Scream 3 is regarded as the weakest in the franchise because of its underwhelming reveal that even Sidney Prescott appeared confused by.
Scream 3's Ghostface reveal didn't work because of the killer's lack of a connection to Sidney. Scream 3 brings Sidney Prescott, Gale Weathers, and Dewey Riley to Hollywood, where director Roman Bridges is directing Stab 3. The film is one of the most meta entries in the franchise as actors are playing actors playing the roles of Sidney and her friends while running around on a fake Woodsboro set, including Stu's house from the first Scream. Unfortunately, Ghostface makes his return during the Stab 3 production, killing off members of the cast and once again going after Sidney.
At this point, Sidney is exhausted after fighting off Billy, Stu, Billy's mother, and Mickey, but she comes back to fight off Ghostface one last time, concluding the original trilogy. While Roman initially appears to have been killed by Ghostface, by the end of the film, he reveals himself as the killer. His motive is that he's Sidney's illegitimate brother, and their mother never wanted to be a part of his life. He also reveals that he was the mastermind behind all the Scream killings. Not only does the reveal create many plotholes but his disconnect from Sidney makes for a lackluster unmasking.
Sidney Didn't Know Roman In Scream
Sidney looks bewildered when Roman reveals himself as Ghostface. She's not sure why the director of Stab 3 would be after her because she doesn't know him at all. Though his backstory establishes a connection between the two, they are still strangers, even if they're biologically siblings. The most impressive Ghostface reveals are when it feels like the ultimate betrayal. This was the case in the first Scream when Sidney found out her boyfriend was the one trying to kill her. It was also true in Scream 2. While Sidney didn't know Billy's mother, her motive made sense, and Sidney did know her accomplice, Mickey, from school.
Sidney doesn't even get to know Roman throughout Scream 3, making his reveal the worst of the franchise. In Scream 6, Sam doesn't necessarily know Detective Bailey, but she and her sister Tara do know the other Ghostfaces, Quinn Bailey and Ethan Landry. They also formed a bond with the detective throughout the film because they thought he was on their side. Even though they didn't know him for long, his reveal was still satisfying and betraying. By contrast, Scream 3's Roman just felt random and disconnected from Sidney.
Roman Needed A Better Back Story In Scream 3
Had Roman had a different motive, it may have saved his reveal from being so disappointing. His being related to Sidney and being the mastermind behind the other killings created too many plotholes and didn't make sense. The film also revealed too much information about his past at the last minute. A better storyline would have been that Roman was using Sidney as inspiration for one of his Stab films or something along these lines. It also would have helped if Sidney and Roman had developed a stronger bond throughout Scream 3. Had they formed a strong friendship, his reveal would have been a true slap in the face.
