Ghostface (Scream)
There is nothing more terrifying than facing the unknown—an idea that Scream uses to its full advantage. From the moment Casey Becker (Drew Barrymore) picks up the phone in the opening scene, the audience is treated (or tortured, depending on your horror movie tolerance) with chilling shots of a mysterious serial killer in a black robe and Ghostface mask. The movie introduced America to a previously unfamiliar threat—serial killers who use technology to conceal their identity, stalking their victims with cell phones that allow them to be anywhere and using voice changers that allow them to be anyone.
The true success of Scream’s monster is that it’s not a monster at all—the killers are ordinary people, albeit psychotic ones. Sure, relentless killers like A Nightmare on Elm Street’s Freddy Krueger or Halloween’s Michael Myers seem like insurmountable foes, but their ridiculous immortality and tendency toward cheese leads to more laughs than screams from the audience. The idea of a common human serial killer, especially someone who’s close to you (in the first movie, REALLY close), is a far more terrifying thought. – Bri Lockhart
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