:Randy]] trying to scare her. Later, [[spoiler:[[GenreSavvy Randy]]]] [[LampshadeHanging acknowledges]] this, as he notes that if the Woodsboro murders were a [[LeaningOnTheFourthWall scary movie]], he would be the prime suspect. Once he reveals that he has a crush on Sidney, it's pretty clear what [[StalkerWithaCrush type of motive]] he would have if he were the killer.

** A [[DownplayedTrope downplayed]] example would be [[spoiler:Kenny the cameraman]]. When Gale and Sidney discuss whether or not Cotton Weary was indeed Maureen's murderer, the camera briefly focuses on [[spoiler:Kenny]] as if to suggest that he is the culprit.

* SacrificialLion: [[spoiler:Tatum Riley]] is Sidney's BestFriend, and the movie signifies that she is a reliable character by placing her at Sidney's side during crucial moments when Ghostface calls/stalks Sidney, essentially giving her [[a strong alibi TheAlibi]] and hence a strong argument that she isn't the killer. Her death in Act 3 raises the stakes as it leaves Sidney with no one left to trust.

** This is the only ''Film/{{Scream}}'' film that doesn't have a ColdOpen.

** This is also the only ''Film/{{Scream}}'' film in which [[spoiler:the killers reveal themselves to Sidney (and the audience) without any form of [[DramaticUnmask dramatic unmasking]].]]

* FiveSecondForeshadowing:
** [[spoiler:Tatum's death has shades of this. First, the song that plays before Tatum enters the garage is "Drop Dead Gorgeous". Second, Tatum upon entering the garage immediately activates the garage door for light, and the camera notably has a lingering shot on the garage door and its smaller cat flap.]]
** Done with an actual thirty-second delay (but only five for the audience) when Sidney and Kenny the cameraman [[spoiler:are watching surveillance footage of the party and notice Ghostface creeping up on Randy. Kenny starts to head out of the van to warn him, but sees the front door open and remembers the delay just in time for Ghostface to appear and slit his throat.]]

---> "No, please, don't kill me, Mr. Ghostface! I wanna be in the sequel!"

---> ''[referring to horror movies]'' "They're all the same; some killer stalking some big-breasted girl who can't act, who always runs up the stairs when she should be going out the front door. It's insulting."

** Out of all the red herrings in the movie, [[spoiler: Sidney's father, Neil Prescott,]] is the most prominent. He conveniently goes on a business trip just when the killing spree starts and just before the anniversary of his wife's death, and later, when the police are looking for suspects, they are unable to track him down. At one point, Sheriff Burke notes that Ghostface's phone calls were made from [[spoiler:Neil's]] phone.

** [[spoiler: Principal Himbry]] is another major suspect, [[spoiler: at least for the first half of the film]]. His introductory scene has him touching Sidney a little too fondly, to the point that the Sheriff gives him a concerned look. In a later scene, [[spoiler:Himbry]] threatens two prankster students with scissors, which showcases his violent nature. What helps in this misdirection is that the [[AudibleSharpness sounds that his scissors make]] are the same sounds made by Ghostface's knife.
** [[spoiler: Dewey]] is a red herring for most of the film. Whenever Ghostface stalks or calls Sidney, [[spoiler:Dewey]] is notably absent. For example, in one scene, [[spoiler:Dewey]] leaves Tatum and Sidney to go to the police station, and in the next scene, Ghostface is shown to be following Tatum and Sidney in the market, and when the film focuses on [[spoiler:Dewey]] again, it is revealed that [[spoiler:Dewey]] arrived late to the meeting with Sheriff Burke. It doesn't help that [[spoiler:Dewey's]] excuse for his unpunctuality was "I was keeping an eye on Sidney". In addition, sinister music plays when he asks Gale to go on a walk with him.
** [[spoiler: Randy]] is a good fit for Ghostface in that like Ghostface, he too is a horror movie fanatic. In fact, during Sidney's first phone call with Ghostface, Sidney initially believes that the caller was [[spoiler:Randy]] trying to scare her. Later, [[spoiler:[[GenreSavvy Randy]]]] [[LampshadeHanging acknowledges]] this, as he notes that if the Woodsboro murders were a [[LeaningOnTheFourthWall scary movie]], he would be the prime suspect. Once [[spoiler:Randy]] reveals that he has a crush on Sidney, it's pretty clear what [[StalkerWithaCrush type of motive]] he would have if he were the killer.

** A [[DownplayedTrope downplayed]] example would be [[spoiler:Kenny the cameraman]]. When Gale and Sidney discuss whether or not Cotton Weary was indeed Maureen's murderer, the camera briefly focuses on [[spoiler:Kenny]] as if to suggest that he is a potential suspect.
** Another downplayed example would be [[spoiler: Tatum]]. Early in the film, she argues that the killer could easily be female, which can come across as the killer SayingTooMuch. [[spoiler:Tatum]] was also conveniently late to pick up Sidney, was the last person to call Sidney before Ghostface did, and like many other characters, showed up almost immediately after Sidney's attack. If one looks closely, [[spoiler:Tatum]] wears black boots similar to the killer's the next day at school. The reason this is ultimately downplayed is because there are notable scenes in which the killer stalks/calls Sidney while [[spoiler:Tatum]] is at Sidney's side, meaning it would be impossible for [[spoiler:Tatum]] to be the killer unless one suspects that [[spoiler: there is more than one killer involved]].

%%* SacrificialLamb: Casey.
%%* SacrificialLion: [[spoiler:Tatum.]]

--->'''[[spoiler:Stu]]:''' ''Watch a few movies, take a fun notes. It was fun!''

--->'''[[spoiler:Stu]]: ''' ''Watch a few movies, take a fun notes. It was fun!''