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Horror icon Wes Craven's subversive deconstruction of the genre is sly, witty, and surprisingly effective as a slasher film itself, even if it's a little too cheeky for some.

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Scream (1996)

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Scream (1996).

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Someone has taken their love of scary movies one step too far. Solving this mystery is going to be murder.

A year after the murder of her mother, a teenage girl is terrorized by a masked killer who targets her and her friends by using scary movies as part of a deadly game.

Kevin Williamson

Top Billed Cast

David Arquette

Dewey Riley

Neve Campbell

Sidney Prescott

Courteney Cox

Gale Weathers

Skeet Ulrich

Billy Loomis

Matthew Lillard

Roger L. Jackson

Ghostface (voice)

Rose McGowan

Tatum Riley

Jamie Kennedy

Randy Meeks

W. Earl Brown

Kenny Brown

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Discussions 10

A review by The Movie Mob

Written by the movie mob on september 3, 2022.

Scream was the first of its kind that redefined horror with new rules, a meta plot, and rebellious unexpected twists.

Scream followed all the rules and simultaneously broke them in a brilliant self-aware genre reinvention that leveraged every horror movie trope to set up and subvert every expectation. Scream is a love ballad to horror movie fans that intimately knows and zealously honors the legacy of terror-filled films that came before while creating something new, innovative, bold, and surprising. Scream’s dark humor and admiration of overused horror plot points resulted in one of the... read the rest.

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Status Released

Original Language English

Budget $14,000,000.00

Revenue $173,046,663.00

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Scream [1996]

Where to watch.

Images & Screenshots

Here's a quick look at the absolute best of '90s horror - from the meta-malice of Scream to the groundbreaking ghoulishness of The Blair Witch Project to actual Oscar-winning works like The Silence of the Lambs and Misery.

Scream Review

02 May 1997

111 minutes

Now this might all sound a tad familiar: a teenage girl home alone; a telephone call that moves from sexy banter to psychotically violent threat; a Steadicam that never seems to stop peering edgily around corners; and a disembowelled boyfriend oozing offal onto the patio.

For a generation who grew up with Michael Myers and who would list Camp Crystal Lake as a favoured holiday spot there would seem to be no surprises in the crimson tidal-wave of torn nubile flesh that an opening sequence like that promises. But what distinguishes Scream from the rest of the slew of teen-slashers that still haunt the lower reaches of Blockbuster's shelving is that it's bloody. Bloody funny, that is.

The plot is pure horror hokum. A quiet town with a Mainstreet, USA feel is battered by a series of brutal murders, mostly of teenagers, which seem to be linked to some unsolved murderous malarkey a decade or more ago. The local adolescent population respond by having a party and are knocked off one by one.

But what director Craven, creator of possibly the most distinguished kiddie mangler of shock-flick history, Freddy Krueger, does with the twitching corpse of the genre is to turn it into a kind of chaotic post-modern pyjama party, with the imperilled teens constantly remarking on the similarities of what's going on to every slasher ever made - "it's like we're in one of those Wes Carpenter movies" one remarks - and even outlining the rules of such movies while slavishly following them.

In one inspired sequence a gaggle of partygoers watches a video of Halloween while one of them delivers a survival speech: "You can never, ever, have sex," he says. "Sex equals death." (Upstairs a couple of latter-day bobbysoxers are performing the opening steps of the dance of first love) "And no one should ever say, 'I'll be right back'." (Someone goes out to get more beer uttering said phrase.)

In less talented hands this could have been a lumpen disaster. The slasher movie has attracted the attention of humorists before. April Fools Day, Saturday The 14th and one with Kenny Everett in it that no one can remember are among the failed spoofs of what would appear to be an eminently piss-takeable genre.

Craven succeeds not only because of an intimate knowledge of the type of movie he created - along with the other two Cs: Carpenter and Cunningham - but because of a capacity to leap with balletic deftness from exuberant in-jokery (Ulrich as monikered Billy Loomis and watch for who plays the school principal) to ball- retracting moments of terror which are all the more unnerving for the guffaws that have preceded them.

Assisted by a young and pretty cast - Ulrich and Barrymore are standouts while Hackers' Matthew Lillard puts in a fine turn as the grinning Stu - and a pacy, intelligent script by newcomer Kevin Williamson which only flounders a little when he tries the same gag just once too often, Craven has delivered a ferocious workout that'll leave you breathless. And, a word to the wise; stay seated until the ride has come to a complete standstill...

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Common Sense Says
Parents Say 72 Reviews
Kids Say 397 Reviews

Common Sense Media Review

Teen slasher parody has strong violence and language.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 16+?

Teens are terrorized over the phone and verbally and physically threatened. Char

Frequent profanity, including "f--k" many times. Also "motherf--king," "f--ker,"

Underage drinking at a teen party, and characters drive dangerously under the in

Teen characters speak frankly about sex, nudity, virginity, promiscuity, and aff

References to other horror movies. Jiffy Pop popcorn prominently shown in crucia

Any Positive Content?

Movies don't make killers, "they just make them more creative." Things aren't al

Most of the teen characters act hedonistically and display little regard for oth

Playing on clichés of the genre, cast members are conventionally attractive, Whi

Violence & Scariness

Teens are terrorized over the phone and verbally and physically threatened. Characters are knocked unconscious and murdered, with dead bodies and bloody injuries shown. Savage multiple stabbings, throats slit, close-range shootings, lots of hand-to-hand fights with the killer, including strangling and hitting with objects. One character has their neck broken by a rising garage door, one is electrocuted by a toppled TV set, another falls from a roof but is unharmed. A mother's death is mentioned, as are references to rape, torture, murder, suicide, and capital punishment. Characters are found disemboweled, tied to a chair, hanging from a tree. Talk of eyes gouged out, fingers cut off, teeth knocked out. Character hooked up to medical drips in ambulance. Non-fatal car accident. Kitchen fire. Jump scares.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Frequent profanity, including "f--k" many times. Also "motherf--king," "f--ker," "s--t," "bulls--t," "s--thead," "a--hole," "pr--k," "d--k," "t-ts," "bitch," "pissed," "ass," "bastard," "whore," "goddamn," "Jesus," "cretin," "dips--t," and "slut bag."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Underage drinking at a teen party, and characters drive dangerously under the influence. Another character is referred to as drunk enough to be framed for a killing. Cigarette smoking by an adult character.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Teen characters speak frankly about sex, nudity, virginity, promiscuity, and affairs. Kissing, touching over clothes. A character removes her bra, though breasts aren't shown. Sex is implied but not acted out on-screen, with characters dressing after the event. Phone-sex joke.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

References to other horror movies. Jiffy Pop popcorn prominently shown in crucial scene. Corn Chex box, Dunkin' Donuts packaging also seen.

Positive Messages

Movies don't make killers, "they just make them more creative." Things aren't always as they seem, so be careful about who you trust.

Positive Role Models

Most of the teen characters act hedonistically and display little regard for others' lives and feelings. But Sidney is more empathetic and respectful and also shows great intelligence and bravery, though she does engage in underage drinking and sex, as well as violent acts -- albeit often in self-defense.

Diverse Representations

Playing on clichés of the genre, cast members are conventionally attractive, White, and live in suburban neighborhoods. Sexism is portrayed -- and actively called out by characters. A character is referred to as being overweight and told to move their "fat, tub-of-lard ass," which models fat-phobic treatment of others. However, main character is female and portrayed as strong, intelligent, capable, yet also kind and empathetic.

Did we miss something on diversity? Suggest an update.

Parents need to know that Scream is a 1996 teen slasher movie that parodies the horror genre. It's self-aware, with constant references to other films -- When a Stranger Calls , Friday the 13th , Halloween , and The Silence of the Lambs , to name a few -- and the rules and stereotypes they're built upon. The movie's lack of diversity reflects this, with all the characters being White, conventionally attractive, and suburban. Frequent violence includes multiple stabbings, shootings, and characters shown disemboweled. Bloody injuries are seen, and there are references to rape, torture, and suicide. Sex is implied, though only kissing and over-the-clothes touching are shown on-screen. Frequent strong language includes "f--k," "s--t," and sexist terms such as "slut" and "whore." Underage drinking and driving under the influence are shown, and an adult character smokes cigarettes. Teens generally behave in a blasé, hedonistic way, though main character Sidney is smart, empathetic, and courageous. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

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Parent and Kid Reviews

Parents say (72)
Kids say (397)

Based on 72 parent reviews

Self aware, entertaining horror/comedy flick has gruesome images and violence

I would say it’s pg-13, what's the story.

In SCREAM, the small town of Woodsboro, California, is shaken by the gory killings of two teens almost a year to the day after a woman was similarly murdered. When the victim's daughter, Sidney Prescott ( Neve Campbell ), starts getting threatening phone calls from the "Ghostface Killer" who wants to use horror movie rules to play a deadly game, horrific memories are stirred, and she's forced to face her past and the killer head-on. With the town in chaos, its teen inhabitants celebrate the media circus -- led by fame-hungry reporter Gale Weather ( Courtney Cox ) -- by throwing movie viewing parties and dressing as the murderer, making it easy for them to be picked off one by one. Can Sidney identify the killer and figure out their motive before she falls victim to the same tragic fate as her mother? She'll need to keep her wits, and her horror movie knowledge, at hand.

Is It Any Good?

The film made a huge impact upon its release in 1996, cleverly playing on the horror genre rules in a way that felt smart and fresh. Directed by horror icon Wes Craven ( A Nightmare on Elm Street ) and written by Kevin Williamson (who went on to create the likes of The Faculty and Dawson's Creek ), Scream brought a sharper level of intelligence, production values, and acting talent to the teen slashers that exploded in ticket sales almost 20 years earlier. The result was a hit that appealed to aficionados with its in-jokes and array of movie references and to audiences just looking for a fun teen slasher with a few good scares and a modern twist. Here, the media-savvy characters are hungry for real-life drama yet desensitized to its outcome -- a theme that runs throughout the Scream franchise.

It's a testament to the original that Scream has continued to make itself relevant to new audiences, with four more films released over the following 25 years, continuing to attract big names like Drew Barrymore , Luke Wilson , Sarah Michelle Gellar , Kristen Bell , David Schwimmer , and Laurie Metcalf . But don't be lulled by the star power and satire: The violence here is brutal, intense, and gory. Though the thrilling pace, high school drama, and steady jolts will likely keep young audiences watching, this movie is best for older teens and adults.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about why Scream remains so popular. What's the appeal of horror movies?

The movie seems to both parody and celebrate the "teen slasher" movie genre. How does it use humor to poke fun at horror movie clichés, and how does the violence make it a part of the very genre it parodies?

How are teens portrayed here? Is this a realistic depiction? Why, or why not?

