Scream 6 had a massive rollout this month, and fans were excited to see the bodies pile up once again as Ghostface made his appearance on the big screen. It’s hard to decipher who the best Ghostface is without ruffling a few feathers among die-hard Scream fans, but one can’t count out Mickey's influence on the franchise. How unhinged he appeared to be, how obvious it was that it was him, and how he was targeting Sidney. Sidney Prescott, the girl who already had been through so much, just wanted to take college classes like a normal teenager. But sadly, she didn’t accomplish that, as she was once again hunted by Ghostface. There are huge franchises in the horror genre with several movies that make up the series, but Scream easily remains in the top three. Not only that, but Scream 2 is the best horror sequel ever, and here’s why.

Related: Ghostface Killers, Ranked: Who's the Best Scream Villain?

Main Character Death

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Dimension Films

With the first Scream doing tremendously well in theaters and now having a massive cult following and five movies following it, the sequel really had to go above and beyond in order to continue the franchise. So what does that mean, exactly? In the beginning of the movie, while Randy is in film class, he describes the phenomenon of the sequel perfectly. In fact, he basically pokes fun of doing a Scream 2 because of how difficult it is to have a follow-up that either stands in the same light as the first one, or goes above and beyond and surpasses the original. Randy describes what happens during a sequel later in the film, and one of the points he makes is that the sequel is usually filled with more carnage than the first.

And clearly, that happens when the beloved Randy Meeks is completely slaughtered in the back of Gale Weathers' van. It is in fact sad that this character didn’t make it past the second movie, and that he died because he was rightfully talking bad about Billy Loomis. His death is fast and bloody, and it shows the audience that essentially no one is safe. Randy was a main character, had a huge crush on Sidney, and hinted at dying a virgin in the first film, so yes, his death was somewhat expected and needed for such a big sequel as Scream 2.

College Campus Setting

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Kondrad Pictures

In Scream 2, we’re out of Woodsboro and instead, on a college campus, giving us a chance to move on from what happened in the first movie, and also giving Sidney some much-needed character development. It’s a more intimate setting on this campus than dealing with an entire town, not only because it’s a smaller setting, but also because the points of attack are also more concealed as well. It’s interesting when you realize who the killers are because of where Mickey (mainly) attacks his victims. He’s familiar with the buildings because he’s a student, and not only that, he has a trusted friend who knows where he’s going and is smart about it.

Also, now that Sid is in college, she does have that distinct character development that we hope for as soon as we start the movie. In the first one, she’s younger, not a killer, and more soft and trusting with potential killers. Now, in Scream 2, she’s established in her college, she has a new group of friends besides Randy, and the second she gets a fake call mimicking Ghostface, she immediately shuts them down and doesn’t panic. Sure, she gets rightfully scared when it turns out to be a similar situation to the first, but she’s more controlled as she defends herself and her friends.

Related: Scream Watch Order: Every Way to Watch the Scream Movie Franchise

Use of Billy’s Mom

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Dimension Films

Throughout this sequel, there are several questions that go through the audience's minds as they try and figure out who the killer is, but not only that, they wonder what the motive is this time around. In the first Scream, Billy’s reasoning is that Sidney’s mother slept with his dad, and in return, it broke up his family, so he took an extreme route to get revenge. In Scream 2, both Billy and Stu are dead, but that doesn’t stop a new round of murders from starting around Sidney and her close circle of friends, so the motive is pretty much lost until the reveal of both Ghostfaces at the end of the film. The first reveal is Mickey, which is obvious, but then the second reveal hits so hard because it almost doesn’t make sense.

Billy Loomis’ mother, "Debbie Salt," was seen throughout the movie as a news reporter who was trying to shadow Gale Weathers, and she makes you feel bad for her as she’s constantly shut down and dismissed. However, Laurie Metcalf gives quite the performance, as she reveals herself to be the other Ghostface, claiming that her motive was to avenge her son’s death, even though she left him in the first movie and didn't really seem to care about him before. Then you realize she’s just as insane as her son was, as she further explains herself, leading you to believe that maybe she just needed a flimsy reason to come and commit a few murders and act as a front for Mickey to get close to Sidney.

Obvious Killer

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Dimension Films

There’s something so terribly great about knowing who the killer is in a movie like this. With the first Scream still fresh in the audience's mind, since the two movies were only a year apart, you’re immediately on edge. You’re suspecting anyone that’s close to Sidney, and of course, you expect her boyfriend, who’s slightly concerned and appears to be in the right place at the right time several moments throughout the movie. You figure there are two Ghostfaces because of the first movie, and while you guess it’s Derek, her boyfriend, you also have your antennas up about Mickey. He’s shifty, he cares too much about the details of the murder, and he genuinely looks like he’s capable of such a thing, so it’s obvious that it’s him.

And it is! Mickey’s reveal as Ghostface is so great, it’s almost a crime that he’s not regarded as one of the better Ghostfaces that appear throughout the franchise. He’s a copycat to Billy and Stu, but he does it differently when he blames the movies. He’s set on twisting the story around to make it seem like he was susceptible to what he watched in all the horror movies he consumed, and was set on getting out of all the murders he committed. Mickey was the perfect Ghostface for a sequel in this iconic franchise, because you expect it, yet it still hits just as hard when he reveals himself to be the killer. You also realize how crazy he is when he springs up after being shot; he screams and waves his arms like a madman, and then gets killed once and for all.