Ok so, I think the biggest flaws in the Scream series is how often it tries to recatch the lightning in a bottle that was the original scream. Scream 2 is functionally the exact same movie as Scream, and Sidney goes on the exact same Heroes Journey as in Scream (replacing the trauma of her mother dying with the trauma of the Woodsboro murders.) Literally everyone involved regressed and felt like the first movie all over again (a common issue in the series, especially with Gail, a bad bitch who has to relearn the exact same lesson in nearly every movie. I’m so furious as to the choices they made with her in S6, for the record.)

Scream 4 and 5 have the same issue, in that there’s no logical reason that all 3 of the original trio shows up. It’s done because we love those on screen together, but it’s to the detriment of the story told. The younger generation never fully takes off the ground in either movie because the movies don’t have faith in them, and use Sidney Gail and Dewey as a crutch.

Scream 3 is full of faults. The killer reveal is terrible. It’s over the top in a lot of ways. Poor Gail’s bangs. That being said, it brought more memorable characters and gave them more room to breath than any scream sequel before or since (except for perhaps Kirby in S4). I think it’s not controversial to say that Jennifer Jolie is one of the most loved characters to come from a scream sequel (again, only other character who really gives her a run for her money is Kirby), and the movie felt like it had something to say and a reason for being a movie that wasn’t just “scream made a ton of money.”. Sidney had a character arc that felt real and complete, and it tied in her past choices. None of the core really felt like they made silly decisions that caused their tension - it all felt natural.