The bestScreammovies prove why it is one of the most popular and influential horror franchise of all time . Whereas most horror franchises are charge of duplicate the same pattern with little to no innovation with each sequel , Wes Craven and Kevin Williamson made sureScream’sself - referential stylus was as critical and spectacular as its unforgiving body numeration . That legacy has now keep on thanks to the 2022 arrival ofScream(akaScream 5 ) , direct byReady or Notduo Matt Bettinelli - Olpin and Tyler Gillett as well as its follow - upScream VI .

TheScreamfranchise walk a fine line between horror and comedy , localise A - listing talent in B - movie territory . And , even though the popping culture computer address may have a substantially abbreviated shelf life , their datedness is part of the collection . They fit with the musical genre ’s oftentimes transitory aesthetic . And , unlike the revulsion plastic film this it equally mock and tips its chapeau to , theScreamfranchise is as self - aware as horror franchises go . The sixth entryway keeps Ghostface alive , as well as engage the series into new territory including being the firstScreammovie without Sidney Prescott . That factors into the fresh sequel ’s placement in the ranking of the bestScreammovies ranked .

Scream 3 (2000)

On theme , Scream 3is a strong bookend to the original trilogy , standing as the lastScreammovie for over a 10 . deal the whole series is a meta - comment on horror , pop culture , and filmmaking , the film has a " finish where we get going " frame-up , without physically finishing where the dealership started . It fittingly double down on the fact that Hollywood ’s self - awareness has always beenScream’sthematic Southern Cross , physically moving the action to Hollywood itself , expanding on and reanimate the events of the first flick . However , rather of embrace the clever requisite of its location , it instead becomes a variety of narrative ouroboros , circulate back to the past , only to eat its own buns in the process .

WhereScream 3succeeds in the fully grown picture ( let on that Sidney ’s journey has been orchestrated all along - by a Hollywood director , no less ) , it fails in the detail ( said find ruin the simplicity of the original ) . The highs inScream 3are too far - reaching and the lows are too inexcusable to excuse . It ’s at last an workout in not pushing the envelope like its two predecessor , but buck it open ; removing itself from the grounded realness in which the franchise was establish and overwhelm in surplus .

Scream 3had potency , but shaky execution . From the pointless and unrealistic evolution of the franchise ’s iconic vox changer to the watered - down gore tocameos from Jay and Silent Bob , Scream 3is an inauspicious outlier in theScreamfranchise that could ’ve benefited from a few more rewrites - or , more importantly , bringing back original writer Kevin Williamson .

Ben Affleck as Christian drumming his hand on the table while talking to Cynthia Addai-Robinson’s Marybeth in The Accountant 2

Scream 4 (2011)

WhileScream 4might seem like an easy motion-picture show to criticize by design , it ’s hardly the wasted sequel that too many repulsion enfranchisement tend to give rise . 10 years have slide by since its predecessor , and though 2011 may not have been a peak second for theScreamfandom , Scream 4goes beyond hold its own , and is easy a worthy companion to the 1996 master copy .

Neve Campbell , Courteney Cox , and David Arquette restitution as the franchise ’s independent trio , Craven and Williamson ( as well asScream 3’sEhren Kruger , in part ) take on directing and screenwriting duty , severally , andWoodsboro is yet again the center of attention(though , in this film , Michigan replaces California in a detectable , but not distracting , geographic change ) . However , even apart from the film ’s solid grounding , Scream 4has the benefit of slick storytelling that equal at least two of the three motion-picture show that predate it .

Ten year afterScream 3 , Sidney returns to Woodsboro on the last halt of her autobiographic self - help book tour . And , in doing so , she unleashes the scourge of a new multiplication of murder . As Ghostface slices through unsuspicious topical anesthetic , Scream 4succeeds in three central manner : cleverly recognise the myriad of horror tropes that have test the waters over the preceding 10 , bringing Sidney ’s story full - circle , and comment on the times , contrasting the modern Generation Z with the original trilogy ’s Generation Y. In fact , the Ghostface killer(s ) unveil in the final act is an on - the - nozzle - and also knife - in - cheek - internal representation of the times , which is itself a thematic centerpiece of the franchise , done ever so fine ( and disturbingly ) here .

A collage image of Luke Skywalker in A New Hope

Scream VI (2023)

The new era of theScreamfranchise continues withScream 6which sees some big changes . Not only is the action moved to New York City , but this distinguish the firstScreamwithout Sidney Prescott appearing . fortuitously , the new cast including Jenna Ortega and Melissa Barrera continues to prove the serial publication is in good hands . The film check the baby and their friends attempt to move on from the result of the last flick by pop a raw living in New York City only for a new Ghostface to emerge .

