If there's one thing that defines a horror film, it's the characters' inability to have control over their own lives. In Scream, the masked serial killer stalking Woodsboro — and, more specifically, Sidney — threatens to take away her control over her own life. Yet Sidney proves early on that she's in command of her fate. When she finds evidence that Billy might be the killer, she turns him in. Later, when Billy finds his way back in her good graces, she decides that she's ready to have sex — and feels no shame in her decision. She is a heroine with agency, and one who feels like a real person. She has flaws, complex emotions, and the ability to make mistakes. What she never allows herself to become is a victim of her circumstances.