10 Horror Movie Performances That Fell Totally Flat
2. Melissa Barrera - Scream (2022)
2022's fifth Scream film mounted the thankless task of introducing a younger new protagonist to take up the mantle from original heroine Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell), who only appears in the sequel in a mere supporting capacity.
The new lead turned out to be Billy Loomis' (Skeet Ulrich) daughter Sam Carpenter (Melissa Barrera), and though some fans had their knives out for Sam through sheer virtue of being Sid's "replacement," her introduction proved shaky largely due to Melissa Barrera's flat performance.
Though Barrera thankfully seemed far more comfortable in the role by the time she filmed Scream VI, her wooden, spaced-out line readings in the fifth movie left a hugely deflating first impression. Was this really going to be the new face of the franchise, especially with Jenna Ortega being right there?
In fairness, Barrera wasn't exactly given the series' strongest writing on her first time up to bat, but her wonky, monotone delivery made it tough for audiences to get behind her character. Clearly she took the vocal feedback onboard, though, as she basically crushed it in the next movie.
It's just a damn shame that, with Barrera's shock dismissal from Scream 7 last year, this may be the end of the road for the character.