Movie Details

In theaters : December 20, 1996
On DVD or streaming : December 8, 1998
Cast : David Arquette , Jamie Kennedy , Neve Campbell
Director : Wes Craven
Inclusion Information : Female actors
Studio : Dimension
Genre : Horror
Run time : 111 minutes
MPAA rating : R
MPAA explanation : violence, profanity, sex, mature themes
Last updated : July 28, 2024

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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The Sixth Sense

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Film Analysis: Scream (1996)

Disclaimer: This is not a review and it does CONTAIN SPOILERS!

It’s over 20 years old, but Scream truly stands the test of time and is one of the best slasher films to ever grace the silver screen. This film single handedly turned me onto the horror genre; it resonates heavily with my generation and has had a huge impact on our perception of horror .

Director: Wes Craven

Writer: kevin williamson, dop: mark irwin, scream (1996), why is scream important.

After a string of shitty '80s stalk and slash films, Scream revamped the dying genre by pastiching the horror subgenre and redefining its trite formulaic structure. It is a masterfully crafted piece of metafiction that calls attention to the clichés/tropes of your typical slasher film and then subverts them. Despite being humorous and hyperbolically self-referential, Scream manages to remain entirely suspenseful from beginning to end.

Hats off to Kevin Williamson for writing this script, this is how to make a debut. The humor is very tongue-in-cheek, gushing with both direct and indirect horror and pop culture references, from Ricki Lake to Freddy Krueger, and is clearly tailored for the MTV generation. Scream even acts as a social criticism of its teenage audience. "You make me so sick. Your entire havoc-inducing, thieving, whoring generation disgusts me," is an actual line by an adult in the film. Williamson's portrayal of American teenagers stands the test of time being completely relevant to teens today. For example:

The melodrama : Sidney and Billy's relationship.
The immaturity and insensitivity : Stu joking about the first murder victim, students running around the halls sporting Ghostface's mask, girls in the bathroom calling Sidney's dead mother a slut, a group of teens leaving the party to go see a dead body.
The inability to understand the consequences of their actions : Stu worrying about his parents being upset rather than worrying about spending his life in jail.

The script also acts as a social criticism of the media and reflects the media-saturated culture from which it sprang. When the murders take place, news vans and reporters swarm the school trying to collect insight from people who may or may not have shared a class with the victims. They treat violence as a spectacle, a juicy story to be consumed over morning coffee rather than its actual savagery. Gail Weathers represents an industry that exploits and capitalizes on victims. The film's ending hits the nail in the coffin and closes with Gale, bloody and battered, ready to report her "exclusive eyewitness account of this amazing breaking story". News vans and reporters once again swarm the scene of the crime to be the first crew to get the scoop. All that’s really missing from the movie is Gail yelling at her cameraman, “Murder sells, Kenny!” because thanks to OJ, highly profiled murder cases are all the rage.

The direction

Wes Craven usually never disappoints (though, let's not forget Cursed or Vampire in Brooklyn for which, we forgive you). He has an eye for capturing the horror in everyday life, which is why Scream is so visceral. It is set in an American suburb, a setting that we can relate to, it's familiar — this could be your town, these could be your friends, and this could be you. He's conditioned us to fear everyday occurrences like the ring of a telephone or to be home alone in the dead of the night. Scream obviously gets most of its buzz from the opening scene. Craven pretty much sets the tone for the entire film in this 13-minute sequence. The scene starts off as a classic case of the wrong number, but when the phone rings for a second time, the audience starts to feel uneasy. Upon answering the second call, Craven hits the audience with a Dutch angle of Drew Barrymore. It's very subtle, but it sparks some serious sinister vibes as the camera slowly moves into a tight shot of just Barrymore's face and the double doors with large windows over her shoulder. When Drew exits the frame, the camera lingers on the doors, emphasizing the darkness outside and how anyone could be out there lurking about the shadows. Well done, Wes, well done.

Slasher tropes Scream keeps

The theme of retribution tends to be backdrop for slasher flicks. The killer is often seeking retribution for a perceived wrongdoing; the wrongdoing could’ve been to the killer themselves or someone related to them. For example, in Friday the 13th (1980) Mrs. Voorhees sought retribution for her son who died under the watch of irresponsible camp counselors. She then spends the duration of the movie killing off camp counselors at Crystal Lake. Scream keeps this prevalent theme with momma’s boy Billy Loomis. He is punishing Sidney for the sins of her mother, Mrs. Prescott. Mrs. Prescott is the cause of his own mother, Mrs. Loomis, abandoning him.

Character archetypes , while not in every horror film, are a distinctly recognizable trope within the genre.

1. Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) - the virgin/final girl . She is the sole survivor that confronts the Ghostface at the movie's end.

2. Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich) - the athlete (doesn’t necessarily have to be an actual athlete). Kevin Williamson’s script described Billy as “a young strapping boy of seventeen. A star quarterback/class president type of guy. He sports a smile that could last for days.”

3. Tatum (Rose McGowan) - the whore , serving as a foil to Sidney - mimicking the whore and the Madonna. Tatum sports blonde hair and erect nipples throughout the film and is presented as a sexual being.

4. Stu (Matthew Lillard) - the fool , always making jokes; even in his final moments, he continues to serve as comedic relief.

5. Randy (Jamie Kennedy) - the scholar ; he is the lovable nerd of the group. Randy is an avid film watcher and the gene savvy character who knows all the rules as to how to successfully survive a horror film.

Slasher tropes Scream subverts

Characters are more than just their archetypes. You aren’t rooting for the killer to maim this group of vapid teenagers. The characters develop personalities and we actually empathize with them. For example, final girl Laurie Strode from Halloween (1978) is your seemingly perfect teenager. She doesn't indulge in the sinful activities of her peers, eats all her fruits and veggies and is an average girl with a normal life. We don't really get to know her on a personal level. We see her, but we don't really feel for her. Scream's final girl Sydney Prescott is layered. Not only trying to evade the killer, she is also dealing with her personal relationships (with her boyfriend Billy) and coping with the murder of her mother. She is more than just a final girl to us. We connect with her, we feel for her when she cries alone in a bathroom stall and we root for her when the killer strikes.

The red herring is not actually a red herring. Everything in the film tells you that Billy is the killer, yet as the audience we tell ourselves, “Nah, it’s not him. The movie just wants us to think that.” Then when he dies, we are satisfied with ourselves for not being tricked by the film. The joke's on us when it's revealed his death was faked and he actually is Ghostface. Randy even claims the red herring to be Sidney’s father, trying to convince the audience that Billy is in fact the killer. We consider this plausible, but we don’t accept it as entirely true because there isn’t quite enough evidence to nail Billy.

We have two killers. Michael Myers, Jason Voorhees, Freddy Kruger, Leatherface, etc. all are one man shows. Scream throws a curveball by revealing not only Billy as the killer, but Stu as well.

Breaking the rules. The final girl loses her virginity in the movie, subverting the rule that one must not have sex in order to survive a horror movie. Also, Stu uses the famous line, “I’ll be right back.” Randy replies, “See, you push the laws and you end up dead. Okay, I'll see you in the kitchen with a knife.” We do see Stu again but not until later when he is revealed to be one of the killers, in the kitchen with a knife.

Not quite dead. This is a trope where the killer, who was mortally wounded, comes back to life. As Billy lay dying on the floor, Randy says, “Careful. This is the moment when the supposedly dead killer comes back to life, for one last scare.” Billy starts to rise and Sidney shoots him point blank in the head. She then says, “Not in my movie.” So Billy is actually very much so dead (as is Stu) because in the end, they are just teenagers. In contrast to monsters like Freddy and Michael who have a supernatural mysticism to them, Williamson creates an entirely different type of monster with Billy and Stu, one that is familiar and all too human.

Refusal of narrative closure. Stalk and slash movies never truly have narrative closure. They end one of three ways: the monster triumphs, like in Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer ; the monster is defeated but only temporarily, like in Halloween (1978); or the outcome is uncertain, like in Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974), we end with Leatherface spazzing out in the middle of the road as the final girl gets away or in Nightmare On Elm Street (1984) where the final frames are of Freddy snatching Nancy's mother through a window. We know these guys are still alive and active. We know they are going to strike again, so a sequel is inevitable when the narrative is left open ended. With Scream , we have a concrete ending. Both Billy and Stu die, so essentially there is no killer left to terrorize and all is well once again in the sleepy town of Woodsboro. Obviously the later installments were due to the first's financial success, but we do not have the same killer in each installment like we do with other slasher movies. There is a new killer with a new motive in each film and there is always narrative closure in each installment.

I could talk about this movie all day. There's much more to be said and I've only just scratched the surface. I didn't talk about Scream's use of violin crescendos to mock the overly dramatic scores of its predecessors, the Ghostface mask as a postmodern rendering of the Expressionist composition "The Scream" by Edvard Munch, the use of technology, and its growing role in society, etc. This movie is both very much in your face, winking at you after each reference (“Jamie, look behind you!”), and shrewdly subtle (like using the last names Loomis and Mackenzie), that some of the references might go right over your head. I watch this movie every Halloween and Scream continues to be the smartest kid in the room.

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Neve campbell and courteney cox in ‘scream’: film review.

Ghostface returns to terrorize a new group of Woodsboro teenagers in this resurrection of the beloved ‘90s meta-slasher franchise, which also brings back David Arquette.

By David Rooney

David Rooney

Chief Film Critic

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Neve Campbell (“Sidney Prescott”) stars in "Scream."

The Scream franchise hatched by writer Kevin Williamson and director Wes Craven in 1996 injected new life into the slasher film by observing the rules of the genre while simultaneously subverting them. Its meta mischief and high body count spawned a voracious new generation of horror nerds and raked in $608 million in global box office. Revisiting the property 11 years after Scream 4 , the new installment — made with Williamson’s blessing and dedicated to the late Craven — goes back to the original for inspiration but seriously over-indulges in self-referential cleverness, to the point of undermining the actual scare factor.

It’s hard not to groan when imperiled Californian teens sit around contemplating who might be responsible for the bloody slaughter once again unleashed on suburban Woodsboro, along with who might be next to feel the knife, and one of them pipes up with the realization of the killer: “Oh my God, he’s making a requel!” You might be more inclined to respond positively to a legacy character telling the latest sinister voice at the end of a phone line, “You really need some new material.”

