The great thing about movies is sometimes going backwards is the best way forwards. In the 1990’s the slasher genre was deader than disco and video game adaptations. There were quite a few adaptation movies in the 90’s, and even though they were all bad, they had the upper hand on slashers. Who cares about guys with knives when monsters and unfathomable horrors beyond our human comprehension exist? Kevin Williamson and Wes Craven did. They cared so much. In honor of Scream VI finally in theaters and the return of Ghostface, this is our official ranking of all five films in the classic meta-horror/comedy franchise.
There will be some spoilers ahead, so if you are not fully caught up, then I highly recommend binging through the series. If you are not caught up and don’t care, then that’s cool too. Either way, here are all five Scream movies ranked from worst to best.
All of the Scream Movies Ranked
#5: Scream 3 (2000)
Haunted houses are scary. Haunted tractor rides are silly, for the most part. Scream is a scary movie. Meanwhile, Scream 3 is a silly little haunted tractor ride. There were a few warning signs that should have been giant red flags as indicators for how this would go. The poster’s tagline “The most terrifying scream is always the last” should have been the first indication. A script without Kevin Williamson should have been the second red flag. Mr. Craven, I love you, but you needed Williamson for this franchise as much as he needed you. The final red flag is the first red flag again. They really thought this would be the finale.
If you take out the following movies and leave this as the finale, it still doesn’t work. There is nothing exciting or indicative this could be the end. Luckily this wasn’t the finale of the series, however this doesn’t change the fact that this movie is boring. No amount of killing could save this story. Although I maintain the same stance for the next few films, it is most prominent here: leave Sidney alone.
Eventually there’s a reason why Ghostface bothers Sidney again, and there is, I guess, a reason why things happen in this film, but it sucks.
David Arquette (Left), Neve Campbell (Center), and Patrick Dempsey (right) in Scream 3. | Image provided courtesy of Miramax Studios
I couldn’t tell you a single thing that happens in this movie. Actually, wait, I could tell you what happens because they all suck so much. A sentence that never sounds correct, but needs to be said, is “Jamie Kennedy made this series.” It’s hard to tell if this would have been better if they left the video tape in or completely took it out and had no Jamie Kennedy.
Don’t get me wrong, Randy Meeks is a quintessential element to the meta-horror/comedy parts of these films but get him out of here. Move on already.
The script felt like it was written by an A.I. script generator trying to tick off the “Scream Trope” boxes. Meta horror? Check. Neve Campbell being harassed for some reason? Check. Randy Meeks guiding the movie? Check. Beyond those, there isn’t a whole lot else that really feels like a real Scream movie. Courtney Cox and David Arquette are here, but they are not very good.
Parker Posey (right) and Courtney Cox (Left) in Scream 3. | Image provided courtesy of Miramax Studios.
There are celebrity guest appearances, but I would rather watch Parker Posey in Best in Show and Patrick Dempsey in Grey’s Anatomy.
The entire point of Ghostface is completely missed somehow. He’s a slasher/stalker killer. Why is he blowing things up? What are the explosions for Roman? Explosions kill people and you want to explain things to these people. It also makes no sense at all that Sidney’s long-lost brother would show up out of nowhere and try to kill her. This movie is lame and makes me mad.
#4: Scream 4 (2011)
After the boring frustration of Scream 3, it seemed like the films that followed would follow in its footsteps and be bad. However, Scream 4 was a fun time and it was a refreshing return to the good stuff. After more than a decade between this film and the previous, it felt right to see Williamson back and poking fun at the work he didn’t do. Fantastic moves so far. The new generation of young talent featured in the film help make everything feel updated and exciting.
Although this movie is not perfect it was still entertaining, and this cast is a big help. Rory Culkin, Hayden Panettiere, Emma Roberts, Adam Brody, Anthony Anderson, Allison Brie, Lucy Hale, Anna Paquin, and Kristen Bell all keep this youthful train going.
The elusive Ghostface Killer in Scream 4. | Image provided courtesy of Miramax Studios.
Although Scream 4 is a good time and good film, it is nowhere near without sin. Sidney Prescott is being harassed yet again for some reason. The movie should have ended at a certain point, but it kept going. The continuation scene was fine, but the movie definitely should have just ended right before Sidney and Jill fought in the hospital. The intentions were already made perfectly clear. I was on board with the idea and execution and satisfied with the new Ghostface. “The movie is over now- yay! Oh, it’s not? Okay… wait why is this still happening? Just let it end there,” I said to myself at the end of this movie.
The finale landed somewhere between good enough and “eh” but that does not change the fact that this was fun. It was nice to see a return to form for the iconic slasher franchise. Putting a decade between two films is always a risky move, especially when the previous film could have been a franchise killing detriment. Even if Scream 4 was the worst in the series, it would still be a decent movie.
#3: Scream 2 (1997)
OMG! Timothy Olyphant! Hi! A sequel that makes sense. Even if Hollywood managed to respect an original movie and not give it a sequel in the 90s, it would have been inevitable at some point in history. Thankfully I don’t have much to complain about. The film was released only a year after the original, so the initial spirit was still very present. Although this placement may be a little controversial (or not) I really didn’t think this movie was too bad.
Some silly sequel banter has underlying implications for the future of the film. Although I don’t really like the killer(s) and their motivations, I think it was creative what they did. The identity of the killer is way more twisty and uncertain in this movie. The performances are iffy at points, but still good enough. There is a good use of the returning characters. The opening murder in the theater is really good and tense and fun. An entire theater filled with Ghostface is a scary thought and this film made it real.
