The Scream films follow Sidney Prescott and her war against a succession of murderers who adopt the guise of Ghostface to stalk and torment their victims. Sidney receives support from town deputy and later sheriff Dewey Riley, tabloid reporter and writer Gale Weathers, and film-geek Randy Meeks, along with various friends, romantic partners, and other acquaintances that change as the series progresses. From the fifth film onwards, the focus shifts to Samantha Carpenter, and her sister, Tara, who are targeted due to their connection to the original killers. Together with their friends and some of the original survivors (including Sidney, Gale, Dewey, and Kirby), they must contend with new Ghostface killers with motives that may sometimes be connected to the in-universe Stab movies.