Every Scream Movie Ranked (Including Scream 7)

Nearly three decades ago, when horror movies weren’t as popular with audiences or studios, a new slasher film arrived and quickly became a sensation. Released on December 20, 1996, Scream, directed by Wes Craven and written by Kevin Williamson, surprised viewers with its clever twists, its playful take on horror movie clichés, and a strong cast who made the masked killer feel genuinely frightening. The film’s success, however, led it to follow the same path as many other hit horror movies: it spawned a series of sequels.

For a long time, it seemed like the Scream movies would remain a classic trilogy, cherished by horror fans. However, Scream has become much more popular than anyone expected. There are now seven films in the series, surpassing the number of installments in other famous slasher franchises like Candyman and Psycho, and equaling the original Chucky series. With so many Scream movies available, it begs the question: how do they all compare?

7) Scream 6

While Scream 6 starts with some promising ideas – a new opening sequence with multiple Ghostface killers and a change of scenery to New York City – these quickly fizzle out. Unfortunately, the film fails on several key levels, making it one of the weakest entries in the franchise. It lacks both scares and humor, and doesn’t offer a fresh perspective on the slasher genre. The reveal of who’s behind the mask feels predictable, and ultimately, the movie is just unengaging.

6) Scream 7

Even before filming began, Scream 7 faced significant challenges due to behind-the-scenes issues and cast changes. Unfortunately, the movie didn’t help its own case, delivering a sequel that felt predictable and didn’t offer anything fresh for the Scream franchise. While the script and story are weak, Neve Campbell’s strong performance as the lead prevents it from being the absolute worst installment in the series.

The latest Scream movie doesn’t capture what makes the best films in the series so good. It avoids clever, self-aware commentary and doesn’t try to subvert typical horror movie clichés. Instead, it relies on those same clichés simply because the story needs them to happen. Ironically, Scream has become the very thing it used to satirize. And when a movie this far into a franchise claims everything has been building to this moment, it usually means the story isn’t going anywhere new.

5) Scream 3

Look, Scream 3 isn’t perfect – it definitely feels a little messy. The idea behind the plot was kind of a risky move, almost like they were making up the rules as they went along, which was actually fitting for the Scream universe at the time. But honestly, the big reveal felt a bit thin – it was mostly just a meta-joke about how bad movies sometimes do this, and we were doing it too. What did work, though, was the amazing cast. Neve Campbell, David Arquette, and Courteney Cox really carried the movie with their performances. They’re a huge reason the Scream series lasted as long as it did, because they always brought their A-game, even when the material was a little shaky. Some parts haven’t aged brilliantly, but other moments still hold up surprisingly well. They really did everything they could with what they had.

4) Scream (2022)

While Scream 4 cleverly predicted the trend of movie reboots and sequels revisiting old franchises, the fifth film, Scream (2022), showed that taking a break between installments allowed for a new discussion – specifically, how fans engage with these types of films. Scream (2022) delivers a strong final act that both honors and creatively builds upon the legacy sequel concept, and it features a standout monologue during the reveal of the killer, played by Jack Quaid.

As a big Scream fan, I have to say the 2022 film just doesn’t really stand out. Honestly, it suffers from trying too hard to honor the whole series, and ends up feeling cheesy. It’s ironic, because Scream always made fun of horror tropes with its clever, self-aware approach, but this one just falls into them. What really bothered me, though, was bringing Billy Loomis back – it felt like they opened a door to supernatural stuff that just doesn’t fit the world Scream created. It felt a bit like a Star Wars Force Ghost showed up in a slasher film, and it just didn’t work for me.

3) Scream 4

Long before the 2022 Scream film showed the franchise still had potential, Scream 4 successfully demonstrated that a legacy sequel could work. The series had been on hold for ten years, but the horror genre was experiencing a wave of remakes and reboots, creating an opportunity for a new type of commentary that hadn’t existed when the first three Scream movies were made.

Ultimately, Scream 4 is a surprisingly relevant film. It offers a commentary on the horror genre at the time it came out, and demonstrates that the core elements that made the original Scream successful still work today. In many ways, Scream 4 was ahead of its time and has held up better than other movies that have tried to copy its approach.

2) Scream 2

Considering how excellent the original Scream is, Scream 2 is surprisingly good. It’s a clever sequel that understands exactly what it needs to do to satirize the genre. While it relies on the first movie and its killer reveal isn’t as shocking or impactful – a predictable family connection – it’s still one of the best horror sequels ever made. It respects the original Scream and even manages to expand on its ideas in unexpected ways.

1) Scream (1996)

The original Scream was a game-changer. It didn’t just set the standard for all the sequels – which haven’t quite measured up – but it completely revitalized the horror genre. Before Scream, horror movies weren’t popular, but its clever, self-aware approach made the genre appealing again. It also redefined what horror films looked like, and many movies that followed borrowed heavily from its style, becoming the foundation of the genre for years to come.

As a horror fan, I have to say Scream hasn’t lost an ounce of its impact. It really holds up, and that’s thanks to a brilliantly written script, a cast that just clicks, and direction from Wes Craven that truly defined his career. Honestly, seeing it today feels just as fresh and scary as it did when it first came out. It’s kind of amazing – so many horror movies still rely on the same old clichés that Scream cleverly pointed out, and in the thirty years since, I haven’t seen a slasher film that comes close to its intelligence. Don’t settle for anything less – this is the gold standard.

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2026-02-27 20:19