10 Horror Movie Characters That Didn't Deserve The Hate
5. Sam Carpenter - Scream (2022)
If social media is any indication, a lot of people really can't stand the protagonist of the fifth Scream film, Sam Carpenter (Melissa Barrera).
And while there are valid complaints about Melissa Barrera's sometimes-flat performance, a lot of the disdain seems to stem from the fact that she's not Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell), and the filmmakers actively sought to make her quite different.
The big rub, of course, is that Sam is the daughter of one of the original Ghostface killers, Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich), and as the end of the movie confirms, she's seemingly inherited his aptitude for brutal murder - albeit, using her skills to slaughter one of the killers, Richie (Jack Quaid).
It's an interesting twist on the typical slasher film protagonist, but all the same, many fans were evidently frustrated that so much of the movie focused on Sam rather than her sister Tara (Jenna Ortega), who they found more likeable.
Regardless, Sam marked an interesting character departure for the series, and depending on whether or not she survives the events of the upcoming Scream VI, is a solid protagonist to take the franchise forward for a new generation, especially with Neve Campbell's future in the series in doubt.