Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesSpoilers for the 1996 film Scream: Billy Loomis kills as Ghostface to get revenge on Sidney Prescott’s mother, Maureen. Billy says Maureen’s affair with his father helped drive his mother away. His accomplice Stu Macher joins him, but the film does not give Stu a comparably developed motive. “Ghostface” is a disguise used by different killers, so that explanation applies to the original film—not the entire series.
Why does Ghostface kill in the original Scream?
At the climax of Wes Craven’s 1996 film, Billy Loomis and Stu Macher are revealed as the people behind the Ghostface costume. Billy’s explanation is personal revenge: he blames Maureen Prescott for having an affair with his father, Hank, and connects that affair to his mother leaving the family. The official Wes Craven film page summarizes the reveal and motive.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Scream 1-6 Complete Bluray Hexology Collection: Bonus Documentaries - Behind The Scenes Footage -... | $89.36 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
|
Scream 6 | $14.95 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
![Scream (2022) [Blu-ray]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/515EXsAj04L._SL160_.jpg)
|
Scream (2022) [Blu-ray] | $13.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
|
Scream 4 - BLURAY | $10.83 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
|
Scream 4 (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy) | $10.79 | Buy on Amazon |
In Kevin Williamson’s screenplay, Billy tells Sidney, “I don’t really believe in motives, Sid,” before explaining his grievance. That line is Billy’s fictional dialogue, not a statement by Williamson about the film. Billy’s claim supplies the motive the story gives him, even as the line plays with the idea of whether killers have motives at all.
What is Stu’s motive?
Stu is Billy’s accomplice, but the film does not provide him with an equally detailed personal history or reason for killing. In the screenplay, he jokes that peer pressure explains his involvement. The joke is not developed into an explanation comparable to Billy’s revenge motive.
#1 Best Overall
How do the horror-film games fit in?
Ghostface’s quizzes, rules and theatrical staging make the killings resemble a horror movie within the movie. They help explain Scream’s self-aware style, but they are not a substitute for Billy’s stated grievance against Maureen.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Does every Ghostface kill for the same reason?
No. Ghostface is an identity adopted by different people in different installments, not one continuous killer with a single biography. Later films give their killers different aims. In Scream 2, for example, Mrs. Loomis seeks revenge for Billy’s death, while Mickey describes a plan to gain fame through the trial and media attention. Those motives belong to that film’s killers, not Billy in the original.
Rank #2
- Movie dvd
Kevin Williamson described Scream as “a deconstruction” of horror filmmaking in a 2021 interview with The Independent. He also described the Scream 4 killer’s motive as a desire for instant fame by replacing Sidney as a celebrity victim. These examples show how the series changes the people behind the mask and their reasons for killing.
The franchise has continued beyond those films: a Directors Guild of America Q&A dated March 8, 2026 describes Scream 7 as the seventh installment and says Sidney Prescott-Evans’s daughter becomes a target. That later setup does not alter the original film’s explanation of Billy’s motive.
Quick Recap
Best Value
Rank #4
Rank #3
- Movie dvd
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
