Keagan Giblin

Spawning from the horror film genre comes the subgenre of slasher. Film critic Sotiris Petridis breaks up slasher films into three time periods, a "classical period" from 1974 to the 1980s, a "postmodern period" taking place in the 1990s, and "neoslasher period" taking place in the new millennium (Petridis 76). To simply explain a slasher film, Petridis describes them as "we can say that these movies are about a serial killer who is spreading fear in a middle-class community by killing innocent people. In the end, the killer is defeated, and the main character (or in some cases more than one) survives" (Petridis 76). Slasher films are also known for including more death and gore as compared to a suspenseful horror film. 

After seeing a decline in the production of slasher films after the releases of Halloween (1978), Friday the 13th (1980) and Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), the slasher subgenre of horror was resurrected by the premiere of Scream (1996). Before the film's premiere, the slasher genre was on the decrease, as big studios wanted to focus on the next blockbuster and less on blood and gore. The audience was shifting, as well. Instead of an older demographic attraction, the younger audiences were becoming intrigued in the subgenre and needed films targeted towards them. Scream resurrects slasher films by redefining the genre for a new age of audiences through postmodernism, meta-fiction, and comedy. 

Before getting into exactly how Scream resurrects and redefines slashers, it is essential to establish a slasher film's characteristics. There is not one specific movie that defines what a slasher film is. Instead, it is a mix of films, each with similar aspects but all with the same underlining motif, a killer. In "A Historical Approach to the Slasher Film," Sotiris Petridis accredits the release of Black Christmas (1974), The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974), and Halloween (1978) as the first time the box office sees slasher films flourishing. Each of these films is similar, as they all have the common theme of a killer on the loose. Valerie Wee explains a slasher film typically includes "a group of young, often teenage, characters as potential victims; imperiled, sexually attractive young women being stalked by a knife-wielding, virtually indestructible, psychotic serial killer; and scenes of unexpected and shocking violence" (Wee 44). 

Argued to be almost as important as the killer in a slasher film is the final girl. A final girl is someone who "stand[s] out from the crowd and becomes the survivor of the film" (Petridis 73). In slasher films, it is essential to note that there are two types of endings involving the final girl archetype. The first ending with a final girl is where she finds the strength to delay her killing long enough to be rescued, whereas the second final girl ends the film by killing the killer herself (Petridis 78). A critical distinction between the final girl and other females in the movie is that she is not sexually active. In slasher films, there is the motif that if a character is sexually active, there is a higher probability of that character dying. 

Generally, slasher films can be described as containing heavy graphic violence and a heightened fear of the killer's victims (Ménard et al. 622). Slasher films follow a formula. The formula usually consists of a lone male killer, slowly picking off a group of beautiful victims in scenes that showcase graphic violence, where one or more character survives (Ménard et al. 622). To be considered a slasher, the film must have this underlying plot narrative. 

Another critical aspect of the slasher film is the family relations present. A common motif of modern slashers is that parental figures are absent, or the main character comes from a broken home. Pat Gill, the author of "The Monstrous Years: Teens, Slasher Films, and the Family" notes that "the decay of the family makes children not merely defenseless but also prone to danger" (Gill 21). Parental figures' absence omits the security and safety of the films' main teenage characters, making them appear to be vulnerable to killers.     

However, other motifs encompass a slasher. One motif is that the killer usually uses an unconventional weapon to kill, making the act of killing more intimate and intense. When thinking of killers in slasher films, audiences can link the killer to their weapon. The weapon used also defines who the killer is. Another motif is how sexualized women are in slashers. Authors from "There are Certain Rules that One Must Abide by" states that "Slashers are also infamous for their supposed inclusion of gratuitous sexual content and have been pilloried in the press for their portrayals of misogyny" (Ménard et al. 622). Slasher films get their name from the word slash. As mentioned in this subgenre, the films involve killers who kill their victims in very unconventional and intimate ways, and in almost all of them through physically slashing them. Hence the tag name of slasher films. By explaining different slasher film motifs, further analysis of what makes Scream a slasher film can be completed. 

