Scream Movies Ranked – From Brutal Blunders to Slasher Perfection
It’s one of horror’s most beloved franchises, filled with blood, blades, and brilliant meta-commentary. Ever since Wes Craven and Kevin Williamson kicked off the Ghostface legacy in 1996, the Scream series has had fans gleefully guessing whodunnit. But let’s be honest — not all the entries have been killers. Some are sharp as a kitchen knife, others are more butter-spreader.
So, as Scream 7 looms in the shadows, we return to Woodsboro (and occasionally New York) to rank the series that asked us one of horror’s most iconic questions: Do you like scary movies?
6. Scream 4 (2011) – Stream, Skip, or Scream?
After eleven years in slasher hibernation, Ghostface dusted off the ol’ cloak and knife for this belated sequel nobody really asked for. Scream 4 tried to reboot the series with a “new decade, new rules” mantra, but forgot one important thing: likable characters. Sidney’s back in Woodsboro for a book tour, because apparently publishing trauma is a thing, and Ghostface is back to turn her signing into a bloodbath. Along for the ride are her fame-hungry cousin Jill (Emma Roberts), a Culkin brother doing his best Meeks impression, and Hayden Panettiere as Kirby, the one genuinely decent character — probably because she knows her horror references and has better hair than the rest.
This entry tries to comment on social media culture and viral fame, but it’s less insightful satire and more “grandad trying to use TikTok.” The kills are passable, the twists are laughable, and Jill’s motive — essentially wanting to be a famous Final Girl — makes you wish Ghostface had just stabbed the internet instead. Dewey and Gale are now a bickering married couple, Sidney’s still too traumatised to have hobbies, and the rest of the cast feels like cannon fodder with Instagram handles.
What makes Scream 4 extra tragic is that it ended up being Wes Craven’s final film. The man who resurrected horror with Scream and A Nightmare on Elm Street deserved to go out with a bang, not a shrug. Instead, Scream 4 feels like the franchise slipping on its own meta banana peel. RIP, Wes — you deserved a better swan song than this painfully average requel.
5. Scream 3 (2000) – Hollywood Slasher or Soap Opera?
By the time Scream 3 rolled around, the series had gone full Hollywood — literally. This time the bodies are dropping on the set of Stab 3, a movie within a movie based on the murders from the other movies. Confused? You should be. Sidney’s living off the grid with a dial-up modem and a dog, Gale’s wearing the worst fringe known to mankind, and Dewey is now a technical advisor-slash-bodyguard on a film set. It’s all very meta, but not particularly smart.
The plot wants to tie the trilogy together with a big twist: turns out Sidney has a secret half-brother pulling all the strings. It’s a stretch even by soap opera standards. Cotton Weary is unceremoniously killed in the opening, Jay and Silent Bob pop in for a truly deranged cameo, and somehow Jenny McCarthy — yes, the former Playboy model — is here chewing the scenery like she’s auditioning for Scary Movie instead. This is the film where Scream teeters dangerously close to self-parody.
Still, amidst all the chaos, there are a few decent kills, and Parker Posey is a chaotic delight as the Gale Weathers doppelgänger. But overall, Scream 3 feels like a slasher stuck in second gear — too silly to be scary, too serious to be fun. It’s not quite the worst of the franchise (looking at you, part four), but it definitely marked the moment when the mask started to slip.
4. Scream (2022) – Requel? Reboot? Recycled?
The fifth film in the franchise, confusingly titled Scream just like the original, kicked off the era of the dreaded “requel” — that’s a reboot-sequel hybrid for those lucky enough to have missed the memo. It picks up eleven years after Scream 4, and while the franchise has always been meta, this one practically screams it in your face. It’s got commentary on toxic fandom, horror rules 2.0, and yes, another trip back to Woodsboro where the population continues to dwindle thanks to everyone’s favourite phone-obsessed murderer in a Halloween costume.
We’re introduced to a new group of teens and, unfortunately, they’re not exactly the most lovable bunch. Tara (Jenna Ortega, doing her best to elevate things) gets the Drew Barrymore-style opening attack, while her sister Sam (Melissa Barrera) turns out to be the secret lovechild of original killer Billy Loomis. Yes — that Billy Loomis. High schooler turned ghost-dad hallucination. It’s as ridiculous as it sounds. Dewey’s now retired and living in a trailer, watching Gale on TV and nursing old wounds. Sydney’s living her best life far away from this madness until, of course, she’s dragged back in for a few obligatory legacy scenes.
