Scream is an all-time classic for fans of the horror genre. What made the film unique in 1996 was that it bucked the trend for slasher movies. It wasn’t a full-on parody but it did like to poke holes in movie logic. One of the ways the film did that was by setting up rules.

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Randy, who is the film buff of the crew, seemingly knows anything and everything about movies. He’s the one throughout the original trilogy explaining these horror rules to everyone. Whether these three films stuck to these rules is questionable but let’s go through them all. There will be spoilers for the Scream franchise up through the third movie.

Never Say Who’s There

Casey from Scream

“It’s a death wish.” That is what the mystery caller says to Casey at the beginning of Scream. The killer also goes on to chastise Casey for going to investigate a strange noise. Those two things can be some of the most aggravating things to see on screen in a horror movie.

If a character hears a noise then they should head in the opposite direction. Hiding is also an option but characters like Casey in these situations tend to panic.

Everybody’s A Suspect

Randy from Scream

“If you were the only suspect in a senseless blood bath, would you be standing in the horror section?” That’s a line said by Randy to Stu while he is working in the video store. He’s eyeballing Billy and continues to talk about more rules for horror films.

"Everyone is a suspect" is a major point of what Randy was trying to say about Billy. Even if someone gets off the hook due to an alibi, that might not be the end of it. The twist of Scream proves that point.

There’s Always A Reason

Gale from Scream

This is another rule Randy brings up to Stu in the video store. Motive doesn’t mean anything. Simplicity. That’s what Randy highlights in this discussion. The killer could be mad at a girlfriend/boyfriend. It can be as easy or as complex as the killer wants it to be.

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It doesn’t have to be a grand, elaborate plan. That’s true for a lot of slasher villains, including Halloween's Michael Myers whose motives change between reboots. Scream has a bit more complex of a setup as the series goes on despite the preaching about simplicity.

I’ll Be Right Back

A Ghostface killer from Scream

All of the rules were like a warmup for Randy before the party in the first movie. The first rule he brings up is never to say “I’ll be back.” This implies the opposite. It’s nicely showcased before this rule even gets brought up. Stu asks Tatum to go into the garage to get some beer.

Tatum never says the cursed line, but going off alone is an offshoot of this rule. It’s never explicitly expressed, but slasher fans know the drill. No one should ever split up in a horror movie while a killer is on the loose.

Celibacy Makes You Invincible

Sidney from Scream

The next rule Randy brings up is celibacy. If characters wish to survive then they shouldn’t engage in after-school activities as it were. That’s the exact reason why Friday the 13th is a franchise. Jason drowned while two lifeguards were getting it on. So, as punishment, his mom is killing teenagers making love at Camp Crystal Lake.

As much as this rule is established in Scream, it’s not a problem the series deals with. None of these movies are explicit in this way or at least they’re not on screen.

Never Drink Or Do Drugs

A scene featuring characters from Scream

The final rule Randy explains in the original Scream is to never drink or do drugs. This sort of falls in line with the celibacy setup as it implies keeping a clear mind will protect characters more. That makes sense as impairment is never good during a chase.

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This rule is played with fast and loose in horror films. Drinking doesn’t seem to lead to death as frequently as consuming drugs. For the Scream series, it’s not an issue they follow through with often.

The Rule Of Sequels

Debbie from Scream 2

Randy has two more rules he tells Dewey in Scream 2. There is a third rule but Randy gets cut off and never explains his thoughts clearly. Both of them fall in the same realm when it comes to sequels. The body count is always bigger and deaths are more elaborate.

This is true in Scream 2. Cici is thrown off a balcony for example. She doesn't explode into a puddle of blood but it's more than what the original showed. That was a brutal death and an early one too. Most kills still end in stabbing, but it’s the setup that counts.

The Trilogy Rule

Roman from Scream 3

Randy has one more rule to tell his friends in Scream 3. He calls these guidelines the trilogy rule. The most important thing to remember is to expect the unexpected. Things characters thought to be true before may come back to bite them later. This is referring to Sidney’s mom in Scream 3. Also, any character can die.

Finally, Randy also says that the killer is near indestructible in the third film and should be burned or beheaded. The killer isn’t superhuman in Scream 3 though so that horror rule is broken.

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