9. Officer Richards (Scream 2)
Any good horror movie killer worth his salt knows that not everything goes according to plan. People do stupid and/or smart things, so no matter what side of the knifeyou are on, you have to be on your toes because you really have no idea what the other person is going to do. This is particularly true for killers because when a victims life is in serious jeopardy, they will do anything to keep from getting killed (duh). To be a really effective and memorable killer, you have to be able to adapt and improvise quickly. That is what makes this relatively minor Ghostface kill in the second movie so interesting. Sydney and her roommate/therapist Hallie are being escorted to a safe house but her two newly-appointed bodyguards, but Ghostface has other plans. While stopped at a red light, the killer comes out of nowhere, smashes the window, and makes quick work of Officer Andrews. While Syd and Hallie are locked in the back of the cop car, Ghostface roughs up Officer Richards, but fails to kill him properly. With Ghostface now behind the wheel he tries to run over the gun-wielding officer so here is where the all-important improvisation and adaptability comes in. Ghostface jerks the car into drive and speeds off towards a road construction site while Richards hangs on for dear life. Unable to shake him, the ever-resourceful Ghostface purposefully crashes the car into a particularly jagged equipment pile and a large metal pipe is driven clean through the head of the fearless bodyguard. Sure he might have temporarily knocked himself in the process, but in the end, Ghostface dispatches of the two doomed bodyguards and lures Sydney back to campus where the climax can happen.
Trivia: In the original script for
Scream 2, Mrs. Loomis (and additional killers Derek and Hallie) intended to frame Cotton Weary for the murders and even went as far as to kidnap him. He eventually kills her and escapes, but goes on to blame Sydney for repeatedly ruining his life and even attacks her. But this plotline was dropped after an early draft of the script was leaked online.