The film’s obsession with fan service is both its strength and its weakness. The finale takes place at that house — Stu Macher’s from the original — and you can almost hear the movie whisper “Remember this?” every five minutes. There are fun kills, a few decent jump scares, and it’s great to see Dewey again (though… yeah). But the overreliance on lore and forced legacy connections make this feel like a tribute band covering Scream rather than a fresh instalment. It’s watchable, but you’ll spend half the film wondering how many more surprise children the original killers had hiding around Woodsboro.
3. Scream VI (2023) – Start Spreading the Stabs
Ghostface goes urban in the sixth instalment, ditching Woodsboro for the city that never sleeps – though you probably won’t either after that bodega scene. Scream VI relocates Sam and Tara Carpenter (plus the ever-annoying Meeks-Martin twins) to New York City, where they try to escape the blood-soaked baggage of part five. Naturally, Ghostface isn’t a fan of their fresh start and packs his bags for the Big Apple too — complete with a more brutal streak and, for the first time, a shotgun. Because apparently knives were getting a bit passé.
This entry switches up the game just enough to feel fresh. There are still some irritating characters, yes, but the set pieces are top-tier. The bodega scene is tense and chaotic, and the ladder crawl between two apartment buildings might be the most anxiety-inducing moment the franchise has offered in years. And let’s not forget the Halloween subway sequence — packed with costumed passengers (including way too many Ghostfaces), it’s a brilliant blend of suspense, paranoia, and blinking-at-the-wrong-time terror.
Best of all? The Ghostface museum. Yes, a full-on shrine to every killer that’s ever worn the mask, complete with props, weapons, and even Casey Becker’s original phone. If that place existed, we’d be booking tickets immediately. While Scream VI doesn’t quite crack the top two in the franchise, it’s a slick, blood-soaked ride that proves there’s still some life — and plenty of death — left in this series.
2. Scream 2 (1997) – The Sequel Rules
After Scream slashed through the box office in ’96, the sequel was rushed into production faster than you can say “Do you like scary movies?” Expectations were high, but to be fair, Craven and crew delivered a solid follow-up. This time, Sidney Prescott is at college, trying to live her best trauma-free life — but Ghostface, of course, majors in stalking and has followed her to campus. Because why let a final girl rest?
The film kicks off with a scene that delighted horror fans everywhere: Jada Pinkett Smith getting stabbed repeatedly in a packed movie theatre full of rowdy horror nerds in ghost masks. Glorious. From there, the film gives us more brutal kills, more film nerd banter (thanks, Randy), and more Gale/Dewey flirtation. There’s even a suspicious new boyfriend (because Sidney clearly hasn’t learned anything), and Randy once again lays down the horror sequel rules… moments before getting murdered in broad daylight. Rude.
Despite being fast-tracked, Scream 2 manages to pull off some seriously tense sequences — the cop car escape, Gale being chased through a soundproof studio, and a climax that’s dramatic, chaotic, and very theatrical (literally). Sure, the plot gets a little soap-opera-y, but it’s clever, bloody, and has just enough bite to stand proudly beside the original. If this were any other slasher franchise, Scream 2 would be the peak — but Ghostface still had one sharper outing left.
1. Scream (1996) – The One That Slashed Its Way Into History
As is often the case with horror franchises, the original stands tall above the rest — and Scream (1996) is no exception. Not only is it the best in the series, it’s arguably one of the greatest slasher films ever made. Period. By the early ‘90s, the slasher genre was face down in a pool of its own mediocrity — stale sequels, bargain bin killers, and horror icons who had become parody punchlines. But then Wes Craven came along and shoved a hunting knife straight into the chest of horror convention. Again.
Scream was fresh, smart, and deliciously self-aware. Kevin Williamson’s script crackled with razor-sharp wit, giving horror fans exactly what they didn’t know they needed. It was scary and funny — without ever being a spoof — and the opening scene alone is one of the most iconic in genre history. Drew Barrymore, front and centre on the poster, was dead before the title card hit. That was our first clue that this wasn’t your average teen slasher.
It gave us characters that actually acted like real people (well, mostly). Sidney Prescott was the anti-bimbo final girl, Randy Meeks laid out the rules of horror like gospel, and Billy Loomis and Stu gave us a killer twist… literally. And then there’s Ghostface — a look so iconic it became instantly cemented in pop culture. Everyone knows that mask. Everyone knows that voice. The impact of Scream can’t be overstated. It revived a dead genre, inspired countless knockoffs, and has held strong for nearly 30 years. If you love modern horror, you owe it all to Wes Craven, Kevin Williamson, and this bloody brilliant masterpiece. “Do you like scary movies?” You’re damn right we do.
