Slasher Mike Flanagan Says Has a “Mean streak,” Climbs the Streaming Charts
A great horror sequel is oftentimes easier to dream up than to execute. Avoiding a sophomore slump often becomes a delicate dance between honoring the source material and what made it stick in the first place, while also moving the story forward in fresh ways. It needs to surprise without betraying what fans first fell in love with or simply recycling the hits. The best follow-ups push the original’s themes harder, reframe familiar scares with fresh stakes, and sometimes add a meaner edge, a willingness to go darker, funnier, or meaner.
Case in point? Scream 2 from 1997, a studio sequel that understood the assignment. Arriving hot on the heels of Scream’s massive success, Scream 2 landed as both a send-up of sequels and a legitimately tense slasher, tightening the satire while turning up the danger. This is the exact combination that earned praise from none other than Mike Flanagan, who confessed in his Letterboxd review that he still “really dig[s],” the movie, adding that “it’s got a mean streak that I appreciate,” and calling out a handful of killer set pieces as genuinely virtuosic.
Observe the Rules of the Sequel
In Scream 2, two years have passed since the tragic events in Woodsboro. Sidney and Randy attempt to start over at Windsor College, but a new Ghostface begins murdering students and even targets audiences during screenings of Stab, the meta film based on Gale Weathers’ bestselling book, The Woodsboro Murders. Around this same time, Cotton Weary is officially out of prison and trying to cash in on his newfound dark fame, as well. Featuring an expanded all-star cast that includes Jada Pinkett Smith, Joshua Jackson, Timothy Olyphant, Jerry O’Connell, Laurie Metcalf, Rebecca Gayheart, Duane Martin, Tori Spelling, and more, Scream 2 is a darker, sharper sequel that plays like both a critique of Hollywood sequels and a legitimately chilling slasher in its own right.
It’s Always Scream Season
Flanagan’s praise shouldn’t be taken lightly, as he himself has had large, cinematic shoes to fill and follow up in the past. Though quite different in scope and scale, Doctor Sleep and Ouija: Origin of Evil both proved that Flanagan is a creator who understands how to balance franchise obligations while stretching new creative muscle. Doctor Sleep is an adaptation and literal, high-profile continuation of Stephen King’s The Shining, which also acknowledges Stanley Kubrick’s iconic cinematic interpretation. Then, with Ouija: Origin of Evil, Flanagan delivered a period-set prequel that highlighted his affinity for tone and coaxing scares from the very atmosphere itself.
With the remnants of fall and Halloween still floating in the air, and now six Scream movies to choose from (soon to be seven), it’s not surprising that the franchise is back on people’s screens. However, the fact that both Scream and Scream 2 are the ones actively trending speaks volumes about their legacy and which films folks gravitate toward. In fact, Scream 2 has been appearing on the Paramount+ most-watched charts recently and has even cracked the top 10 multiple times these past few weeks.
So if you find yourself in the mood for a Halloween hangover double feature, queue up the original Scream to remind yourself why Wes Craven is a true Master of Horror, then let Scream 2 show you how a sequel can, in fact, avoid that sophomore slump curse. Both movies are currently available on Hulu and, unlike candy corn, are always in season.
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