The movie tries some new things with the franchise such as the cagy opening episode that plays on the established formula . However , it in the end does n’t feel quite as fresh as the previous entry . The meta - commentary on this being a franchise does n’t feel as sharp while theScream 6Ghostface killer revealwas find out as somewhat disappointing . However , the fresh setting and refund cast , along with some legacy characters , make this a fun ride as well as the bloodiest of theScreammovies .

Scream (2022)

WhileScream 4has since fall to be seen by many as a worthy entry into the franchise , it was far from a bad hit at the box office , and for a long clip , seemed like it would be the last hooray for Ghostface . That change with the 2022 release ofScream , a " requel " as the film actually calls itself in - population , touch to the combination of reboot and continuation . Many franchise followers wondered if aScreammovie could be successful without Wes Cravenat the helm , but thankfully , young theater director Matt Bettinelli - Olpin and Tyler Gillett were up to the task , leading to a fifth pic that comes very closely to being the best movie in the serial publication since the original Scream .

Scream2022 smartly rage back up the gallows humor and revulsion literary genre references in a way not seen since Craven ’s 1996 original , leading to another slasher flick with razor - sharp-worded brain . Legacy characters Sidney , Dewey , and Gale are all used well in their amazingly limited screen sentence , and when one of them meets their demise , it really does bruise to see them go . Meanwhile , most of the new cast acquits themselves well , especially Jack Quaid as Richie , swain of new last girl Sam , and Jasmin Savoy - Brown as Randy ’s repugnance - obsessed niece Mindy . While the Orcinus orca reveal and ending are n’t hard to see coming , and the key mystery is n’t as well - plotted as it was in the original , those who look back on Craven ’s classic lovingly will find peck to love here .

Scream 2 (1997)

Though continuation historically run to have a weak track record , Scream 2goes out of its mode to prove otherwise . In fact , it even let in a scene in which film bookman highlight the fact that"many sequels have surpassed their original . “And , even thoughScream 2doesn’t quite resist berm - to - shoulder with its predecessor , it follow dangerously close . Instead of pressure its path into existence , Scream 2feels necessary ; a true comrade piece to the original .

Williamson is extend his grasp with classical horror movie quotation ( Sarah Michelle Gellar ’s cat - and - mouse sequence scored byNosferatuis particularly hearty ) , Craven is given room to put his psychology degree to utilise with deep dives into Sidney ’s damaged brain , and Dewey and Gale ’s romance is as realized as it ’ll ever be . In short , though , Scream 2is just a circle of fun . Not taking itself quite as seriously as its predecessor , yet without doing a ill turn to the genre , the franchise incur its terms inScream 2 , and its clever evolutions of plot and lineament make the firstScreamthat much more satisfying with repeated wake - notwithstanding one fan - pet failing to make it out alive .

Scream (1996)

Screamisn’t the first meta - horror film , but it did set a precedent . WithScream , though , that awareness is n’t just a gizmo , but the focus . Its character are knee - deep in pop culture and are just as potential to take in a repugnance movie on a weeknight as the interview watching - even beingaware of the repulsion genre ’s " rules”- in other Word of God , where most other horror picture show characters can often be the human embodiments of cheap stereotypes , Scream’scharacters are existent and relatable allowingScreamto become far from the mediocre slasher .

On the open , Screamis a simple whodunit that borrows from ( and even mention ) films likeThe Town that Dreaded Sundown , Prom Night , andPsycho . But it also stands on its own . The moving-picture show ’s opening scene turn out that everyone is spendable , and the last twist juggles two major components : it proves that the afloat fade - and - die rule is just a red Clupea harangus for a full - realize emotional motive , and it also unfold the threshold to the complicated topic of how medium might influence the oecumenical public .

Do movies really have the power to rattle the skeletal system veil in wardrobe ? Is the youth of America too impressionable to handle on - screen violence ? Or is fierceness in cinemas just an gentle whipping boy to warrant tangible - life-time cruelty and sidestep responsibleness , as it seems to be with Billy Loomis and Stu Macher . These are the questionsScreamposits , and these questions are what elevate itfrom being some throwaway repulsion moving-picture show . On the surface , it might seemingly represent one more costumed killer to bring to the catalogue of other costumed killers , but it ’s the grey area - the ecumenical ambiguity surrounding these question - that makesScreamthe classic that it ’s deservedly become .

Sidious, Tyranus, Maul, and Vader.

Scream movies ranked

Neve Campbell in Scream 3

Ghostface in Scream 4

Ghostface on a subway train in Scream VI

The full cast of characters in the Scream 2022 poster

Omar Epps and Jade Pinkett Smith in Scream 2

Courteney Cox Jamie Kennedy and Neve Campbell in Scream

Movies

Scream