Scream has been a franchise that has managed to scare audiences for over three decades. The original film flipped the slasher concept on its head and remains an important note in the world of horror. That’s mainly due to the clever satire that presented us with an unforgettable final girl and the iconic death of Casey Becker (Drew Barrymore). That opening had audiences instantly glued to the screen and kept them on their toes until the shocking revelation of Casey’s death.
Scream is usually a commentary on past films or even the franchise itself. Throughout the span of three decades, no other franchise has been a box office hit consistently. The big question is: Which one of the Scream films is the best? This list will count down all six films from worst to best overall.
Scream 3
Scream 3 had a killer opening. The death of Cotton Weary was an attention grabber, as was the decision to focus more on the life of Maureen Prescott. Unfortunately, Scream 3 succumbs to the tropes it mocked in the first two films. Plus, Scream 3 had several convoluted moments including Roman being the man that orchestrated Billy Loomis to kill his mother.
Still, Scream 3 is far from a bad movie. There’s fun to be had in trying to uncover the truth of Maureen Prescott‘s past. There are also some genuinely hilarious moments with wacky, but fun characters. Sidney’s personal journey for closure was also a well-developed arc that effectively closed out her story. The kills aren’t too bad as well with Tom Prinze’s death being the funniest out of the bunch.
Scream 2
Again, not a bad film, but a rather forgettable one. Other than Randy’s death, not much else stands out about Scream 2. The scene with Sidney trying to get out of the car with Ghostface inside was amazing; it was a clever exercise in tension and dread. The reveal of it being Billy’s mother and a crazed film student wasn’t bad either. However, they were rather disappointing compared to some of its other killers. Scream 2 still has some sharp wit to it and a good majority of the characters remain fun. The kills (outside of Randy) just aren’t memorable, though several scenes do remind audiences why the first film was such a hit from the beginning.
Scream 5
More violent and dark, Scream 5 was a new and positive direction for the series. The decision to base the victims off the generation of past characters was brilliant, though some characters get a better chance to shine than others. The stand out however was Dewey; his character arc of being a broken man taking his one last stand gave him some incredible depth that he had been missing since Scream 3. Dewey’s death was indeed shocking, but the character went out on a high note.
Following Billy Loomis’s daughter was an inspired choice, though it would’ve been great to get more depth out of her and the core cast. The main downside was Sidney and Gale. The two characters felt shoehorned into the film. In fact, if you took them out, then the story wouldn’t have changed one bit. They’re definitely legacy characters, but this was one film where they were completely unnecessary.
Scream VI
Credit: Scream 6
A nice continuation of the series following the new cast. Sam’s arc about possibly carrying on her father’s legacy is genuinely compelling. Her story separates from Sidney Prescott and it allows the filmmakers to go in different directions. Unfortunately, it doesn’t really explore this angle and it becomes more of a retread of Scream 2.
Still, the New York location is a breath of fresh air. The Bodega, Train, and Ladder sequence stand out as memorable, and the kills are brutal and violent (which is a good thing). The main drawback is that the film cowers on killing anyone from the main cast. Sam, Tara, Chad, and Mindy come into their own as characters here, but Scream is starting to enter the danger zone of having their characters become invincible like Sidney Prescott.
Kirby’s return is fine, but she isn’t given much to work with. Gale’s scene at her apartment is great, but reverting her character back to the smarmy reporter she played early in the film was a mistake. A really good entry nevertheless.
Scream 4
New decade. New rules. This meant that the writers had a lot of material to satire following the franchise’s long absence. The new cast is great, including Kirby and Deputy Hicks. The story of the new generation being obsessed with fame is a relevant theme that invites modern audiences and welcomes back the original fans. Sidney was never truly needed for the sequel, but she did have a purpose by the end of the film. Jill’s insane rampage of hurting herself was epic and the kills were pretty sweet.
Scream
No other entry has been able to touch the original film. Despite being over 20 years old, the Wes Craven film remains timeless because of its spot-on commentary about the respective genre and the strong development of Sidney Prescott. However, the film cleverly pulls you in different directions until the final reveal of Billy and Stu, who made excellent supporting characters in their own right. Scream managed to ring out tension and horror, and yet still infuse genuine laughs that never ruin the film.
Of course, that iconic opening scene with Casey Becker. It remains one of the best openings in a horror film because it’s a masterclass in tension, drama, and dread. Barrymore is perfectly cast here. Roger L. Jackson (voice of Ghostface) also deserves some recognition. Ghostface is an icon because of his superb voice acting. You can feel the range of emotions throughout Ghostface’s voice, and this series wouldn’t be great without Roger’s contribution.
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