Full credits

Distributor: Paramount Production companies: Paramount Pictures, Spyglass Entertainment, Project X Entertainment, Radio Silence Cast: Melissa Barrera, Kyle Gallner, Mason Gooding, Mikey Madison, Dylan Minnette, Jenna Ortega, Jack Quaid, Marley Shelton, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Sonia Ammar, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Neve Campbell Directors: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett Screenwriters: James Vanderbilt, Guy Busick, based on characters created by Kevin Williamson Producers: William Sherak, James Vanderbilt, Paul Neinstein Executive producers: Kevin Williamson, Chad Villella, Gary Barber, Peter Oillataguerre, Ron Lynch, Cathy Konrad, Marianne Maddalena Director of photography: Brett Jutkiewicz Production designer: Chad Keith Costume designer: Emily Gunshor Music: Brian Tyler Editor: Michel Aller Casting: Rich Delia

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The 2022 version of “Scream” is a film for viewers raised on the 1996 version of “Scream” and its three sequels. Whereas the first script by Kevin Williamson turned the kind of conversations that fans had about John Carpenter and Wes Craven in school cafeterias and coffee houses into something daring and riveting, the new script by James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick exists in a world where those conversations happen on a much larger scale in Discord chats, Reddit threads, and fan conventions. It's a horror film for a world in which everyone has an opinion on horror films. Luckily, it smartly balances references to the original movies in a way that (mostly) avoids the self-aware smugness that has killed many a “re-quel,” delivering a product that feels consistent with the first four movies but distinct enough to have its own voice. Some of Craven’s craftsmanship and skill with performers is lacking here, but by the time the film is rising to the rafters in its bonkers final act, I don't think any of the true horror fans in the audience will care.

Of course, “Scream” opens with a phone call—and, yes, it’s still a landline. Once again, a young woman home alone is forced to play movie trivia with a psychopath, but the manner in which this “Scream” will update the original is apparent early as Tara Carpenter ( Jenna Ortega ) says her favorite horror flick isn’t a slasher classic but an “elevated horror” film like “ The Babadook .” How we define the horror genre has changed significantly in the last 25 years, as has the relationship between filmmakers, viewers, and even "true story" subject matter that creators mine for escapist entertainment. The characters in the new “Scream” don’t just all have the same genre movie knowledge of the original’s Randy Meeks, they would destroy him in a trivia contest.

Tara is attacked by someone wearing the Ghostface outfit from the in-universe “Stab” franchise, based on the Woodsboro murders committed by Stu Macher and Billy Loomis, but she survives, bringing her estranged sister Sam ( Melissa Barrera ) back from Modesto to their hometown. Much like Sidney Prescott ( Neve Campbell ) from the original, Sam has some dark family drama that forced her to leave her sister behind, but it feels like this new killer attacked Tara to get the big sis to come home. She brings her new beau Richie ( Jack Quaid of "The Boys") along for the ride, even though he’s never seen a “Stab” movie. By the way, they’ve made eight “Stab” movies and the last one was particularly loathed by the fan base for reportedly betraying what worked about the franchise in the first place. Of course, Rian Johnson directed.

Before Tara can even get out of the hospital, Ghostface is on a rampage, leading Sam and Richie to the man who they think can help them figure out who’s behind the mask this time: Deputy Dewey (a very effective David Arquette , given more dramatic beats than usual. I hope it leads to more work like it.) He calls Sid and texts Gale ( Courteney Cox ), and the world-famous trio is back in town before you know it, but directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett wisely don’t let them take over the narrative. They’re flavoring, a nod to the past instead of the whole meal like in some other re-quels. Think of them like the legacy characters in the Star Wars sequels—essential but not driving the story.

No, the focus here is again on a group of young people who have seen enough “Stab” movies to know that the killer is probably one of their own. It doesn’t help that almost everyone in town has a connection to the original characters—ask the Strodes how well that usually goes in horror movies—such as Wes Hicks ( Dylan Minnette ), the son of Judy Hicks ( Marley Shelton ) from “Scream 4,” or Mindy Meeks-Martin ( Jasmin Savoy Brown ) and Chad Meeks-Martin ( Mason Gooding ), related to poor Randy. And then there’s Amber ( Mikey Madison ), the one who seems most protective of Tara and distrusting of Sam. As for Samantha, she has such a close relationship to one of the original characters that she hallucinates conversations with him (that have some dodgy CGI that make them less effective than they probably were on paper). One of these young people is probably a killer. Given the track record of this series, probably more than one.

What really matters to the success of this “Scream” is the manner in which Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett build to their truly effective set pieces. One in a darkly lit hospital has the violent energy of John Carpenter and the extended party sequence/climax—it always ends at a party—is wonderfully constructed, shot with fluid camerawork by Brett Jutkiewicz and tightly edited by Michael Aller. Brian Tyler ’s score elevates the brutal violence in death sequences that don’t feel as casual or tongue-in-cheek as a lot of nostalgic horror tends to feel. So many movies like “Scream” wink at their audience and forget to be remotely scary. The new “Scream” tries to be an actual horror movie instead of just a meta reference to the genre.

While this may not be a fair game to play, it’s impossible not to consider how the film would have differed if Craven had lived to make it himself. I do think that he would have drawn a few better performances from the young cast, who are all good enough but nowhere near as distinctly memorable as the original crew, sometimes leaning into melodramatic emotions in a way that Craven would have dialed down. On the other hand, the original trio are excellent, conveying the trauma of having to go through this nonsense again in a way that feels genuine. And what really matters is how much Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett have learned from the Craven originals in terms of craft. Whereas Craven used visual references to masters like Hitchcock and Carpenter, the new filmmakers have Wes himself to use as a role model, and they undeniably get to the core of a lot of what he did best in both craft and genre deconstruction. After all, there’s a reason the film’s dedication reads “For Wes” and a scene near the end even uses the phrase “passing the torch.” I’m not sure about the latter but I’m confident that Wes would be impressed enough to consider it.

Brian Tallerico

Brian Tallerico is the Managing Editor of RogerEbert.com, and also covers television, film, Blu-ray, and video games. He is also a writer for Vulture, The Playlist, The New York Times, and GQ, and the President of the Chicago Film Critics Association.

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Scream (2022)

Rated R for strong bloody violence, language throughout and some sexual references.

114 minutes

Melissa Barrera as Sam Carpenter

David Arquette as Dewey Riley

Jenna Ortega as Tara Carpenter

Jack Quaid as Richie Kirsch

Courteney Cox as Gale Weathers

Neve Campbell as Sidney Prescott

Mikey Madison as Amber Freeman

Jasmin Savoy Brown as Mindy Meeks-Martin

Dylan Minnette as Wes Hicks

Skeet Ulrich as Billy Loomis

Kyle Gallner as Vince Schneider

Roger L. Jackson as Ghostface (voice)

Reggie Conquest as Deputy Farney

Chester Tam as Deputy Vinson

Matt Bettinelli-Olpin
Tyler Gillett

Writer (characters created by)

Kevin Williamson
James Vanderbilt

Cinematographer

Brett Jutkiewicz
Michel Aller
Brian Tyler

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Scream First Reviews: A Bloody, Funny Thrill Ride That Honors Wes Craven's Legacy

Critics say this affectionately crafted "requel" is a triumphant return to the meta franchise that offers gory pleasures, fun new additions to the cast, and genuine twists that will keep fans guessing..

TAGGED AS: Film , films , Horror , movie , movies , slashers , thriller

Another film franchise is back, and like many others of late, it’s as meta as can be. That’s the tradition for the Scream series , however, and the latest installment, plainly titled Scream , apparently doesn’t hold back. The first reviews of the fifth movie celebrate the slasher sequel — or “requel” — as one of the best of the brand, a tribute to the creation of the late Wes Craven that also mocks itself and fans of all stripes.

Here’s what critics are saying about Scream :

How does it compare to the rest of the franchise?

The best sequel in the series. – Joey Magidson, Awards Radar

The new movie is right up there with Scream 2 as the best sequel of the series. – Ian Sandwell, Digital Spy

Not just a very good sequel but also a film that feels like a worthy and indelible chapter in the ongoing Scream saga. – William Bibbiani, The Wrap

A terrific return to form. – Jon Negroni, Cinemaholics

It does feel like this sequel [is] missing that sort of ‘emphatic’ statement that we’ve come to ex-pect from the Scream films (its thesis feels a little safe in comparison to Scream 4 ). – Heather Wixson, Daily Dead

Does it honor Wes Craven’s legacy?

Scream would make the late Wes Craven incredibly proud. – Cass Clarke, CBR

What directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett have managed to create with this newest entry in the Scream franchise not only thrilled me as a fan, but I think it would have made Wes Craven extremely proud as well. – Heather Wixson, Daily Dead

It feels like he would approve of this return to the fictional American town of Woodsboro, which injects some originality back into this most meta of horror franchises. – James Mottram, South China Morning Post

Evident respect for Craven that shines through here, with this feeling like a sequel that he himself would have helmed. – Peter Gray, The AU Review

The movie is a love letter to both Craven and the events of the previous sequels. – Corey Chichizola, CinemaBlend

Producer William Sherak, director Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, executive producer Kevin Williamson, co-director Tyler Gillett, and executive producer Chad Villella on the set of Scream (2022)

(Photo by Brownie Harris/©Paramount Pictures)

Are the new filmmakers a good fit?

Directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett previously blew me away with Ready or Not , and they bring all of that creativity her. – Joey Magidson, Awards Radar

They’re best known for the 2019 film Ready or Not , one of those self-aware films with Scream in every pore of its DNA, making the pair a good fit… Scream is basically a film by a group of Scream fans. – Germain Lussier, io9.com

Although the new Scream comes from new screenwriters and new filmmakers, it still fits impressively into the longstanding tradition. Their Scream is a very, very, very fine Scream . – William Bibbiani, The Wrap

This is certainly the most stylishly directed of all the sequels. – Anton Bitel, Little White Lies

Will it please fans?

The new Scream doesn’t leave its fans behind, but it makes sure to speak to a newer audience, one that has grown up with horror films like The Babadook and Hereditary . – Mae Abdulbaki, Screen Rant

It’s a strange symphony of both calling extreme fandoms out, at the same time as including elements to please them. – Kat Hughes, THN

It’s unafraid to piss off fans if it’s for the good of the story. – William Bibbiani, The Wrap

Re-contextualize[s] what a slasher can do and say in 2022, specifically when it comes to how certain segments of fandom in movies and games and everything else can learn the wrong lessons about the very stories that shape their obsessions. – Jon Negroni, Cinemaholics

The new movie simply becomes a live-action retelling of the online discourse you can find on Twitter… amplifying the most toxic fans, where the original was celebrating the sophistication of horror lovers. – Fred Topel, United Press International

(Photo by ©Paramount Pictures)

Will you need to see all the other sequels first?

Scream doesn’t go as far to retcon the events of the previous entries, but you don’t need to be well versed in Scream lore to tag along for the rid. – Nate Adams, AwardsWatch

Though it does cater to fans with certain mentions and call-backs, it’s intelligent enough not to exclude the unversed either. – Peter Gray, The AU Review

I saw at least the first 2 movies… but my memory of details is dim. I still enjoyed it. And I think I got most of the in-jokes. – David Poland, Hot Button

You do not have to know the 1996 original or any of its sequels to enjoy Scream . It’s a standalone blast. But if you grew up on these movies, this film is like a bloody message of love for you. – Hope Madden, MaddWolf

This film can stand on its own, but due to the volume of callbacks, Easter eggs and reveals, it works best if you watch all four films before viewing — or at least Scream and Scream 4 . – Cass Clarke, CBR

How are the kills?

