Scream 2 (1997), directed by Wes Craven, is the sequel to the 1996 slasher hit Scream. The film picks up two years after the events of the first movie, with Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) now attending college in Ohio. Despite her efforts to start fresh and move past the trauma of the Woodsboro murders, a new series of killings begins. The murders mirror those from the original film, with the killer once again wearing the iconic Ghostface mask and targeting people connected to the first killing spree.
The killings occur during the premiere of a movie based on the Woodsboro murders, titled Stab, which creates a meta-commentary on the horror genre and its clichรฉs. As the body count rises, Sidney, her friend Randy (Jamie Kennedy), and her boyfriend Derek (Jerry O’Connell) find themselves caught in a web of suspicion, with everyone around them becoming a potential suspect. Meanwhile, reporter Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox) and former sheriff’s deputy Dewey Riley (David Arquette) return to help uncover the identity of the killer.
As the story unfolds, the tension builds, and Sidney becomes a primary target once again. The film explores themes of fame, trauma, and the way real events are sensationalized in media. The killerโs identity is revealed in a twist ending that deepens the movieโs commentary on horror tropes while keeping the audience on edge. Scream 2 balances suspense, humor, and slasher elements while paying homage to horror conventions and subverting audience expectations.
