Scream

Scream is a 1996 American meta slasher film directed by Wes Craven and written by Kevin Williamson. The film stars David Arquette, Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, Matthew Lillard, Rose McGowan, Skeet Ulrich, and Drew Barrymore. Released on December 20, it follows the character of Sidney Prescott (Campbell), a high school student in the fictional town of Woodsboro, California, who becomes the target of a mysterious killer in a Halloween costume known as Ghostface.

Plot
High school student Casey Becker receives a flirty phone call from an unknown person, during which they discuss horror movies. However, the caller turns sadistic and threatens her life. He reveals that her boyfriend Steve Orth is being held hostage on her patio and demands she answer questions about horror films. After Casey gets one wrong, Steve is murdered in front of her. When Casey refuses to answer more questions, she is murdered by a masked assailant as her parents come home. Shortly after, they find her corpse hanging from a tree. The following day, the news media descend on the town and a police investigation begins. Meanwhile, Sidney Prescott struggles with the impending first anniversary of her mother, Maureen's, murder by her lover Cotton Weary. While waiting at home for her friend Tatum Riley, Sidney receives a taunting phone call. After she hangs up, she is attacked by the killer but evades them. Sidney's boyfriend Billy Loomis arrives shortly after, but after he drops his cell phone, Sidney suspects him of making the call and flees. Billy is arrested and Sidney spends the night at Tatum's house, where she receives another ominous call.

The next day, Billy is released and suspicion shifts to Sidney's father Neil Prescott, as the calls have been traced to his phone. School is suspended in the wake of the murders. After the students have left the school, the killer stabs Principal Himbry to death in his office. Tatum's boyfriend Stu Macher throws a party to celebrate the school's closure. The party is attended by Sidney, Tatum, their friend Randy Meeks, and many other students. Reporter Gale Weathers attends uninvited to cover the situation, as she expects the killer to strike. Tatum's brother deputy sheriff Dewey Riley also looks out for the murderer at the party. The killer corners Tatum in the garage and murders her by crushing her neck with the garage door. Billy arrives to speak to Sidney privately and the two have sex, while Dewey and Gale investigate the area nearby. Many party attendees are drawn away after hearing news of Himbry's death, leaving only Sidney, Billy, Randy, Stu, and Gale's cameraman Kenny.

After having sex, Sidney and Billy are attacked by the killer, who presumably kills Billy. Sidney narrowly escapes from the house and seeks help from Kenny, but the killer slashes his throat. Gale and Dewey, having discovered an abandoned car that belongs to Neil Prescott, make their way back. Gale tries to escape in her van but drives off the road to avoid hitting Sidney and crashes. Meanwhile, Dewey is stabbed in the back while investigating in the house, and Sidney takes his gun for protection. Stu and Randy appear and accuse each other of being the killer. Sidney retreats into the house, where she finds Billy wounded but still alive. She gives Billy the gun before he lets Randy into the house and shoots him. Billy reveals that he feigned his injuries and is actually the killer, with Stu shortly outing himself as his accomplice. Billy and Stu discuss their plan to kill Sidney and pin the murder spree on her father, whom they have taken hostage.

The pair also reveal that they murdered her mother and framed Cotton for it, as she was having an affair with Billy's father, which drove his mother away. Gale, who survived the crash, intervenes, and Sidney takes advantage of this to turn the tables on her attackers, knocking out Billy with an umbrella and dropping a television set on Stu's head. Billy then awakens and attacks Sidney, but Gale shoots him. Randy is revealed to be wounded but alive, and remarks that the killer always resurfaces for one last scare. Sidney takes the gun and shoots Billy in the head, killing him for good. As the sun rises and police arrive, Dewey, badly injured, is taken away by ambulance and Gale makes an impromptu news report about the night's events.

Cast
Further information on individual characters: List of Scream (film series) characters

Further information on cast members: List of Scream (film series) cast members

David Arquette as Dewey Riley

Neve Campbell as Sidney Prescott

Courteney Cox as Gale Weathers

Matthew Lillard as Stu Macher

Rose McGowan as Tatum Riley

Skeet Ulrich as Billy Loomis

Jamie Kennedy as Randy Meeks

W. Earl Brown as Kenny Jones

Joseph Whipp as Sheriff Burke

Liev Schreiber as Cotton Weary

Drew Barrymore as Casey Becker

Roger L. Jackson as the voice of Ghostface

Henry Winkler as Arthur Himbry (uncredited)

Frances Lee McCain as Mrs. Riley

Kevin Patrick Walls as Steve Orth, Casey's boyfriend

Lawrence Hecht as Neil Prescott

Lynn McRee as Maureen Prescott

David Booth as Mr. Becker

Carla Hatley as Mrs. Becker

Linda Blair as news reporter (cameo)

Wes Craven as Fred the school janitor (a reference to the Freddy Krueger character from A Nightmare on Elm Street) (cameo)