The death scenes in Scream are shockingly brutal too, so if you’re into slicing and dicing, that news should undoubtedly thrill you. – Heather Wixson, Daily Dead

The death sequences are certainly interesting. The biggest change-up is that this time around the deaths are gorier; audiences are treated to much more maiming, violence, and gore than before. – Kat Hughes, THN

It also features some of the gruesomest and most original killings of the franchise. – Nate Adams, AwardsWatch

This new Scream is by far the most violent, gruesome, and gory film in the series . – William Bibbiani, The Wrap

The new movie is a brutal watch with tense set pieces coupled with shocking and violent kills. – Ian Sandwell, Digital Spy

Perhaps the most brutal of them all, the ferocity adhered to in which this 2022 Ghostface launches at his prey lends the film an air of violent unpredictability. – Peter Gray, The AU Review

But is it scary?

Bettiinelli-Olpin and Gillet clearly understand the need to deliver tension, gore and straight-up scares alongside the clever references. On this aspect, Scream delivers – big time. – James Mottram, South China Morning Post

It’s scary without resorting to cheap scares or gimmicks. – Peter Gray, The AU Review

The filmmakers have worked in tandem to make Ghostface a terrifying presence. – Nate Adams, AwardsWatch

The scares are rather underwhelming, but they’re luckily overshadowed by the film’s better qualities. – Mae Abdulbaki, Screen Rant

And is it funny?

It’s also extremely funny. – William Bibbiani, The Wrap

It’s funny without talking down to audiences or the genre. – Peter Gray, The AU Review

There are jokes that work on all kinds of different levels. – David Poland, Hot Button

Guy Busick and James Vanderbilt forgot that the Scream movies were horror-comedies… The new Scream makes few attempts at comic relief. – Fred Topel, United Press International

Are there twists?

There are legit surprises. And intentional abuses of your movie loving expectations. – David Poland, Hot Button

It plays with your expectations in a way that keeps you guessing from start to finish. – Germain Lussier, io9.com

There are certain plot points that I never saw coming. It’s in this way that Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett effectively put their stamp on the beloved franchise. – Corey Chichizola, CinemaBlend

How is the script overall?

Writers James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick crafted expert-level dialogue for the whole of the cast. – Amelia Emberwing, IGN Movies

The script from James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick is super clever and entertaining, and I enjoyed how it dabbled just enough in the world of nostalgia without ever feeling like it was trapped by it either. – Heather Wixson, Daily Dead

Aside from the lack of humor, the script is also very clumsy with exposition. – Fred Topel, United Press International

How is the returning cast?

It’s David Arquette who leaves a bigger mark… This movie allows Arquette to truly develop Dewey beyond what we’ve seen before. – Ian Sandwell, Digital Spy

Arquette is perhaps the best part of this film… as quirky as ever, but there’s an added poignancy to the role now that makes him a standout. – Don Kaye, Den of Geek

Busick and Vanderbilt’s script gives Arquette plenty of character to chew on (he’s lost the most), which helps create a full circle moment during the climactic third act showdown. – Nate Adams, AwardsWatch

What about the new players?

The new cast are suitably fresh and exciting, the film a potential springboard for several of them to go on to bigger things. – Kat Hughes, THN

The good news is that the core cast absolutely rises to the challenge of inheriting this beloved world and all its quirks and indulgences. – Jon Negroni, Cinemaholics

Among the film’s young ensemble cast, Mikey Madison stands out as ranting paranoiac Amber, as does Jasmin Savoy Brown as Mindy Meeks-Martin. – Katie Rife, AV Club

There are some outstanding performances from supporting cast members, like Yellowjackets star Jasmin Savoy Brown. – Corey Chichizola, CinemaBlend

Jasmin Savoy Brown as Mindy Meeks-Martin… [is] arguably one of the series’ most beloved characters, an immediate stand-out. – Peter Gray, The AU Review

Is the film reminiscent of anything else?

David Gordon Green’s Halloween appears to be the template but, if you turn your head and look at it from the right angle, so does the latest Star Wars trilogy. – William Bibbiani, The Wrap

Like Spider-Man: No Way Home and the current trilogy of Halloween films from the David Gordon Green group, the new Scream is very much aware of its roots and the history of the genre. And I would say that the success level is right in between those two films. – David Poland, Hot Button

Spider-Man: No Way Home for horror fans, this iteration of Scream rewards loyal fans without alienating those new to the property. – Kat Hughes, THN

Scream would make an excellent double feature with The Matrix Resurrections , another legacy sequel that playfully anguishes over its own existence.. – Vinnie Mancuso, Collider

Unlike another recent decade-late meta-sequel, The Matrix Resurrections , Scream seems overjoyed to be playing in an established IP sandbox. – Katie Rife, AV Club

How well is its meta commentary executed?

Unlike the valiant and surprising Scream 4 , which took a similar approach, the new Scream has a more rigorously battle-tested formula to lampoon, giving its meta humor a lot more weight. – William Bibbiani, The Wrap

Scream goes harder into the meta commentary than its predecessors, but in a way that works every single time. – Amelia Emberwing, IGN Movies

The social commentary on revived franchises and sequels seemed a little too on the nose. – Nate Adams, AwardsWatch

Its ironic self-consciousness about how tired its material has become does not ultimately make it any less tired. – Anton Bitel, Little White Lies

This movie exists because of the culture that keeps reviving dormant franchises, and yet it is conflicted about its commentary on that very phenomenon. – Fred Topel, United Press International

Neve Campbell and Courteney Cox in Scream (2022)

Does the film have any major problems?

Not all of Scream works and there’s creative liberties and questionable choices taken that’ll be divisive. – Nate Adams, AwardsWatch

With so many new characters vying for screen time against the legacy players, many of them are under-developed. – Kat Hughes, THN

If you’re not willing to cut these movies just a teensy bit of slack by now, why are you even still here? – William Bibbiani, The Wrap

Does it leave us wanting more Scream ?

Were audiences to want it, there is enough meat left on the bones at the end of Scream to pave a through line for a continuation, though ending events here feels like the right thing to do. – Kat Hughes, THN

If this is the end of the franchise, it’s going out on a high note. If it’s new life, it’s a bold sign of what might be to com. – Joey Magidson, Awards Radar

Perhaps the most successful — and certainly the most impressive — aspect of this new entry is that it leaves you excited for a future that may not even require Sidney Prescott’s involvement. – Amelia Emberwing, IGN Movies

I’d certainly be happy to get another one of these Scream movies every decade or so. – Jon Negroni, Cinemaholics

Scream sets up plenty of exciting directions for where the franchise could go next, should it continue its witty and blood-soaked legacy. With Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett at the helm, Woodsboro’s teens are in good hands. – Cass Clarke, CBR

Scream is in theaters on January 14, 2022.

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Movies Explained
How to Watch a Film

Welcome to our Colossus Movie Guide for Scream . This guide contains our detailed library of content covering key aspects of the movie’s plot, ending, meaning, and more. We encourage your comments to help us create the best possible guide. Thank you!

What is Scream about?

Randy stands in front of the television, which is playing the movie Halloween, as he explains the rules of horror movies

Scream is a movie about the rigid rules that define horror movies. This meta experience serves as a natural parallel to life, where we are constantly guided and coerced by the rules of society. We are expected to act a certain way, to be a certain kind of person, to fulfill certain destinies. In the universe of Scream , the Ghostface killer has trapped Sidney in the rulebook of a horror movie, and is desperate for her to satisfy all the tropes in order to ensure her death. But Sidney’s fight back against this structure is a fight for her identity, a fight for her life. Her journey is reflective of the universal struggle to define your own path in life, to choose who you become. She’s attempting to take control of the very horror narrative we’re watching, making Scream a very meta experience.

Within that meta narrative, the media, which acts as a stand-in for the viewer, plays an impactful role. As a reporter, Gale craves spectacular drama—even if it comes in the form of death and misery—because it makes for better television. Her observations of the teenagers in Woodsboro become reflective of the audience’s participation in the film. We watch from afar, expecting (and perhaps sometimes rooting for) murder as part of the entertaining moviegoing experience. But caught in the narrative are real people with real problems. Even Billy, the true killer, suffers from parental baggage. He, like the grieving Sidney, needs help. Yet that fact is obfuscated by our expectations of the horror narrative, of our desire for characters to properly fill their roles.

Movie Guide table of contents

Neve Campbell – Sidney Prescott
David Arquette – Dewey Riley
Courteney Cox – Gale Weathers
Skeet Ulrich – Billy Loomis
Matthew Lillard – Stu Macher
Rose McGowan – Tatum Riley
Jamie Kennedy – Randy Meeks
Henry Winkler – Principal Arthur Himbry
W. Earl Brown – Kenny Jones
Joseph Whipp – Burke
Liev Schreiber – Cotton Weary
Drew Barrymore – Casey Becker
Kevin Williamson – Writer
Wes Craven – Director

The ending of Scream explained

Gale, Randy, and Sidney, covered in blood, look down at Billy's body

Billy and Stu’s plan explained

Before we delve into the deeper meaning of the film’s ending, let’s review why any of this happened in the first place. Just when we think Sidney’s boyfriend Billy Loomis is dead, he gives a devilish smile and says, “We all go a little mad sometimes.” He then shoots Randy and reveals that he and Stu have been Ghostface the entire time. Ironically, that quote is a reference to the movie Psycho , in which the killer, Norman Bates, has an alternate personality that assumes the form of his late mother. Norman’s mother was a controlling, manipulative woman who never allowed Norman to become his own person—and that stranglehold continued in her death. In his own sinister way, Billy is paying homage to that sort of traumatized character, as the entire reason he’s targeted Sidney is because Sidney’s mother, Maureen Prescott, had an affair with Billy’s father and drove his mother away.

As we learn, Maureen slept with many men throughout town, including Billy’s father. When Billy’s mother found this out, she left town. And since, Billy’s familial life has been a mess, which clearly took a toll on him psychologically. So to enact revenge, Billy enlists the help of Stu to murder Maureen. In the process, they frame Cotton Weary, who was sleeping with Maureen. And because Sidney saw Cotton on the night of her mother’s death, she testified in court that he killed her mother.

This freed Billy to enact phase two of his plan. This plan was much more elaborate and involved trapping Sidney in a “horror movie” where a killer is loose. That meant going on a killing spree around town, taking the lives of random people like Casey and Steve to friends like Tatum. And after dragging Sidney through hell, Billy planned to kill Sidney and frame Sidney’s father as the culprit. This allowed he and Stu to become the sole survivors, who would then appear in the sequel.

