His partner was his best friend, Stu Macher (Matthew Lillard, acting like a golden retriever on a sugar high). Yes, Stu—the guy who throws parties and watches Wes Craven’s New Nightmare while munching on cheese pizza. He’s the one who technically “stabs” more people, but he’s also the one who gets a TV dropped on his head.
The motive? It’s as dumb as it is hilarious. Billy’s mom slept with Sidney’s dad, which drove Billy’s mom to run off. So Billy’s revenge plot was: kill Sidney and her friends, frame her dad, and blame the movies. Seriously, that’s it. No grand conspiracy, just a very dramatic teenager with a knife and a grudge.
Why Two Killers Worked
Director Wes Craven was a genius for making the killers a duo. It explains how Ghostface could be in two places at once. Like when Stu is at the party while Billy is in jail—turns out, Stu was wearing the robe and slashing people in a cheap Halloween costume. He even faked his own stabbing to throw off suspicion, because apparently, getting gutted builds character.
Here’s a surprising fact: the movie almost had three killers. The original script had a third accomplice: Sidney’s dad. But Craven cut him because, and I quote, “Even for a horror movie, that’s too much family drama.” Imagine if Dad had joined the team. “Honey, I’m home! Also, I brought a hunting knife and a voice changer.”
Scream 1
