Scream Movies Ranked
2. Scream (2022)
Walking into the movie theatre and purchasing a ticket to Scream (2022) was a scary prospect; it was the first of the franchise with no involvement from Wes Craven and had a dumb as hell title to (re)boot – henceforth it shall be referred to as Scream 5 (enough of this Rocky Balboa naming scheme bullcrap).
Thankfully, all involved managed to capture the spirit of the original franchise, all the while improving on it and making it its own thing. As a result, Scream 5 comes across as respectful of its past, its fans and most importantly its creator.
Not only is Scream 5 a hilarious and complicated commentary on modern horror, Hollywood’s incessant need to dig up old I.P. from the grave, and the slate of elevated horror currently beloved by A24 fans, but it is also simply pure escapism. Scream 5 – on top of the great performances, clever commentary and gruesome deaths – is a damn good time: a near two-hour adrenaline-filled joy ride of horror.
With all that in mind there is no denying Scream 5’s place at the top of the mountain of Scream sequels. And still… “there’s more!“
1. Scream (1996)
Although it may seem a little cliché to claim that the original is the best, especially in a Ranked list on a horror franchise, there is no denying that this is certainly the truth when it comes to Scream.
At close to a quarter of a century old, Scream still feels fresh and original, even in spite of the many films that have replicated its style in the years since, and the parodies released in its image.
With the introduction of one of horror’s most famous villains, Ghostface, and the film’s revitalistion of the horror genre, it would be easy for the hype to have outgrown the movie over the years, or for it to tie the film too tightly to its era. So, how well Scream holds up today is of testament to Wes Craven’s inventive direction and Kevin Williamson’s unique script. In Scream 1, both men offer excellent work individually, but what they construct together is the stuff of legend.
Even today, Scream still holds up, the entire franchise having an overall success rate that outranks most of the horror genre’s best franchises, Scream (1996) being the undisputed classic of the bunch.
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List updated to include Scream VI (2023) 22nd March 2023. Originally published 12th October 2020.