It’s an interesting plot that highlight’s Billy’s pain. Just like Sidney, he is suffering from parental baggage and desperately needs help. You can sense how traumatized he truly is as he and Stu stab each other, going the extra mile to fall in line iwth Norman Bates and fulfill their pained murderer archetype

A quick side note: it’s never revealed why Stu chose to partner with Billy. Perhaps he was just Billy’s friend and understood his pain. But, honestly, Stu seems like a lunatic who just enjoyed the idea of staging a “scary movie.” He relished in chaos, from schoolyard pranks to full-on murder.

The deeper meaning of Sidney’s escape

As we’ve noted, Billy and Stu designed a horror movie set-up to torture Sidney with. They constantly discuss the rules of slasher films and how Sidney fits the mold of a horror movie character who dies. It’s why Billy mentions The Exorcist at the beginning, as that movie was “edited for TV” which means “all the good stuff was cut out.” It’s all in a quest to make Sidney sleep with him, as that will fulfill the prophecy and ensure her death. Their plan cannot work until Sidney fully becomes the typical horror movie character whose fate is out of their hands, whose fate is entirely up to the creator of the story—in this case, Billy and Stu.

Sidney’s journey is to defy those rigid boundaries, to become her own woman. Much like Billy’s parental baggage, Sidney feels lost in the wake of her mother’s death. She wants to believe her mother was one person—a strong, moralistic presence—but is starting to realize Maureen had her own secrets. You can almost sense that this is why Sidney won’t sleep with Billy, as she wants to remain chaste in memory of her honorable mother. But just before she decides to sleep with Billy, she says, “I can’t keep lying to myself about who my mom was. I think I’m really scared that I’ll turn out just like her.” Here, she markedly takes a turn and decides to become her own person, to stop adhering to the memory of someone she didn’t fully understand.

Here, Billy, adds a twist. He responds to Sidney’s above quote by saying, “It’s like Jodie Foster in Silence of the Lambs , when she keeps having flashbacks of her death father.” “But this is life,” responds Sidney. “This isn’t a movie.” “Sure it is, Sid,” says Billy. “It’s all one great big movie. Only you can’t pick your genre.” Here, he is desperate to assert a greater omniscient force, an entity that controls our paths and who we become. Billy is the symbolic representation of a holistic presence in life, of this pressure to be a certain kind of person that follows arbitrarily designed rules. Just when Sidney is attempting to redefine her narrative, Billy attempts to take control. And by sleeping with her, he believes he has sealed her fate.

But Sidney continues to fight back, to regain control of her narrative, to find a new way to honor her mother. Sidney gains a fierceness in this final act of the movie that reveals how traumatized and comatose she was before. Despite fulfilling the prophecy, she’s hellbent on escaping the horror movie, on transcending what’s expected of her character.

That’s why it’s so triumphant when Sidney dons the mask, when she uses the voice modulator to toy with Billy and Stu—she’s quite literally taking control of the horror movie narrative. She is now on the other side of the camera. She’s the one dictating what does and doesn’t happen. So in the end, when Billy tries to come back for one last scare, she shoots him in the head and says, “Not in my movie.” It’s an inspirational, cathartic moment where she finally regains control of her life. In this moment, you feel she’s ready to move on, to take the next step in her grieving recovery.

The themes and meaning of Scream

Gale reports the news from the high school in Woodsboro

Meta-horror and discovering your identity

It’s no surprise for me to reveal that Scream is a meta-horror movie. Wes Craven constantly call attention to it through dialogue and references to various horror movies and their tropes. But it’s important to recognize why Craven (as well as screenwriter Kevin Williamson) make the rules of horror movies such a centerpiece of the movie. Because, in the end, the movie’s meta nature becomes a critique of how to construct your own path, to discover your own identity, to live your own life to the fullest.

The movie introduces the meta themes with Casey’s murder in the beginning. As she and the killer discuss horror movies, the man on the other end of the telephone makes it very clear that she is in the middle of one. This then continues when Billy, who was the man on the other end of that phone call with Casey, sneaks into Sidney’s bedroom. And he says something very key that perfectly sets up Sidney’s journey:

I was home watching television. The Exorcist was on. Got me thinking of you. It was edited for TV—all the good stuff was cut out, and it got me thinking of us. How two years ago we started off hot and heavy. Nice solid R-rating on our way to an NC-17. And how things have changed lately we’re just sort of edited for television.

As we’ll later learn, Billy (along with Stu) is the man behind the Ghostface mask. He’s been orchestrating all the mayhem that’s surrounded Sidney on the anniversary of her mother’s death. Billy has a vendetta against Sidney’s mother, Maureen, because she broke up his parents’ marriage. And part of his revenge is to get Sidney to sleep with him so he can then kill her. Because, as Randy later reveals, “sex equals death” in horror movies. When Sidney fulfills this prophecy, this horror movie trope will then be satisfied.

This back-and-forth between Sidney and Billy represents something much bigger: the battle between a character defined by tropes and the horror movie that aims to satisfy them. But we can stretch that idea even more, to something much bigger and more universal: the battle between human beings and the pressure to live a certain kind of life.

Billy represents the rules of horror movies. He is hellbent on murdering, on spreading hell and despair. And to do so in the horror movie setting, he needs certain rules to be followed. If you have sex? You die. He is desperate for Sidney to “become” her mother, a woman who supposedly slept with many men in the town of Woodsboro. But Sidney has, as Billy puts it, an “underwear rule.” This represents Sidney’s pushback against the horror movie rulebook. She spends the entire movie denying the killer that’s attempting to fit her into a horror movie mold and define her identity.

You can extend this meta narrative to real life. We all grow up living the same lives with the same pressures: go to school, get a degree, get a normal job, start a family, etc. Guidelines and rules are constantly vocalized to push us into a certain type of life, to act a certain kind of way. But part of building your own identity means fearlessly pursuing new paths, being true to yourself and what feels right. If every single person chose the same path—which is usually the case for characters in horror movies—then you would lose your sense of identity. So by placing inside a horror movie within a horror movie, Craven challenges the notion of identity and how you construct one. Sidney becomes a champion for choosing your own path, for not allowing rules and culture to decide your fate.

The influence of media

Pretty much every theme in Scream is an extension, a sub-theme , of the grand meta horror theme in place. And that’s the case for the film’s fascination with the media and how we observe tragedy. Sidney’s mother was savagely murdered, and she was forced to grieve while the entire country was watching. Every news station covered the murder trial, where Sidney testified that she saw Cotton Weary the night of her mother’s murder, and Gale wrote a book that questioned the validity Sidney’s testimony.

This neatly fits into the meta nature of the film, as everybody wants to craft an identity for Sidney based on what they know about horror movies. It’s easy to label someone as a ravenous killer, or as an impassioned liar, or as a lunatic hellbent on revenge. But those extremes cloud our judgment and prevent us from seeing the actual situation: that Sidney was hurt, that she needed to grieve without the spectacle of murder hanging over her household.

The influence media has to sensationalize then becomes part of the movie—once again, very meta. Gale is insatiable in her appetite for murder and scandal, and the movie fulfills her wishes. The story is simply better if it’s not just life, but a horror movie . If people are tortured and gutted and psychologically ruined, then the story is way more interesting, more sensational, more movie-like. Just like characters in horror movies are exploited for our pleasure, Gale and her cameraman attempt to do the same with Sidney. It just represents another battle Sidney must face in building her own path.

Parental baggage

Both Billy and Sidney are traumatized by their parents—Billy by the leaving of his mother, and Sidney by the death of her mother. Like Norman Bates in Psycho , whom Billy quotes at one point, he is driven to madness by his mother and seeks revenge to find catharsis. Sidney is grieving the loss of her mother, and is similarly affected by her absence in an adverse way. She misses her mother, but also questions how much she truly understood her mother. Billy is dragged down into the depths by his parental baggage, while Sidney is fighting to escape it. Billy allowed the events to shape him, while Sidney is trying to form her own identity.

Why is the movie called Scream ?

Principal Himbry puts on the Ghostface mask in the mirror of his office

Truthfully, the title is quite obvious—and, arguably, rather lame in its plainness—but that’s part of the point. There’s a beautiful straightforwardness in Scream ‘s title that serves as simple yet evocative poetry, as the film serves as an evaluation of the rules that have been arbitrarily designed for horror movies. As we discussed in the themes section, the point of the film’s meta nature is to highlight’s Sidney’s journey, as she strives to break free from her inevitable death in Billy and Stu’s makeshift horror flick.

In this light, you can view the title of the movie as ironic, as meta-commentary on the horror genre, which constantly capitalizes on screams and overwhelming fear. It’s a cheeky title in that way, almost satiric. And the beautiful part of satire is how it’s able to use comedy to further bolster very serious situations. In Fight Club , part of the satire is everybody in Project Mayhem mindlessly follows Tyler Durden’s orders, even when The Narrator points out how mindless and robotic they are. Their blind faith is funny…but scary as you think about how that sort of thing happens in society all the time. People idolize others and then lose their sense of humanity.

In Scream , the satire is inherent: because Sidney follows all the rules that would typically result in her death, we expect Sidney to die. Perhaps we even crave her to die, since she’s not a real person. But Scream is desperate to make us realize Sidney’s humanity, to understand that rules and guidelines laid out for a person are pointless and arbitrary, that screaming for your life is actually a terrible, horrific experience that no person should ever have to do. We fall in line with the horror movie buffs like Randy who know that a character like Sidney must die, with insatiable media influencers like Gale who knows that death and misery make for better news, with truly vengeful people like Billy who view murder as a form of catharsis in horror narratives.

Thus, the obviousness of the title becomes part of the message, part of our engagement with a meta narrative that candidly addresses the actual genre we paid money to see. We come to watch people scream, and we scream as well—it’s part of the fun on our part as an audience. But it’s also part of the film’s self-awareness that forces us to reckon with what it means to scream. It’s that lovely mix of innocent fun and reflective satire that makes Wes Craven’s Scream formula such a delightful anomaly in the genre.

Important motifs in Scream

The television

The role of media and the general meta nature of Scream is so visually satisfying through a single object: the television. It’s where Gale, a journalist, spies on the kids at their party in her attempt to capture scandal; it’s where Sydney sees reports of her mother as she questions her identity; it’s where Randy watches Halloween and explains the tropes of horror movies to everyone; and, ultimately, it’s what leads to Stu’s death in his attempt to recreate a horror movie. It’s all part of Sydney’s journey to take control of her narrative, to reject the boundaries placed around her by arbitrary rules.

The Ghostface mask

At one point, Dewey finds the Ghostface costume at a Halloween store. It’s name? Father Death. That’s telling in a movie like Scream , which is all about defying the rules of horror films. Sidney’s entire journey is to transcend what’s expected of her and become her own woman, aka to eclipse what’s expected of the typical horror movie heroine. Despite fitting the mold of a character who dies in a horror movie, she continually presses on and continues to live. Ghostface’s presence is quite literally “Father Death.” He is the impending doom that always exists on the horizon, that Sidney must always vanquish.