While Scream resurrected the slasher film subgenre of horror, the film itself is a slasher film for the following reasons. As mentioned, there are certain conventions a horror film must have to be considered a slasher film. Of the most important conventions is there must be a killer. In Scream, there is a killer that the audience is introduced to in the very first scene. The audience meets the Ghostface killer, and for the rest of the film, he is terrorizing the main character, Sidney, and her friends. 

Another motif that is present in Scream is the graphic violence and shock factor that slashers have. Scream sets itself up to be a slasher film from the very first scene again as the audience sees Casey getting stabbed to death (Scream 00:11:15). This catches the audience off guard since the movie is only ten minutes in, and the viewer is not expecting to see a killing so early on. While this first scene exposes the audience to shock, as the film continues, the graphic violence adds to the slasher motif. The film's shock factor is increased as the film continues because of the mystery and reveal of who is under the ghost-faced mask. The sexualizing of women is also evident in Scream, as Sidney is being pressured to have sex with her boyfriend, and Tatum and Stu are always all over each other (Scream 00:21:07). The killer in Scream also kills his victims in unconventional ways. In most cases, he uses a short blade for intimate killings, but when he murdered Tatum, he used a garage door to kill her (Scream 01:07:49). 

Along with the graphic violence, the film's setup also adds to the slasher film motifs and conventions. There is a lack of parental figures in the movie overall. One of the only times the audience meets Sidney's father is him explaining to her that he'll be out of town for the weekend (Scream 00:14:06). Since Sidney's father will be out of town and her mother is dead, Sidney does not have a parental figure presence, making her appear the most vulnerable. Another example is Stu hosting a party at his house since his parents are conveniently out of town. The large house party at Stu's is an invitation to the killer as it will be filled with all the teens and no parental supervision, which plays into the lack of parents and family motif that slasher films have. 

Scream also fits the model of a slasher film because it has a final girl. At the end of Scream, Sidney survives, deeming her the final girl. Sidney perfectly fits the final girl model as she is not hypersexualized in the film and appears to be different from the other females portrayed in the film. She is also the type of final girl who kills the killer and is not waiting to be saved. Sidney is a strong female character as she sticks up for her beliefs and fights her way to survive the film. 

Now that the definition and elements of a slasher film are clear and how Scream fits the genre, a closer look at how the film resurrected the subgenre can begin. A critical reason that allowed Scream to resurrect slasher films for the new millennium is the film's use of postmodernism and meta-fiction. Wee associates postmodernism with "a tendency for intertextual referencing, a propensity for ironic or parodic humor, as well as textual and generic mixing" (Wee 46). From Isabel Pinedo's "Recreational Terror: Postmodern Elements of the Contemporary Horror," she further explains that the term postmodernism "acknowledges a shift from modernism" (Pinedo 18). There is a problematic connection between postmodernism and contemporary horror films that Pinedo describes in her article. When both are used together in most cases, one is often discrediting the other (Pinedo 18). However, in Scream, both horror and postmodern elements come together to create a film that captures and intrigues audiences. The hyperawareness in Scream works very well in how it resurrects the slasher film subgenre of horror. It plays on what audiences already know about the subgenre while redefining it and making audiences more engaged.

Along with postmodernism, Scream includes meta-fiction to appeal and engage its audience while adding comedic relief. Robert Scholes describes that meta-fiction "assimilates all the perspectives of criticism into the fictional process itself. It may emphasize structural, formal, behavioral, or philosophical qualities" (Scholes 107). In other words, meta-fiction is the concept where the piece of art or fiction references itself within the work. Using meta-fiction effectively allows the audiences to feel more engaged; however, the use of meta-fiction does not translate well in film texts. Valerie Wee explains the meta-fiction present in Scream by saying, "where conventional intertextual referencing is generally confined to implicit, often fleeting, allusions to other texts, the Scream trilogy consistently engages in explicit discussion and critique of other film texts, including itself" (Wee 58). Scream's use of meta-fiction allows for the subgenre of slasher films to be resurrected and redefined. 

Many moments and scenes within Scream support the film being labeled as a postmodern contemporary horror film. The first scene of Scream sets the stage for how the film's hyperawareness will be used throughout. Casey, the first murder of the film, is being questioned by an unknown caller about her knowledge of classic American slasher films, such as Halloween and Friday the 13th (Scream 00:07:00). Her accuracy is life-threatening as she sees her boyfriend Steve tied hostage and realizes this unknown caller is watching her. The fact that she was given trivia questions on American slasher films while in a slasher film supports the idea that the film plays on meta-fiction. 

