One of the most iconic horror franchises in history is Scream. It's also important, as the Wes Craven film in 1996 managed to also revitalize the slasher genre. The success was so big that the impact is still being felt today, with several sequels being released over the past two decades and counting.
Things looked like they would end after a trilogy was completed. However, a fourth film came out several years later and then a television series was greenlit that featured three seasons of its own. With a fifth movie already out and a sixth on the way, it's as good a time as ever to see when Scream was at its best.
Updated on August 26th, 2022 by Kevin Pantoja: 2022's Scream continued the franchise's trend of releasing a new movie 11 years after the previous one though fans won't have to wait that long for the sixth installment, which is slated to arrive in 2023. The series is the most consistently strong in the horror genre, with every entry being well received by critics and most fans. Throw in the TV show and they all pretty much have an impressive rating on IMDb, which was once again the case with the latest film released. Hopefully, it remains that way come 2023.
Scream Season 3 (2019) - 5.4
Stream On Netflix
MTV's Scream television series was a hit for the first two seasons. It was well-received by critics and was watched by many, with the stories of the two seasons and the cast connecting. Things were different when it returned for season 3 in 2019 and the format itself also changed. Season 3 was dubbed "Ressurection" and featured only six episodes across three straight nights.
This tale centered on a football star being tormented by Ghostface and his own past. Though the cast was strong with young talented actors (RJ Cyler, Jessica Sula, Keke Palmer) and music stars (Mary J. Blige, Tyga), the story was said to lack in parts and the whole thing was seen as cheesy.
Scream 3 (2000) - 5.6
Stream On Paramount+ & Showtime
By the time 2000 rolled around, audiences were starting to get tired of the slasher genre, despite its return to form a few years earlier. Along with this series, there was also I Know What You Did Last Summer, Urban Legend, and some lackluster entries from established franchises. Still, Scream 3 was a pretty big hit.
In this entry, Sidney (Neve Campbell) came out of self-imposed isolation when a new string of Ghostface killings began on the set of a slasher movie, giving this the series' signature meta feeling. Although many of the beloved cast returned, the film was met with a more tepid response for relying on clichés too often. However, it does lean a bit further into absurd aspects, making it fun to watch over and over.
Scream 4 (2011) - 6.2
Stream On Paramount+ & Starz
Over a decade after the third film, Scream 4 arrived in 2011 and it took the franchise into the modern age. That was seen with discussions of social media and a villain who was looking to bank on internet fame. Sidney returned home as killings began again on the fifteenth anniversary of the original set of murders.
Along with Campbell, Courteney Cox, and David Arquette, this film boasted a talented cast of new actors. Emma Roberts, Hayden Panettiere, Alison Brie, and Rory Culkin were included, while cameos were made by everyone from Kristen Bell to Lucy Hale to Britt Robertson in a meta opening scene. It was praised for being an improvement and making good use of its cast.
Scream 2 (1997) - 6.3
Stream On Paramount+ & Showtime
As soon as the box office success of the first movie was clear, it seemed like Wes Craven and his team got to work on the sequel. They cranked it out quickly enough to hit theaters a year later in 1997. The residents of Woodsboro who survived the first time around were back when a copycat killer appeared in town.
Once again, this installment was seen as a film that managed to nail both the horror and comedic elements as it poked fun at the history of horror sequels failing to live up to what came before it. Scream 2 helped cement Sidney, Dewey, and Gale as icons in the genre as well.
Scream (2022) - 6.3
Stream On Paramount+
The Scream franchise manages to reinvent itself better than almost any other franchise and remain relevant to the era. The 2022 installment features modern technology, references to films from the 2010s, and boasts an impressive array of young stars like new scream queen Jenna Ortega, Jack Quaid, and Melissa Barrera.
As is always the case, Scream included a great whodunit mystery, some notable deaths, and a handful of shocking twists. It also was praised for how it brought back the original cast while introducing new characters who can help the future of the franchise. Reviews were strong and it succeeded at the box office.
Scream (1996) - 7.3
Stream On Paramount+ & Showtime
In most cases, horror movie franchises seem to peak right at the beginning. For many, it's hard to top Friday the 13th, Halloween, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Candyman, and almost countless other first installments of horror film series. The same could be said for 1996's Scream as it was both groundbreaking and still holds up all these years later.
The film has a legendary opening scene that helped put Drew Barrymore back into the spotlight and set the tone for a movie that would change the game. The ending that revealed Stu (Matthew Lillard) and Billy (Skeet Ulrich) being behind it all was great and Sidney Prescott became one of the most memorable final girls in history. It's another case of the best horror movie being the first.
Scream Season 1 (2015) - 7.6
Stream On Netflix
Taking this slasher movie franchise and attempting a television show sounded like a questionable idea. Thankfully, it mostly worked wonders starting with a season 1 that was well-received. The likes of Willa Fitzgerald, Bex Taylor-Klaus, Bella Thorne, and many others helped make sure of that.
Season 1 kept things relatively simple when it came to the premise. A Ghostface killer was on the loose in a fictional town and a teenage girl named Emma Duval (Fitzgerald) was at the center of it. She uncovered secrets of the town from the past as things unfolded in the present. The extended setup across an entire season allowed characters more time to develop and the kills weren't toned down much for the small screen.
Scream Season 2 (2016) - 7.9
Stream On Netflix
Unlike season 3, the sophomore run of Scream on television kept the same core cast and characters together. Some moved to guest roles like Sosie Bacon's Rachel Murray, while others became main characters like Tom Everett Scott's Kevin Duval. Regardless of who was placed where, season 2 was seen as an improvement on the first set of episodes.
It did well to deal with the fallout from season 1, as Emma had PTSD following the murder spree and other characters went through a lot, including things like blackmail. The season was praised for expanding on the characters, adding even more gore to the spectacle, and being the series at its cleverest.