Movie references

The meta nature of Scream serves a very thematic purpose in Sidney’s character journey. Whenever characters talk about the rules of horror movies, it’s all in service of her journey, of her fight to stay alive. Which means any and every attempt to construct a universe that’s beholden to horror movies, that’s honoring horror movies only further reinforces that aesthetic. There’s the janitor dressed like Freddy Krueger from A Nightmare on Elm Street . The setting sun becomes a reminder of The Town That Dreaded Sundown . Randy calls Billy “Leatherface” from the Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise. Each and every one of these movie references makes for a meta universe that’s both fun and thematically relevant.

The Ghostface killer likes to taunt his victims over the phone. In an age where telephones were no longer beholden to a phone cord, where cell phones allowed Billy and Stu to roam around a house and be in two places at once, the telephone marks an exciting, eventful approach to the killer’s slow inevitable approach that’s become such a classic trope of horror movies. It’s a great tool for the killer because it allows for anonymity. It’s also a sign of advancing technology, which works well in a world where television and growing news coverage mark fresh ways to explore classic themes in horror movies.

Questions & answers about Scream

Sidney, wearing the Ghostface costume, looks down at Billy after stabbing him

What are all the movies referenced in Scream ?

Okay, there are LOTS of references to movies in Scream (it’s not always a horror movie). And I’m not sure I’ll cover them all. If you know any that aren’t listed here, please comment below and I’ll add them. But as far as I know, here are all the horror movie references in Scream :

Parts 1 and 2 of Friday the 13th are part of Casey’s quiz in the opening scene.
Billy quotes Norman Bates with the “We all go a little mad sometimes” line as he reveals himself as the killer.
Stu says a girl couldn’t be the killer, which causes Tatum to reference Basic Instinct .
Billy says they used dyed cornstarch for blood like in Carrie .
Billy compares Sid to Jodie Foster in Silence of the Lambs before they have sex. He also mentions Hannibal Lecter again later.
Halloween is playing at Stu’s party. Plus, Casey says it’s her favorite movie.
Ghostface asks Sidney “Are You Alone in the House?” over the phone, which could be a nod to Are You in the House Alone?
Billy says he was watching The Exorcist and it reminded him of his relationship with Sidney because it was “edited for T.V.”
Tatum says she’s going to rent All The Right Moves to see Tom Cruise’s penis.
Randy calls Billy “Leatherface” from the Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise.
The Ghostface killer says he likes Nightmare on Elm Street during the first phone call. Plus, the janitor (played byWes Craven) is dressed like Freddy Kruger.
Randy calls Stu “Alicia” after Stu repeats “as if” like Alicia Silverstone’s character in Clueless .
Evil Dead, Hellraiser, Terror Train , and The Fog are mentioned are mentioned as possible movie choices at the party. Randy mentions Prom Night in the video store when discussing horror movie rules.
In the video store, a girl asks Randy the name of “that werewolf movie with the mom from E.T. ” and he knows the movie: The Howling .
Randy says that Jamie Lee Curtis “waited until she was legit to show tits” in Trading Places .
The curfew causes Woodsboro to feel deserted. It is then compared to The Town That Dreaded Sundown .
Tatum calls Ghostface “Casper.”

Now it’s your turn

Have more unanswered questions about Scream ? Are there themes or motifs we missed? Is there more to explain about the ending? Please post your questions and thoughts in the comments section! We’ll do our best to address every one of them. If we like what you have to say, you could become part of our movie guide!

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Remember when I told you Jurassic Park was my favorite film and one of my favorite franchises? Well, the first Scream movie is my second favorite film of all time, but the series overall is my #1. (A sentiment that's just been reaffirmed by Scream VI .) The Wes Craven and Kevin Williamson collaboration was a genre game-changer back in the mid-90s. Just when the slasher sub-genre felt like a dying breed, Ghostface came roaring in with his bowie knife and meta spin, paying homage to the icons of the 70s and 80 while also reinventing the formula with new rules, tools, and talent.

That 1996 film inspired countless creators to run wild with new possibilities while the Scream series itself continued to grow. Only a year after the release of the first film, we got a successful sequel, and then soon after that came a third installment that stopped the franchise dead in its tracks. But, as Craven and Williamson taught us in that first film, the killer always comes back and, sure enough, Scream 4 hit theaters in 2011, and then 2022 kicked off the Radio Silence era of the franchise with Scream 2022 followed by 2023's Scream VI .

Now that Scream is a six-film series, we've got to do a ranking reassessment to not only see where that new movie lands, but also to check in and see if anything has changed. Yes, I may like one Scream film more than another, but I do truly love them all and that tends to mean my preference changes depending on mood, viewing experience, and even the current state of the horror genre.

6. Scream 3

Probably one of the most predictable spots on the list here, right? As much as I love the entire Scream film franchise, I must admit, it’s a challenge to defend certain elements of this one. Scream 3 does have many highlights though. Parker Posey , for one, is electric as Jennifer Jolie. Her timing and delivery are spot-on, and she’s also the focus of one of the best set pieces in the movie -- and one of the best of the franchise, for that matter.

But ultimately, Scream 3 is the Roman ( Scott Foley ) of the series. It’s the result of a Craven and Ehren Kruger collaboration, not Craven and Williamson. It’s the installment that feels like it's trying to claw its way into the club. Whereas its predecessors nail the balance between sheer terror and meta humor, Scream 3 tends to spiral via its wildly different tone. For example, even though there is value to the plot digging deeper into Sidney’s ( Neve Campbell ) family history, the uncharacteristic melodrama of that material, in particular, does take away from its impact and significance, especially when it comes to the Roman of it all.

So no, Scream 3 isn't the greatest movie; there’s no getting around that. But Scream 3 does have a number of things going for it that feel as though they're often overlooked simply because Scream 3 sticks out tonally. The attachment to the lore and returning characters is there, it's shockingly insightful in its assessment of the Hollywood system, a Scream movie about making a Stab movie is mighty appropriate for this franchise, and also, simply put, the camp is fun!

Scream 3 reminds me a lot of how Jurassic Park 3 fits into its franchise. While it may be weaker than its predecessors, its wacky sense of adventure makes another jaunt on Isla Sorna quite entertaining, and it also offers up some plot points with real weight that bolster the themes of the franchise. Scream 3 is the Jurassic Park 3 of the Scream series. It can't match the other films, but it does have a lot to offer; those highly entertaining and winning qualities are just different from the ones we get in the other films.

5. Scream 2

Let’s get the obvious out of the way first; it’s nearly impossible for a sequel to compete with its iconic original. And that exact point is stated multiple times in this movie. But what still makes Scream 2 a stellar sequel is the time and care it takes to embrace and build upon the foundation started in the first film. It’s staying within the confines of a formula (a very specific formula), but isn’t that the point in a sense?

One of the core ideas of the 1996 original was that horror movies could influence killers. (Not create them, but make them more creative, according to Billy Loomis.) So now in Scream 2 , not only do you have the high-profile news story covering what really happened to Sidney and her friends, but you’ve also got a movie based on their experience with Stab . That’s two sources of inspiration right there. Within the rules of the Scream franchise, it makes all the sense in the world for both of those things to motivate others.

There are tons of smart threads all throughout the film that keep you guessing, and take the main ensemble a major step forward. You’ve got the film turning the tables on Sidney as far as the boyfriend goes. Is Derek ( Jerry O’Connell ) another Billy or does he really have a heart of gold? Gale Weathers ( Courtney Cox ) is finally forced to see the difference between star-making sensationalism and respectable, game-changing journalism. And then there’s one of my favorite creative choices, keeping Cotton Weary ( Liev Schreiber ) in the mix. There’s no leaving the trauma of her past behind; Sidney will carry all of it with her, and that includes falsely accusing Cotton of her mother’s murder.

But the main element that makes Scream 2 much more than just a decent sequel is its killer reveal. The first Scream begs the question, can scary movies create killers? The ending of Scream 2 digs into that extremely well on three levels. You’ve got film-obsessed Mickey ( Timothy Olyphant ) who plain old wants to prove that theory true. You’ve also got Debbie Salt/Mrs. Loomis ( Laurie Metcalf ) who’s driven to kill not by the movies, but by the real-life events that took her son from her. But the real kicker of Scream 2 is that Sidney is the one who stops them from creating their own movies by making her own. With an assist from Gale and Cotton, Sidney stages - literally on a theater stage - her own big finish. Scream 2 isn’t just another solid thrill in the vein of the original; it’s a movie that truly takes the themes and the character development from that first film to a new level.

4. Scream 4

scream-4-sidney-prescott-neve-campbell-feature

I've always felt Scream 4 deserved way more credit than it got upon release, but I find myself loving it more and more every time I watch it. Back when the movie came out in 2011, slasher sequels were in a rough spot and the whole “passing the baton” concept was feeling quite tired, but this was a horror sequel that subverted those expectations big time.

In fact, it did so within the first few minutes of the movie with that downright genius opening sequence. It was like a big old bloody hug for anyone who’s been thinking about movies influencing slashers non-stop since 1996 thanks to Billy and Stu ( Matthew Lillard ). And that’s just one example of Craven and Williamson taking a concept they started back in the mid-90s and modernizing it for a younger viewership without ever sacrificing the characters and thematic pillars from the first film. In fact, Scream 4 bolsters them.

Scream 2 is largely an exploration of the art of crafting a sequel, and then Scream 4 gave that same treatment to remakes and reboots. Not only are there new rules in play, but there are new tools too, and in that respect, Scream 4 was a little ahead of its time. Yes, Charlie ( Rory Culkin ) was the one with more horror movie expertise who was getting a thrill out of playing by the rules which heavily contributed to Scream 4 feeling firmly tied to the original, but it’s Emma Roberts as Jill that really makes Scream 4 a genre revelation.

First off, I’ll never forget my jaw hitting the floor the first time I witnessed Jill’s wild third act meltdown, but that character is essentially challenging everything we know about the slasher genre in the process. Here’s someone who fits the mold of the traditional final girl, but she’s got a completely different agenda that we don’t see coming. On first watch, not for a second did I think Jill was one of the film’s big bads and when her true intentions were revealed, I was shocked, to say the least, but they make so much sense.

Scream 4 really digs into that desperation to get our 15 seconds of fame. Yes, that means something different now courtesy of social media and live-streaming than it did back in the 90s, but it’s an idea that’s been present in the franchise from the very beginning. Billy and Stu play into the media hype in the first film and were as showy as they could be with every single kill. Then in Scream 2 , we get Mickey’s goal of being immortalized by the media. Scream 3 gives us Roman’s warped attention-seeking mash-up of sibling rivalry and movie-making. And now we’ve got Jill who uses new tools to take this familiar endeavor in a new and disturbingly creative direction.