Most of the film scenes that include meta-fiction or commentary are dialogue moments with the character Randy. In the film, Randy portrays the nerd archetype. Randy is an essential character in the movie because he adds comedic relief to the film and brings in the meta-fiction. His role in the film is almost as crucial as Sidney's as the final girl. Through Randy, the audience can relate; his character is vocalizing all the conventions and motifs audiences have about typical slasher films. 

An example of a scene that showcases the film's meta-fiction through Randy is when he talks to Stu in the video store. In this scene, Randy and Stu discuss who the ghost-face killer suspects would be and why based on common slasher film knowledge learned in films. Randy explains to Stu that "the police are always off track with this shit if they watch Prom Night they'd save time. There's a formula to it, a very simple formula!" (Scream 00:56:48). Their conversation ends with Randy saying, "If this were a scary movie, I'd be the prime suspect," due to his obsession with horror films (Scream 00:57:23). Randy pointing out the horror film simple formula is an example of meta-fiction and a tie to the film's comedic element. Randy, being frustrated that people don't understand how simple the formula is, indirectly communicates to the audience that they should be aware of what will happen next and who the killer is based on horror film conventions. 

While the video store scene showcases an example of Randy bringing in meta-fiction, one of the most famous and well-known scenes of Scream is during the house party. Later in the film, when all the main characters attend an unsupervised house party, Randy delivers a monologue about "the rules" of a horror film. When Randy is watching a Halloween with some other partygoers and Stu, he feels the need to proclaim and list "the rules" of horror films once he realizes that Stu is unaware of them. In the article "There are Certain Rules that One Must Abide by," the authors explain that "the rules" on sexual experience and death as well as ethnicity and other types of sinning behavior within horror films (Ménard et al. 623). Randy's commentary on "the rules" fits into the connection between sinning, sex, and death:

"There are certain rules that one must abide by in order to successfully survive a horror movie. For instance: 1. You can never have sex. The minute you get a little nookie--you're as good as gone. Sex always equals death. 2. Never drink or do drugs. The sin factor. It's an extension of number one. And 3. Never, ever, ever, under any circumstances, say "I'll be right back" (Scream 01:13:28). 

Writers and producers of horror movies seem to take for granted that the modern audience is aware of "the rules" (Ménard et al. 623). However, in Scream, the filmmakers play off of the idea that the viewer is familiar with the conventions of horror films, making it more engaging and fun for them to watch.

What is ironic about Randy and Stu discussing "the rules" of a horror film is that they are unaware that they themselves are in a film. The audience knows that these characters are in a horror film; therefore, it is another example of meta-fiction. Randy's explanation of "the rules" directly relates to the plot of the film. This scene follows a previous scene of Tatum, Sidney's hypersexual and flirty friend, being killed (Scream 01:07:49). Her death correlates to Randy's saying, "Sex always equals death" (Scream 01:13:28). With these rules outlined by Randy, it a reminder to the viewer and makes them question Sidney as the "final girl" since she decides to have sex with Billy.

Since meta-fiction is present within the whole film starting from the beginning, it is only right that Scream ends with a comment on horror film conventions. As Sidney emerges victorious from the Ghostface killer, also known as Billy and Stu, Randy points out that there is always a moment in slasher films where the supposedly dead killer comes back to life for a final scare (Scream 01:42:41). Which directly after the audience sees Billy take a final breath followed by Sidney reshooting Billy, and says, "Not in my movie" (Scream 01:42:55). This last scene adds to the meta-fiction of the film. As the movie ends, the audience is reminded of the horror film conventions, and Sidney's dialogue supports how the film overall is redefining the subgenre.  

