10 Horror Movies One Step From Perfection
4. Scream 2
Directed by horror legend Wes Craven and scripted by I Know What You Did Last Summer scribe Kevin Williamson, 1996's Scream managed the undeniably impressive feat of single-handedly reviving the then-dead slasher movie sub genre. With a charming cast, brutally effective death sequences, and a witty, self-referential script, the meta-slasher pioneered a more thoughtful brand of teen horror and soon prompted a slew of imitators.
It also resulted in a sequel a mere year later with both Craven and Williamson returning, and for the most part the script for 1997's Scream 2 hits the same impressive heights as the original… Until its laughably bad killer reveal.
All the audience goodwill garnered by that harrowing opening sequence, the terrifying and tense death scene for (spoilers) Buffy starlet Sarah Michelle Gellar, and the ingenious car crash and soundproof studio chase sequences were soon squandered on a ridiculous twist wherein both a barely seen film nerd and Lady Bird's Laurie Metcalf turn out to be the impossibly unlikely murderers.
Randy was killed by his own friend for a "turns out Billy's mom bought a new face" twist? Even Son of the Mask's Jamie Kennedy deserved better than this.