3. Scream (2022)

The pressure was on when Scream arrived in January 2022. It had been 11 years since we got a new installment, the state of the genre had changed drastically, and we lost the legendary Wes Craven. Could Ready or Not filmmakers Radio Silence really swoop in and deliver a new installment that respected the past while encouraging Scream newcomers to join the fandom? Two films later, the answer to that question is a resounding yes. In fact, I'm a big believer that the franchise couldn't be in better hands.

Scream 2022 is an ideal sequel. It's one that delivers the best of both worlds. It’s a film with deep reverence for the original, but it’s also one that very successfully does what Scream movies do best — reassess the horror genre and use that analysis to take the franchise a meaningful step forward. By putting the focus on the concept of a “requel,” screenwriters James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick are able to make the 2022 installment feel like a loving celebration of the past, but while effectively highlighting how things need to change.

The whole idea of a "requel" demands a combination of the franchise's Big Three -- Sidney, Gale, and Dewey ( David Arquette ) -- and a cast of newcomers meant to carry the series forward. Successfully "passing the torch" in a beloved franchise is a tall order, especially for an audience member who's been mighty attached to Sidney, Gale, and Dewey since 1996. But directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett manage to pull it off by starting to offer a sense of closure for the legacy characters while teeing up a group of newcomers with great promise.

Scream 2022 is absolutely brimming with stellar performances, smart storytelling, and killer set pieces, but the main reason it managed to snag the #3 spot from Scream 2 and Scream 4 , which flipflop for me often, is because I don’t think I’ve ever seen a movie celebrate its franchise quite like this. You know that speech Jasmin Savoy Brown ’s Mindy gives to the group in the Meeks house? It felt a whole lot like she was talking to me in that scene. I’ve never seen a movie that taps directly into my personal passion for a series quite like this. Scream 2022 made me prouder than ever to be a lifelong Scream fan and also quite proud to be part of the franchise’s extremely enthusiastic fan base.

2. Scream VI

You know what else makes me proud to be a Scream fan? Scream VI . As someone who adores Ready or Not and their segments in Southbound and V/H/S , I had a ton of faith in Radio Silence going into the 2022 film, but if you told me that their Scream movies would wind up so high on this list, I don't know if I'd believe you.

Radio Silence, Vanderbilt, and Busick set an ideal foundation for the new characters in Scream 2022. That movie introduced new elements, but was also heavily rooted in the past, the 1996 original in particular. That firm footing allowed the team to take some significant swings with this new movie, a movie that leans heavily into subverting expectations and changing the rules. Whether it's a horror expert like Mindy or a character who's been through this many times before like Gale, your know-how and experience playing the game is only going to get you so far.

In fact, that idea is at the core of one of the film's best set pieces, and one of the best set pieces of the entire franchise for that matter -- Gale vs. Ghostface. Not only does that scene benefit from expert choreography, A+ stunt work, and a deep emotional attachment to Gale, but it's also a piece that reflects where the franchise as a whole is right now by showing off everything Gale's learned from the past five films while also highlighting that this Ghostface is operating by a different set of rules.

Scream VI rocks a very unique feel for that reason and also due to how it's exploring the Sam ( Melissa Barrera ) and Billy connection. The rules of surviving a horror movie aren't the only things that are changing. So is the definition of a final girl. It isn't easy joining a beloved franchise in the fifth installment as a new main character, but on top of that, Barrera also had to convince an audience she's the daughter of an OG Ghostface and has visions of her dead serial killer dad. If you need proof she set that up as needed in Scream 2022, just look at what she accomplishes in this new movie. As she further explores the character, Barrera delivers a one-of-a-kind horror hero backed by a brilliant blend of sincere love for her sister ( J enna Ortega ) and bloodlust making Sam one of the most exhilarating characters to track throughout the film.

In addition to Sam's storyline soaring, Scream VI also firmly plants its flag in terms of establishing a new heart and soul for the franchise, a group of characters meant to take the series into the future, The Core Four -- Sam, Tara, Chad ( Mason Gooding ), and Mindy. There will always be echoes of Sidney, Gale, and Dewey in the Scream franchise, but if Scream 2022 set up the potential to "pass the torch," Scream VI is proof that the filmmakers have earned it.

Scream VI is absolutely packed with clever and very well-executed kill and attack scenes, but there's no denying that the tension is especially high here courtesy of the sky-high heart and deep attachment to the characters.

A girl screaming as she looks at the killer through a window

You had to know that the original Scream was going to be my #1, right? Similar to something I said in my Jurassic Park ranked list, 1996’s Scream isn’t just my favorite film of this franchise; it’s my second favorite movie of all time. (Behind Jurassic Park , of course.) It’s one of the movies that I credit with shaping my storytelling taste, and also with making me a die-hard horror genre fan with a major soft spot for the slasher sub-genre.

Everything works in Scream - - the performances, the one-liners, the soundtrack, and then some. There are loads of moments of pure terror -- that vicious opening kill sequence, Tatum’s ( Rose McGowan ) death via garage door, and Billy ( Skeet Ulrich ) and Stu’s ( Matthew Lillard ) stab session during the film’s big finish, just to name a few. But, the special thing about Scream is, it’s never just a kill for the sake of a quick thrill. The film is so well written that even the tensest moments come with a spirited quality to them that pays homage to the genre.

Sitting in the theater watching Scream -- when I was way too young to be doing so -- was the very first time I can remember being completely blown away by the range of emotions one could conjure with a good horror movie, and I became quite addicted to that feeling. I’ll never say no to experiencing a fleeting wild and dangerous ride while safe and sound in a movie theater, but what puts Scream on another level is its ability to deliver that while making a lasting impression for a number of reasons.

First off, Craven and Williamson don’t have cannon fodder in this movie. Every character serves a purpose and makes an impression, down to poor Kenny the cameraman ( W. Earl Brown ), and Drew Barrymore ’s Casey Becker who you’re intensely rooting for mere minutes after meeting her. And then, of course, we’ve got an iconic heroine like Sidney Prescott ( Neve Campbell ). Sidney goes through a lot over the course of this film -- and before it, too -- and every single step of the way Campbell brings a pitch-perfect mix of sensitivity, conviction, and fight to the role so that you not only believe she’s got a fighting chance, but also believe that she’s fighting for something important.

Scream was also a reverse slasher genre education for me. While I already knew I had a taste for the scary stuff at that point, seeing a movie that oozed respect for genre history and the rules of it sparked a need to learn more about it all. My first exposure to John Carpenter ’s Halloween ? Seeing the clip that played during Stu’s party. And guess what I just had to watch after hearing Billy say, “We all go a little mad sometimes?” Scream truly made a difference in my life and I firmly believe that there’s still loads of value in the meta-slasher movie format going forward. Radio Silence is proving as much by delivering not one, but two fantastic new Scream movies that can satisfy hardcore fans and also pack the power to inspire another generation of slasher genre lovers to learn more about the movies that got us here.

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‘Alien: Romulus’ Review: Go Ahead, Scream (No One Can Hear You)

The seventh installment of the series centers on Rain (Cailee Spaeny), a contract worker in an outer-space mining colony, and her friend Andy (David Jonsson), an android.

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A woman with a gun stands in front of an android who holds her shoulder. They are on a space station.

By Manohla Dargis

Some movie sequels take a series in new directions, adding original ideas, new characters, different approaches and, at times, heft and myth. Other sequels are more like filler. They help plug the spaces between movies and keep the franchise’s brand in the public’s imagination, all while trying to make some cash. The newest “Alien” movie, “Alien: Romulus,” the seventh installment in this storied, apparently inexhaustible cycle of films, is perfectly adequate filler.

Since Ridley Scott’s “Alien” burst into gripping, gruesome life in 1979, the series has generated hits and misses, tankers of acidic slobber and a sizable body count. The franchise turned Sigourney Weaver into an icon and gave David Fincher his start as a film director. As the movies piled up, they also reminded you that the original “Alien” is a masterpiece and that even the lesser follow-ups that Scott directed, “Prometheus” and “Alien: Covenant,” have their virtues, among them striking visuals, filmmaking intelligence, a curiosity about the cosmos, and a twinned appreciation for the mystery of life and the inevitability of death.

“Alien: Romulus” is a nuts-and-bolts action-adventure horror story with boos and splatter. It doesn’t have much on its mind but it has some good jump scares along with a disappointingly bland heroine, a sympathetic android and the usual collection of disposable characters who are unduly killed by slavering, rampaging extraterrestrials. In series terms, the events in “Romulus” take place between those in “Alien” and those in the second film, “Aliens.” Written and directed by James Cameron, and crowded with big guns and bulging biceps, “Aliens” is largely notable for its swaggering action sequences that have become de rigueur in the series and for giving Weaver’s Ripley a muscular makeover while turning her into a surrogate mom.

Directed by Fede Álvarez (“ Don’t Breathe ”), who shares script credit with Rodo Sayagues, “Romulus” tells a familiar, half-baked story of adversity, gritty perseverance, quick thinking and a drag-down fight for survival. It centers on Rain (Cailee Spaeny), a 20-something contract worker in a grim outer-space mining colony. There, along with Andy (David Jonsson), a glitchy android that she loves and calls her brother, Rain yearns to leave the sunless planet and the punishing conditions that condemned both her parents to early deaths. She soon gets her chance when some other friends share that they’re planning an escape in an abandoned space station that has conveniently drifted above their planet.

Álvarez gets through this setup economically, and it isn’t long before Rain and company are creeping through the station’s eerily empty corridors, exploring its topsy-turvy rooms and pondering its not particularly mysterious mysteries. (Álvarez spends a lot of time showing off his sets, which are more engaging than the writing.) Spaeny, who played Priscilla Presley in Sofia Coppola’s “Priscilla,” is an appealing performer — her youth and slight frame deceptively suggest near-childlike vulnerability — and you’re on Rain’s side straightaway. What keeps you rooted there is largely a matter of film-going habit and franchise familiarity: She’s the heroine and Ripley’s symbolic heir, after all, and the monsters are coming.

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Those star attractions soon arrive, scuttling and scurrying and causing their usual gory mayhem. It’s kind of nice to see them just because, even attenuated, H.R. Giger’s original designs retain their punch, their impact undiluted despite all the sequels and copycats. Certainly, the aliens are better company than Rain’s human pals, who are such a dreary collection of sacrificial victims that they seem to have been created just to stoke your blood lust. (It doesn’t help that some of their vocal deliveries are at times near-indecipherable.) Despite some minor differences in the characters’ personalities, their most distinguishing aspect is how — and how fast — each of them dies. That’s too bad, and it’s boring.

