Warning! This article contains spoilers for Scream (2022)!
Scream is off to a spectacular start through box office performance and universal praise, already finding its footing with audiences everywhere. Now that the film has been out long enough for fans to digest and contemplate its spectacular use of both legacy and new characters, there certainly aren't any weak links, but there are those who truly dominated with their screentime and became instant favorites for the 2022 Scream.
Whether survivors, victims, or possible Ghostface killers, these characters were effective additions to the slasher revival.
Judy Hicks
From Deputy Hicks to Sheriff Hicks, Judy has experienced quite the Scream glow-up. Her character in Scream 4 felt so focused on being a red herring and aggressively flirting with Dewey, that she didn't have a lot of standout scenes. The new Scream took on the task of fleshing out her role with more human elements.
Getting to see Judy as an overprotective doting mother, or even with a perplexing sense of fashion outside of her job, adds a little more depth to the do-gooder this time around. There are even nods to Judy's complex relationship with Gale or her well-known lemon squares, so Judy fans will be pleasantly surprised with her transition over 10 years later.
Richie Kirsch
Every Scream film needs their resident funny guy, and Jack Quaid's performance as Richie Kirsch was a memorable inclusion for the revived franchise. Even with very limited connections to others in the new movie, his presence brings a lot of fun and conversely, an intensity where it's needed.
There are some very perfect dialogue additions from Richie about the status of the Stab movies (Scream's in-universe film franchise) and some witty conversational elements about millennials as opposed to Gen Z. Needless to say, Richie is a smartly written character who packs a punch. Not to mention his heightened performance (like everyone's) in the second half of the film that has everything fans could want from a Scream character.
Chad Meeks-Martin
One of the film's best legacy twists comes from the inclusion of the Meeks-Martin twins, who happen to be the niece and nephew of Scream's OG rule-maker Randy Meeks. What makes this even more fulfilling is that Mason Gooding's direction for the character feels like a nice twist on a typical horror trope.
Being the new redesigned jock role of Scream (who was also an early victim in the first) Chad avoids some of the '90s and '00s horror stereotypes of toxic masculinity, a welcomed alteration to the franchise. Even in some of his heavier scenes, Chad's heart is a big piece of who he is in the new film, and for that, he's already a fan favorite in the making.
Amber Freeman
Amber Freeman is a character that feels like an instant red herring, similar to some of the other classic Scream characters, keeping her (undisclosed) status a well-paced mystery.
With Mikey Madison being a total scene-stealer in every project she's in, her Scream role genuinely lives up to the hype, with pure believability in laughs, screams, and everything in-between. From the early moments of casting, people were eager to see Madison's role and her Scream legacy certainly lived up to the hype.
Sam Carpenter
As a front-runner for Scream's new legacy cast, Sam Carpenter has taken on the difficult challenge of becoming a new "final girl", and there's a surprising level of success with her next-gen brilliance.
Melissa Barrera brings her A-game to the role of Sam, and the character feels like she has Sidney-level baggage but with twists in writing and character personalities. By the end of the film, Sam is a worthy scream queen that has so much more to offer, and it's hard to imagine that there aren't plans for more stories featuring Sam in the franchise.
Mindy Meeks-Martin
Every Scream film requires a film expert (preferrable the horror genre) and this film's use of the marvelously talented Jasmin Savoy Brown as Mindy Meeks-Martin brought complete happiness to newcomers and fans of the franchise.
Mindy's rapid-fire explanation of the new "requel" or sequel rules and her commitment to her Randy-esque scene in the final act were such sweet horror treats that it's impossible to not love Mindy. Not only does Mindy give so much exciting context to modern horror, and nostalgia, but we also get to see our first major LGBTQ+ (confirmed) main character in the Scream franchise, so Mindy has plenty for viewers to cherish during her cinematic screentime.
Gale Weathers
Gale Weathers is a horror icon and will always remain the queen of murder media, so her epic return brought immense feels for fans of all ages.
What makes this Gale particularly exciting to watch is that there's a more mature, experienced side of the character that takes some ownership for her previous mistakes (even when it's not needed.) Knowing that Gale is slowly but surely evolving has been a satisfying story to witness for over 25 years, but the ending of the new film only left an impression that Gale could still have more responsibilities to come.
Dewey Riley
Dewey is the sweet goofball of the Scream franchise, but he's also reliable, caring, and in many ways, a great representation of the Wes Craven spirit. The new film shows a changed Dewey and reflects how this modern interpretation has some stylistic shifts planned, with gut punches to follow.
When we meet Dewey in the new film, he's hardened by life and his past traumas, with nods to his deceased sister Tatum, his undying love for Gale, and his spark of desire to do the right thing. Dewey is without a doubt the pulse of the new Scream, and in many ways, is the character who was the most accessible to integrate within the new cast - making this one of Dewey's (and David Arquette's) best, or most likable franchise performances.
Tara Carpenter
Every generation needs a scream queen, and Scream's Tara Carpenter (played by Jenna Ortega) is the next-gen MVP with nothing but absolute greatness to offer.
Ortega goes all-out in her mind-blowing performance of Tara, with an unforgettable opening scene, and almost feels as if she could become the new horror heroine of the franchise if the opportunity presents itself. Ortega's character has some very magnetic Sidney similarities as well due to her unprecedented family drama (that she shouldn't be a part of), so Tara has everything a modern Scream film character should aspire to be.
Sidney Prescott
Sidney Prescott is just as synonymous with the Scream franchise as Ghostface himself, and as the film often reiterates, everything always goes back to the original. Luckily, that means Sidney is just as important to the franchise as she was when it was born 25 years ago.
The 2022 Scream takes its time introducing Sidney, but once she's involved, she commands your attention. We get to see Sidey become the Scream matriarch for our new leading ladies, but her end-game investment and unforgettable fights with Ghostface(s) show Sidney the respect that she has so assuredly earned. Sidney is, and will always be the best character to come out of the timeless slasher franchise. Our untouchable and unflinching scream queen!
