Ghostface and Gale Weathers have returned to us again with Scream VI, and the fandom couldn’t be happier. And with the newest installment comes new killers, new motives, new phone calls, and new kills.
Scream fans are thriving.
This newest installment was no less fun or brutal, no matter where you place it in your ranking. The biggest thing that sets Scream apart from other horror franchises is that while the Ghostface mask remains mostly the same, every movie has a different killer behind the mask. And while there are no bad Scream movies, only ones I like less than others—the same goes for Ghostface killers.
So, with over 25 years of Ghostface, let’s see how the newest batch holds up to the previous ones. Spoilers ahead for every Scream, even the newest one, Scream VI.
Here is my list of Ghostfaces ranked from not-so-great to greatest.
Every Current Ghostface, Ranked
13. Jason Carvey (Tony Revolori) and his dead partner — Scream VI
This slot all hangs on how you felt about the opening of Scream VI. Maybe it worked for you! Maybe it didn’t! For me, however, it only ranks above Scream 4’s opening because the killings in this one were all actually happening. Spider-man’s Revolori does a great job, but I just didn’t care. I found myself not caring if this new Ghostface was being stalked by another new Ghostface. This switch-up would’ve been more shocking for me if it’d happened later in the movie. I think it’s a cool idea, but the tension fell so flat for me that this opening felt almost as silly to me as the character being named “Jason Carvey.”
12. Charlie Walker (Rory Culkin) — Scream 4
Listen, Rory Culkin is great but this character suffers from “second killer syndrome.” He’s not too memorable and is completely overshadowed by his partner (stay tuned, more on her later). He does get an incredibly iconic reveal though—stabbing (but not killing) Hayden Panettiere’s fan favorite Kirby Reed right after she beat Ghostface at his own game over the phone, seemingly having saved Charlie. He’s mad she took too long to want to date him…or something. But, shortly after this moment, he is swiftly betrayed by his partner and killed.
11. Detective Bailey (Dermot Mulroney) — Scream VI
As a longtime Scream fan and big time dumb dumb, I rarely ever guess the killers in any of these movies. Gale Weathers, I am not. Yet this reveal felt so obvious even the character says, “Of course it’s me,” once he’s outed as *extreme Wendy Williams voice* the killer. I’m sure it was done on purpose, but still it felt a little anti-climactic. He almost tricked me into thinking Kirby was the killer though, which thankfully was just a misdirect but kudos to that. He’s channeling some big-time Laurie Metcalf as Nancy Loomis vibes not only just after his reveal, but nearly every time the character cranks his neck and says the word “kill” with his eyes bulging out. The reveal that he’s Richie’s dad wasn’t as chilling as it should’ve been. But he does get a pretty great death scene after the Carpenter sisters exchange glances at each other.
10. Ethan Landry (Jack Champion) — Scream VI (2023)
The cute, nerdy virgin who looks like a clone of early seasons American Horror Story Evan Peters. He’s quiet and basically a background character. Jasmine Savoy-Brown’s Mindy clocks him from the moment they find out Ghostface is back. This was one of those “so obvious it can’t be possible” reveals for me. Especially once he saved Mindy on the train, I was positive he wasn’t a killer. His reveal of actually being Richie’s brother? Sure. He gets a great death scene though at the hands of Jenna Ortega’s Tara. “Die a virgin!”
9. Quinn Bailey (Liana Liberato) — Scream VI
I like her in theory. One of the few supposed victims who died then later on is revealed to be Ghostface. She’s likable and sex-positive. We’re first introduced to her having loud sex in the apartment she shares with our final girls. I also love the idea of her laying on the ground of the apartment playing dead, covered in fake blood for a good 20 minutes while everyone runs around the apartment trying to avoid Ghostface.
8. Mickey Altieri (Timothy Olyphant) — Scream 2
One of the better “second” killers. Scream 2 is absolutely stacked with famous folks who give great performances—and while he’s famous now, he wasn’t a big name back then. But his performance is great. He manipulates Sidney perfectly, making her think it could be her sweet jock boyfriend (spoiler, it isn’t). Like many other men on this list, he’s a secret incel working with the lead killer. He’s also quickly killed by his partner in Ghostface-ing.
7. Amber Freeman (Mikey Madison) — Scream (2022)
This franchise references itself so often it’s a wonder it hasn’t caved in on itself yet. Amber is a clear reference to Matthew Lillard’s Stu (be patient, I’m getting to him), going full spit yelling once she’s revealed. She was also my number one suspect for most of the movie—who doesn’t suspect the quiet goth girl who lurks in the background of most of her scenes? But the thing she has going for her is she gets one of the absolute best reveals with her delivery of, “Welcome to Act 3.”