Given that humans are so endangered in this series it’s fitting, I guess, that the most nuanced character turns out to be Android Andy, who soon gets a drama-enhancing upgrade. Jonsson was a standout in the first seasons of the HBO show “ Industry ,” and it’s nice to see him tuck into this role. Like the two synthetics, as they are called, that Michael Fassbender played in “Covenant,” Jonsson gets to tease your sympathies with a character who’s at once human and machine, and by turns sympathetic and suspect. He and Spaeny make a fine duo even if they’re upstaged by a digitally resurrected Ian Holm as Ash, an android from the first “Alien.” Holm died in 2020 and his creepy appearance here is a distraction even if it’s a good reminder that the true villains in this franchise have always been the corporate overlords.

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The #1 Movie on Prime Video is Now the Blumhouse Thriller Stephen King “Loved” For Being “Creepy”

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I have a theory that streamers like Netflix , Hulu , and Prime Video are beginning to invest more and more in safe, predictable content. Why? Because that’s what the masses seem to respond best to. But what’s changed?

Cookie-cutter narratives may not subvert expectations, but a large segment of the population seems to connect with that type of programming. Much of the content available on your favorite streaming platforms has less than stellar critical ratings. But the streamers continue to acquire and invest in media of that ilk.

Shallow waters

Night Swim is a great example of that. It’s currently the #1 film on Prime Video. The movie didn’t kill at the box office; the masses have been vocally critical of it. But the picture’s streaming success has not been hindered by its reputation. It seems many people like something safe and familiar to put on while they unwind. I can relate. When I’m in the mood, there’s something comforting about a scenario that doesn’t deviate too far from expectations.

Believe it or not, author extraordinaire Stephen King counts himself a fan of this divisive film. He concedes the flick is simplistic. But King also heralds Night Swim as highly enjoyable. In a post on X (Twitter), the author said: “I loved The Night Swim (Amazon Prime). It’s like a lost, low-budget Steven Spielberg film from Spielberg’s early period. “

See Stephen King’s full thoughts on the Prime Video selection here

I loved THE NIGHT SWIM (Amazon Prime). It's like a lost, low-budget Steven Spielberg film from Spielberg's early period…say, after DUEL but before JAWS. Simple story, but…the cat on the diving board! And those creepy bunny slippers! — Stephen King (@StephenKing) March 11, 2024

So, there you have it. Stephen King had fun with this escapist horror thriller. And you may just find something to enjoy about it as well. If your curiosity has gotten the best of you, you can check Night Swim out on Prime Video now.

In case you’re not overly familiar with the setup, Night Swim plays out like this: Forced into early retirement by a degenerative illness, former baseball player Ray Waller moves into a new house with his wife and two children. He hopes that the backyard swimming pool will be fun for the kids and provide physical therapy for his ailment. However, a dark secret from the home’s past soon unleashes a malevolent force that drags the family into the depths of inescapable terror.

That’s all we have for you at present. Stay tuned to the site in the near future for more updates on which films are making waves on your favorite streaming platforms.

Categorized: News

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Scream (1996) Review
Scream (1996) Review
Scream Movie Review
Film Review: Scream (1996)
"Scream" Movie Review
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COMMENTS

Scream movie review & film summary (1996)
Wes Craven's "Scream" violates one of the oldest rules in moviehistory: It's about characters who go to the movies. They've even heard ofmovie stars. They refer by name to Tom Cruise, Richard Gere, Jamie Lee Curtis.They analyze motivations ("Did Norman Bates have a motive? Did Hannibal Lecterhave a reason for wanting to eat people?") True, they went to the movies in "TheLast Picture ...
Scream
Scream. The sleepy little town of Woodsboro just woke up screaming. There's a killer in their midst who's seen a few too many scary movies. Suddenly nobody is safe, as the psychopath stalks ...
Scream (1996)
Scream: Directed by Wes Craven. With Drew Barrymore, Roger Jackson, Kevin Patrick Walls, David Booth. A year after the murder of her mother, a teenage girl is terrorized by a masked killer who targets her and her friends by using scary movies as part of a deadly game.
Scream (1996)
With Scream (1996), Wes Craven re-invented & revitalised the slasher genre with this modern horror classic, Scream is funny, clever & scary, as a fright-masked knife maniac stalks high-school students. A beautiful love letter to horror movies that came before it. A truly classic horror film. What a genius Wes Craven was.
Scream
Scream The movie that heralded a successful franchise of slashers, and helped reinvigorate the genre, Scream is a slasher that sees a high schooler as she tries to evade a serial killer wearing a Ghostface mask. ... [SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.] Read More Report. See All 132 User Reviews Details Details View All. Production ...
Scream (1996 film)
Scream is a 1996 American slasher film directed by Wes Craven and written by Kevin Williamson.It stars David Arquette, Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, Matthew Lillard, Rose McGowan, Skeet Ulrich, and Drew Barrymore.Set in the fictional town of Woodsboro, California, Scream ' s plot follows high school student Sidney Prescott (Campbell) and her friends, who, on the anniversary of her mother's ...
BBC
Scream (1996) Reviewed by Almar Haflidason. Updated 24 May 2001. Mainstream American horror films had become desperately sad by 1997. Yawn-filled predictability was the best you could expect. Then ...
Scream (1996)
A review by The Movie Mob. 100 % Written by The Movie Mob on September 3, 2022. ... Scream is a love ballad to horror movie fans that intimately knows and zealously honors the legacy of terror-filled films that came before while creating something new, innovative, bold, and surprising. Scream's dark humor and admiration of overused horror ...
Scream [1996] [Reviews]
Scream Trilogy Blu-ray Review. Apr 1, 2011 - The first three Scream movies available on Blu-ray at last. Scream 2 Cindy White. Jun 23, 2009. The Philanthropist: "Nigeria" Review.
Scream Review
Bloody funny, that is. The plot is pure horror hokum. A quiet town with a Mainstreet, USA feel is battered by a series of brutal murders, mostly of teenagers, which seem to be linked to some ...
'Scream' 1996 Review: Wes Craven's Classic Remains the Best ...
Image via Dimension Films. Both a loving skewering of the tropes of horror and a great slasher in its own right, Wes Craven 's 1996 film Scream is one of the greatest of the genre for good ...
Scream Movie Review
Parents need to know that Scream is a 1996 teen slasher movie that parodies the horror genre. It's self-aware, with constant references to other films -- When a Stranger Calls, Friday the 13th, Halloween, and The Silence of the Lambs, to name a few -- and the rules and stereotypes they're built upon. The movie's lack of diversity reflects this, with all the characters being White ...
Film Analysis: Scream (1996)
Scream even acts as a social criticism of its teenage audience. "You make me so sick. Your entire havoc-inducing, thieving, whoring generation disgusts me," is an actual line by an adult in the film. Williamson's portrayal of American teenagers stands the test of time being completely relevant to teens today.
'Scream' Review
Directors: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett. Screenwriters: James Vanderbilt, Guy Busick, based on characters created by Kevin Williamson. Rated R, 1 hour 54 minutes. The entire franchise was ...
Scream movie review & film summary (2022)
The 2022 version of "Scream" is a film for viewers raised on the 1996 version of "Scream" and its three sequels. Whereas the first script by Kevin Williamson turned the kind of conversations that fans had about John Carpenter and Wes Craven in school cafeterias and coffee houses into something daring and riveting, the new script by James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick exists in a world ...
Scream First Reviews: A Bloody, Funny Thrill Ride That Honors Wes
The best sequel in the series. - Joey Magidson, Awards Radar. The new movie is right up there with Scream 2 as the best sequel of the series. - Ian Sandwell, Digital Spy. Not just a very good sequel but also a film that feels like a worthy and indelible chapter in the ongoing Scream saga. - William Bibbiani, The Wrap. A terrific return to ...
Scream explained (1996)
Scream is a movie about the rigid rules that define horror movies. This meta experience serves as a natural parallel to life, where we are constantly guided and coerced by the rules of society. We are expected to act a certain way, to be a certain kind of person, to fulfill certain destinies. In the universe of Scream, the Ghostface killer has ...
'Scream' Review: Kill Me Again, Again
Wearyingly repetitive and entirely fright-free, "Scream" teaches us mainly that planting Easter eggs is no substitute for seeding ideas. "I've seen this movie before," Sidney remarks at ...
All the 'Scream' Movies Ranked from Worst to Best
Yes, I may like one Scream film more than another, but I do truly love them all and that tends to mean my preference changes depending on mood, viewing experience, and even the current state of ...
Scream
Kicking off this Halloween Movie Review Marathon with a personal favorite of mine that reinvigorated the high school slasher craze. Here's my review for SCRE...
My review of Scream 1, after watching it for the very first time
Gosh, I love this movie so much. It gaves me truly nostalgia. 2 is almost as great as the first. 3 is the most hated movie out of all, but it has its fanbase. That means: you either love or hate it. 4 is for most ppl the best sequels beside 2. 5 brings back some Nostalgie from the original. Pls review all of them. Thx.
Scream (1996) is everything you could possibly want in a ...
Scream 1 and 2 also have the best opening sequences I've seen in a horror film IMO. Absolutely love the Scream series, and these movies are what sparked my interest in horror when I was a kid. In most slasher films, we see random people getting killed off, but Scream really develops it's characters and fleshes them out. ...
Is "Scream 1" the perfect horror film? : r/horror
Scream is a great 10/10 movie for sure - perfection is a dumb idea. For movies I'd consider 10/10 - the Exorcist, the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, the Shining, Suspiria (1977), the Fly (1986), the Thing, Hereditary, Alien, the Wicker Man, the Blair Witch Project. I think all pretty much flawlessly executed what they set out to do in one form or ...
Silver Scream (2003)
Visit the movie page for 'Silver Scream' on Moviefone. Discover the movie's synopsis, cast details and release date. Watch trailers, exclusive interviews, and movie review. Your guide to this ...
Movie Review: Yep. They're back! 'Alien: Romulus ...
"In space, no one can hear you scream," went the tagline for the original "Alien" in 1979, a terrifying thought on multiple levels.
'Alien: Romulus' Review: Go Ahead, Scream (No One Can Hear You)
The seventh installment of the series centers on Rain (Cailee Spaeny), a contract worker in an outer-space mining colony, and her friend Andy (David Jonsson), an android.
'Alien: Romulus' Review: Go Ahead, Scream (No One Can Hear You)
Other sequels are more like filler. They help plug the spaces between movies and keep the franchise's brand in the public's imagination, all while trying to make some cash. The newest "Alien" movie, "Alien: Romulus," the seventh installment in this storied, apparently inexhaustible cycle of films, is perfectly adequate filler.
The #1 Movie on Prime is a "Creepy" Thriller Stephen King "Loved"
Shallow waters . Night Swim is a great example of that. It's currently the #1 film on Prime Video. The movie didn't kill at the box office; the masses have been vocally critical of it.

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