Top 10 Most Brutal GhostFace Kills
#10: Rebecca Walters
“Scream 4” (2011) There are some characters you just know are gonna get it, and few personify that more than Rebecca from “Scream 4.” Sidney Prescott’s opportunistic publicist, Rebecca gets axed from her job for being an even more insensitive Gale than Gale. Unfortunately for her, Ghostface sees to axing her from life immediately after. Upon getting threatening calls from the killer in a parking garage, Rebecca tries to cut and run only for Ghostface to do the same in a more literal sense. Sure, a stab to the gut is nothing fancy in the “Scream” movies, but it’s Ghostface then finishing her off by dropping her on a news van that’s really over the top. That’s a press conference statement if ever we’ve seen one.
#9: Wes Hicks
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“Scream” (2022) 2022’s “Scream” was the first installment without franchise director Wes Craven, who sadly passed away in 2015. So naming a character after him seemed appropriate - just don’t assume he’s safe. Unaware that his mother Judy has just been murdered in the front yard, Wes goes about the house until Ghostface appears to finish off the Hickses. Despite being the most prepared for an attack, Wes’s taser is sadly just out of reach, and he ultimately gets it in the jugular. Seeing the blade’s impression just beneath the skin is enough to make us cringe, but his demise sets up a fittingly meta tribute toward the end as cast members old and new can essentially be heard toasting Craven in his honor.
#8: Anthony Perkins
“Scream 4” (2011) No, not the actor who played Norman Bates in “Psycho.” Deputy Perkins, much like his partner Hoss, knows the danger of being a cop in a movie, especially a horror movie. So it should come as no surprise that their protection detail turns into a bloodbath. When Hoss returns from a perimeter check, Perkins decides to play a prank on the rookie, which goes about as well as you’d expect - Hoss is stabbed in the back, and Perkins gets it in the forehead of all places. For those of you doubting he’d be able to walk around after that, this was reportedly inspired by a story Craven heard about a man taking himself to the ER with the same wound. Go figure.
#7: Maureen Evans
“Scream 2” (1997) Few “Scream” actors sell their death scenes quite as well as Jada Pinkett Smith. In the first sequel, Pinkett Smith’s Maureen and her boyfriend Phil Stevens attend a sneak preview for “Stab,” based on the events of the first movie. Oh, and speaking of getting stabbed in the head, Phil gets quite the surprise himself in the bathroom stall. With everyone else wearing masks, Maureen doesn’t think twice when Ghostface joins her wearing Phil’s jacket. However, by the time she notices the blood, it’s too late. Ghostface stabs Maureen seven times, his actions obscured by the raucous moviegoers. Maureen eventually makes sure that everyone knows what happened through a wail for the ages.
#6: Tom Prinze
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“Scream 3” (2000) A good bulk of the franchise’s kills are executed through some form of stabbing, but this being the “concluding” chapter in a trilogy, we knew to expect fireworks. At a wrap party for the now-canceled “Stab 3,” some remaining cast members are harassed by Ghostface, who cuts the power to the house, except for the fax machine, apparently. Incoming faxes from the killer regarding their fates spooks the lot, but none more so than Tom Prinze. He unwisely uses a lighter to read the remaining message, before learning there’s gas everywhere. In practically an instant, Tom and the house at large are blown to smithereens, proving this Ghostface is perhaps deadliest of all.
#5: Dewey Riley
“Scream” (2022) Poor Dewey. For a while it seemed like the holy trinity of “Scream” characters would never die, but something felt different about this installment. By the time he joined a rescue mission to the local hospital, we knew the end was nigh. Thankfully, Dewey and Sam are able to save the latter’s sister Tara and even put Ghostface down for the count. However, realizing the killer’s probably wearing a bulletproof vest, Dewey goes back to finish the job. By all accounts, Dewey has Ghostface dead to rights, but a call from Gale distracts him long enough for the killer to strike. Given Dewey’s track record, the filmmakers made sure he gets doubly gashed on both sides to convince us he’s really gone.
#4: Olivia Morris
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“Scream 4” (2011) As far as Wes Craven was concerned with his kill scenes, the bloodier the better. This was especially true in his later career, and nowhere is that more evident than with Olivia Morris. The resident hot girl at Woodsboro High, Olivia lives next door to secret psychopath Jill, which definitely did not bode well in hindsight. While Kirby is on the phone with the other Ghostface, Olivia tries to listen in. It’s thought Ghostface is in Jill’s closet, only for him to burst out of Olivia’s. With Kirby and Jill half-helpless to watch, Olivia is put through the absolute wringer, thrown all over the room and stabbed everywhere, even the hand. By the time Sidney arrives, the walls are dripping blood and Olivia’s insides are outside.
#3: Tatum Riley
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“Scream” (1996) One of the most famous deaths in “Scream” history, Tatum’s comes at the climactic party when she’s sent to fetch more beer from the garage. Proving you should never go off by yourself, Tatum is subsequently locked in and confronted by Ghostface. Upon realizing the danger, Tatum actually holds her own for a bit, but it’s when she tries to escape through the cat door that she’s really doomed. With Tatum stuck, all Ghostface needs to do is press a button, as the former is lifted and crushed at the top of the garage door. Garage doors would further prove to be deadly as Jenny Randall has one come down on her back in “Scream 4” before Ghostface finishes her off as well.
#2: Officer Richards
“Scream 2” (1997) You’d be forgiven for forgetting about Officers Richards and Andrews, seeing as they don’t have many lines in “Scream 2,” but you probably remember the former’s death. Assigned to watch over Sidney, Richards and Andrews eventually attempt to escort her and her roommate Hallie to a safe location, only to be attacked at a red light by Ghostface. After the killer slashes Andrews’s throat, he takes control of the vehicle and runs over Richards. Richards tries to hang onto the hood of the car, but it crashes into a construction site, sending a stray metal pipe straight through his head. It’s a pretty terrible demise, and one almost out of “Final Destination,” but it never fails to get us. Before we unveil our top pick, here are some honorable mentions. Robbie Mercer, “Scream 4” (2011) Robbie Gets Bloodied Up Real Good, Despite His Pleas For Mercy Randy Meeks, “Scream 2” (1997) He Really Shouldn’t Have Spoken Poorly of Billy in Front of His Mother Trevor Sheldon, “Scream 4” (2011) A Jilted Jill Adds Insult to Injury Tyson Fox, “Scream 3” (2000) Way to Pull the Rug Out from Under Him, Ghostface Charlie Walker, “Scream 4” (2011) A Broken Heart, from One Ghostface to Another
#1: Casey Becker
“Scream” (1996) This death would already be shocking for the Drew Barrymore of it all, but the opening also makes sure to get us with a good amount of gore, too. In fact, both deaths are so brutal, that shots of the bodies had to be either trimmed down or sped up to avoid an NC-17 rating. After her boyfriend is horribly disemboweled in front of her, Casey does her best to avoid the same fate. Alas, with her parents in earshot, she’s stabbed and robbed of her voice. While the rest of the cuts are off-screen, our imaginations fill in the rest. But we don’t have to imagine for long, as her parents see the absolutely ghastly sight of her in a nearby tree.