6. Roman Bridger (Scott Foley) — Scream 3
I’m always torn regarding the third installment. For me, it’s clearly the weakest link, but also, it’s just so god damned fun. I mean, any movie where Parker Posey chews scenery automatically gets bonus points. But also, there are no bad Scream movies. What makes him unique is that he’s the only Ghostface to work alone (and to be revealed to be Sidney’s long-lost sibling). He’s also notable for being a character who I barely remember before his reveal. He sits next to Jennifer Jolie at some point maybe? He fakes his death, but he was a throwaway character that didn’t matter. The thing that boosts him up on this list is that he doesn’t do the bulging eyes or campy acting once he takes the mask off. He plays his reveal pretty straightforward, and his fight with Sidney is great. It’s the most aggressive we’d seen Sidney at that point, and their fight is iconic and brutal. Watching his death scene high is something I do not recommend.
5. Richie Kirsch (Jack Quaid) — Scream (2022)
I truly do not understand the hate 5 gets. I think it’s really fun seeing our Final Girls in their final form. And 5 has a fantastic reveal: our new final girl’s boyfriend Richie is Ghostface, one of many nods to the original film. I spent the entire movie completely charmed by him though, ignoring David Arquette’s Dewey clocking him from the start. He was the voice of the audience for most of the movie, yet in the end, he was actually the voice of the toxic fans online who will call me a fake fan for this list. The performance is understated, as he’s not that different once he’s revealed to be Ghostface, and for me, that’s what sells it. Even Richie himself says, as he’s stabbing his girlfriend, “I know, it’s a bummer, it’s me.”
4. Nancy Loomis (Laurie Metcalf) — Scream 2
Debbie Salt aka Nancy Loomis is the blueprint for unhinged family member out for revenge in this franchise. Her performance is camp and eye bulgey and shouldn’t work, yet it does. I will also say this is the only movie where I immediately clocked Ghostface. At the time, she was already famous for her role as Aunt Jackie on Roseanne, so having Laurie Metcalf pop up as a side character who only interacted with Courteney Cox’s Gale felt a tad cheap. But once she goes for it, she fucking goes for it. Her final battle with Sidney (and Gale) on the stage is truly one of the most fun Ghostface final fights. She doesn’t seem to blink once, taunts Gale with, “It’s called a makeover; you should try it,” and kills her partner while wearing an iconic white powersuit.
3. Stu Macher (Matthew Lillard) — Scream
I mean, duh. The Stu Truthers online who insist he’s still alive might be annoying, but there’s a reason they exist. Stu is one of the most iconic characters in Scream. He’s the chaotic goof you’d crush on and then feel bad about crushing on because, ya know, he’s a murderer. It’s why he’s not exactly that much different once he goes full Ghostface. He’s the best of all of the “second” killers. Lillard still seems to be able to keep Stu charming even once he’s revealed to be Ghostface. His relationship with his partner is incredibly homoerotic, and he even gets in some funny lines before dying, like, “My mom and dad are gonna be so mad at me.”
2. Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich) — Scream
The dreamboat. Serial killers are often portrayed as getting their victims by charming them and Billy is no different. He has a serial killer vibe the entire movie but also has 90s teen heartthrob hair, wears tight white T-shirts, and looks like he just got done riding a motorcycle out of Twin Peaks. He’s so obviously the killer that it is genuinely surprising when he’s revealed actually to be the killer. He is also the first to fake his death to trick the audience into believing he’s not Ghostface—but that lasts about two seconds. He’s hot; he’s intense; he is the moment.
1. Jill Roberts (Emma Roberts) — Scream 4
Jill Roberts was not only ahead of her time, but she was the last person I’d have ever thought was Ghostface upon first watch. Anyone watching it now might not be too shocked as the acting she does in her reveal was her audition for every single role she’d later go on to play in American Horror Story. Folks have long said that killing Sidney or Sidney being Ghostface would be a gag—but the thing is, it would just be stupid and out of character. A new Sidney-esque final girl, however, being Ghostface? Iconic. Jill stays a more subdued, even kind of boring character for most of the movie until going full Fight Club on herself to frame Trevor. She’s also a standout because she’s not a horror incel, but a crazed jealous teen who wants her cousin Sidney’s fame and only fame. Her line,“I don’t need friends, I need fans,” is one that’s still incredibly relevant.