In the movie "Scream" what was one of the cardinal rules of scary movies?

In "Scream," one cardinal rule of scary movies is never to say, "I’ll be right back."

Randy Meeks explains the rule during the party at Stu Macher’s house, where he identifies familiar horror-movie patterns that supposedly determine who survives. His three original rules are never having sex, never drinking or doing drugs, and never saying, "I’ll be right back." The final rule is immediately treated as a warning when Stu repeats the phrase before leaving to get more beer.

The scene is central to Scream’s self-aware style. Rather than pretending horror conventions do not exist, the film has its characters discuss them openly while the plot follows—and sometimes mocks—the same conventions. Randy’s knowledge makes him seem prepared, but understanding the rules does not guarantee safety.

The phrase is also part of the movie’s larger satire of slasher films, where characters often separate from the group after making an apparently harmless announcement. Scream turns that familiar setup into both a joke and a suspense device. Later entries in the franchise update or expand the rules, but the original warning remains one of the series’ most recognizable lines.