Elise Neal (far left), Neve Campbell (center left), Jerry O’Connell (center right), and Timothy Olyphant (far right) in Scream 2. | Image provided courtesy of Miramax Studios.
I understand the ending may have lost some people, and truth be told I should not have liked it as much as I do, but I thought it was pretty good. Although one killer had a better motivation to be Ghostface, I leaned more toward the Ghostface that was less appealing, to be honest. Maybe it dragged on a bit, but I had a good laugh amidst everything.
After finishing this movie, I knew I was head over heels for this entire franchise. While I wouldn’t necessarily call this the best sequel of all time, nor would I even call it the best Scream sequel, it’s a good follow up film. Wes Craven and Kevin Williamson had to have known they couldn’t repeat the magic of the first, and I think that’s what makes this good. Why dwindle on the past when there is a literal gimme of a premise ready for the making? Scream 2 is a good sequel, but in my opinion, the best Scream sequel would be:
#2: Scream (2022)
If Scream 4 proved anything, it’s that Scream can take decade long breaks, update its format and still be great. Scream (2022) is a fantastic amalgamation of the cliches and repeated elements from the past while also adapting to the modern meta sensibilities. By this point, if you are watching this movie then you know the flow and pattern of a Scream movie. While this film manages to continue those tropes, it manages to subvert and add some new twists to the story.
The beauty of this franchise is in its intelligence. I don’t mean to say that every movie is smart and convincing in its subversions, but more in it knowing its audience. To narrow that down even more, there is nothing left to prove with this series. So, with that, I just show up, turn my brain off, and hope the killer is someone I care about in the end.
David Arquette as Officer Dewey Riley in Scream (2022). | Image provided courtesy of Miramax Studios.
This movie did that. Meta jokes, horror movie trope dissections, updated character archetypes, and silly little references fill every second of this sequel. This movie just has a lot of good stuff going for it.
Instead of Ghostface being a scary stalker guy in the opening scene, he feels like a legitimately malicious individual. This movie is fun and that was all I needed as a fan of the franchise and as a general movie viewer. I definitely went into this as a fan of the franchise, but by the time I reached this movie I knew it best to turn my brain off and go for the ride. As a sequel, a movie, and as a love letter to the previous films and a catalyst for a new generation of slasher horror- it’s all here and great.
Jenna Ortega as Tara Carpenter in Scream (2022). | Image provided courtesy of Miramax Studios.
It’s hard to talk about the Scream movies without going into full details other than continually saying they are good and entertaining. What else can I say about this movie? Fun, scary, twisty, sensical, exciting, a welcome addition, and an overall good time; all of those things put Scream (2022) high in my eyes.
#1: Scream (1996)
You never forget your first. In a time when everyone thought teenagers were done changing different parts of the world and entertainment industry, Scream stepped up and said, “What if teenagers were kind of scary?” It is a movie that transcends the horror genre, in my opinion. Almost every second of this movie is either quotable as hell, scary as hell, or funny as hell. There is not a single wasted second with anything.
Matthew Lillard (Left) and Skeet Ulrich (Right) after revealing themselves as Ghostface in Scream. | Image provided courtesy of Miramax Studios.
Sidney Prescott is probably my favorite horror protagonist of all time. She struggles and prevails, but never feels like she is incapable. Randy Meeks’ character type is a resurrected dead horse that’s been beaten again, but when no one else was making character types like this, it rules. Stuart and Billy are some dastardly boys, but man, do they own every second they are on screen. Gale Weathers and Dewey Riley are the backbone of this entire franchise. Although at first I was not crazy about their involvements, it would be really hard to see these movies without them. Killing Casey in the middle of Drew Barrymania is one of the ballsiest moves a movie has ever made.
Speaking of killing Drew: the entire opening sequence is so iconic and incredibly well-crafted. Is there any other question in all of horror history than, “Do you like scary movies?” Whether you have an answer or not, that question will forever be synonymous with a grizzly scene that never stops unraveling until it’s over.
Drew Barrymore escaping the Ghostface Killer in Scream. | Image provided courtesy of Miramax Studios.
In addition to the opening sequence, the rest of this script is pretty damn good. Indicators of Ghostface are hidden in plain sight the whole time and to me, that rules. This film and the 2022 version may be the only ones with sensible reasons for why Ghostface is stalking the protagonists. Granted this is the first film and everything has to make sense, but the point still stands. It’s also very clear that Williamson wrote this from the perspective of a horror fan. Generally speaking, I find scripts written by fans to be bloated with fan service.
Scream manages to break that barrier between fan service, fiction, and film to weaponize what fans already know about the genre. It has a perfect balance of fun for the average movie enjoyer, enough spooks and murder for the horror fans, and enough genuine passion towards the genre for those who share it. Scream is a movie that I firmly believe everyone who enjoys movies should watch at least once.
Courtney Cox (left) Jamie Kennedy (center), and Neve Campbell (right) in Scream. | Image provided courtesy of Miramax Studios.
Now that Scream 6 is officially in theaters, I say you have two options. The first option is treating yourself to a rewatch, or first-time watch, of the entire Scream franchise. Option two is my favorite option, you can just rewatch the first film. You don’t even need to rewatch it to get excited for the sixth installment. It’s a great movie through and through.
That is the list! What are some of your thoughts on the Scream franchise? What do you think about each of the different Scream movies? Let me know, and be sure to check out Scream VI, in theaters now.