Another way that Scream resurrects the slasher film genre is its redefinition of what a slasher is by shifting the target audience. From the initial release of horror films, the audiences were mainly older, primarily due to how particular films are marketed. In Richard Nowell's "The American Film Industry, Early Teen Slasher Films and Female Youth" he notes that members of the Motion Picture Association of America or MPAA concluded in the late 1970s that male moviegoers could be relied upon to attend any type of horror film regardless of content, and released that they needed to start targeting females (Nowell 125). It was through the release and marketing for later movies such as Carrie (1976), Halloween (1978), and Friday the 13th (1980) that filmmakers see a rise in female horror film attendance. This rise is accredited to the emergence of lead female characters and "female-youth-oriented content" (Nowell 129). What makes Scream successful is that it established itself marketable to the female-youth audience (Nowell 138). Nowell accredits that Scream was innovative for its release because it's "female-youth orientation, a claim which hinges on the supposedly male-youth orientation of earlier entries [slashers]" (Nowell 116). The release of Scream impacted how filmmakers were to target their films to reach teenage female audiences.

Overall, Scream took common slasher film conventions and motifs and used them to its advantage. The film redefined what a slasher film can be by including meta-fiction and characters that appeal to younger audiences. Scream engages its audiences through its hyperawareness and mystery. The success of Scream is evident, as the film franchise released several sequels and influenced film produced shortly after.  Scream has a lasting impact on the slasher film genre still years later. Caitlyn Ralph, a writer for the Alternative Press, claims that Scream was the horror film slasher films needed to survive. Ralph goes on to say:

"Scream embraced the onslaught of a fast approaching new millennium. It embraced horror's tropes. It embraced itself. It didn't take itself too seriously—it didn't try to be anything it wasn't. But Scream was something—it was gracefully self-aware, it was a slasher flick about a bunch of screaming teenagers, but it was, after plenty years of busts, good." 

Works Cited

Black Christmas. Directed by Bob Clark, performances by Olivia Hussey and Keir Dullea. Ambassador Film Distributors, 1974.

Carrie. Directed by Brian Russell De Palma, performances by Mary Elizabeth Spacek, William Theodore Katt and John Travolta. United Artists, 1976.

Friday the 13th. Directed by Sean Cunningham, performances by Adrienne King and Kevin Bacon. Paramount Pictures, 1980.

Gill, Pat. “The Monstrous Years: Teens, Slasher Films, and the Family.” Journal of Film and Video, vol. 54, no. 4, 2002, pp. 16–30. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/20688391.

Halloween. Directed by John Carpenter, performances by Jamie Lee Curtis and Donald Pleasence. Compass International Pictures, 1978.

Ménard, A.D., Weaver, A. & Cabrera, C. “There are Certain Rules that One Must Abide by”: Predictors of Mortality in Slasher Films. Sexuality & Culture (2019) 23: 621. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-018-09583-2

Nightmare on Elm Street. Directed by Wes Craven, performances by Robert Englund, Johnny Depp and Heather Langenkamp. New Line Cinema, 1984. 

Nowell, Richard. “‘There's More Than One Way to Lose Your Heart’: The American Film

Industry, Early Teen Slasher Films, and Female Youth.” Cinema Journal, vol. 51, no. 1, 2011, pp. 115–140. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/41342285.

Petridis, Sotiris. “A Historical Approach to the Slasher Film: The Classical Period, the Post-

Slasher Films, and the Neoslashers.” Film International, vol. 12, no. 1 [67], 2014, pp. 76–84. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1386/fiin.12.1.76_1.

Pindeo, Isabel. “Recreational Terror: Postmodern Elements of the Contemporary Horror

Film.” Journal of Film and Video, vol. 48, no. 1/2, 1996, pp. 17–31. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/20688091.

Ralph, Caitlyn. “20 Reasons Why ‘Scream is the Movie the Horror Genre Desperately Needed.” Alternative Press, Inc. 2016. https://www.altpress.com/features/20_reasons_why_scream_is_the_movie_horror_desperately_needed/

Scholes, Robert. “Metafiction.” The Iowa Review, vol. 1, no. 4, 1970, pp. 100–115. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/20157652.

Scream. Directed by Wes Craven, performances by Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, and Skeet Ulrich. Dimension Films, 1996.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Directed by Tobe Hopper, performances by Marilyn Burns and Paul A. Partain. Bryanston Distributing Company, 1974.

Wee, Valerie. “The Scream Trilogy, ‘Hyperpostmodernism," and the Late-Nineties Teen Slasher Film.” Journal of Film and Video, vol. 57, no. 3, 2005, pp. 44–61. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/20688497.