David’s Scream Movie Rankings
The Scream cinematic universe is back in full force this decade, after Scream (2022) revitalized the series for a new generation. Horror fans are being blessed with installment #7 this month, and as The Drive Home’s Raw Riders could probably assume, I am extremely excited for the latest sequel! Neve Campbell is back as our final girl Sidney Prescott, and there are some intriguing casting details, e.g. Matthew Lillard’s name in the credits, that would make it appear this sequel has lots of twists and turns up its sleeves. Before The Drive Home sees Scream 7 next week, check out my rankings of the previous entries below!
6. Scream 3
Even my lowest-rated Scream movie is still a solid 3 or 3-and-a-half star slasher.
The Hollywood Hills backdrop gives way to some memorable set pieces and feels appropriate since these movies are such a love letter to cinema history. The meta concept for this three-quel, parodying the tropes of final chapters in trilogies, is clever even if director Wes Craven and writer Ehren Kruger don’t fully stick the landing.
Adding to the Y2K fun is Courteney Cox’s haircut. Gotta love the micro-bangs!
5. Scream (2022)
2022 was the perfect time for this meta-slasher series to rear its head again, hot on the heels of the Halloween reboot, as there is no better franchise to turn the legacy sequel trend on its head.
Scream (2022) brings back the original cast of Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, and David Arquette and pairs them with a new cast of all-stars including “it girl” Jenna Ortega, Melissa Barrera, Jack Quaid, and Mikey Madison, eventual Oscar-winner for Anora. The scene in which Jasmin Savoy Brown’s character, Mindy, describes the rules of a “re-quel” perfectly captures the essence of Craven’s original trilogy.
Even while repeating some plot points of the original Scream, this sequel still managed to surprise me with its final twist, and the themes it explores around toxic fan culture are still topical to this day.
(I also appreciate how the filmmakers did not completely ignore Scream 4 and brought back officer Judy Hicks.)
4. Scream 2
A movie that so brilliantly satirized the tropes of the sequel-loving slasher genre was bound to get its own, but Scream 2 defied the sophomore slump that so often happens in horror (i.e. Halloween II or Friday the 13th: Part 2). Wes Craven understood the assignment, upping the ante with more action, scares, and gore.
The college campus provides fertile ground for cat-and-mouse thrills and over-the-top kills.
Laurie Metcalf, Timothy Olyphant, and Sarah Michelle Gellar (the Y2K scream queen herself) make for great additions to the cast, although I wish SMG was given more to do!
3. Scream VI
I know Scream VI is divisive for die-hard fans of the series, since the original cast is completely sidelined (with the exception of Courteney Cox) for the story of the Carpenter sisters (Jenna Ortega and Melissa Barrera).
This sequel took some big swings - notably, moving the setting to New York City and the final reveal of Ghostface - but the risks paid off.
In my opinion, there are a couple series-best kills (The ladder! The subway!), and the return of fan-favorite character Kirby Reed (played by Hayden Panettiere) is an inspired choice.
2. Scream 4
I think Scream 4, which came out 11 years after #3 and 11 years before #5, is highly underrated and expertly skewers the overkill of horror remakes in 2000’s. It was also ahead of its time with an ingenious commentary about influencer culture, well before the boom of Instagram and TikTok.
Emma Roberts, Alison Brie, Adam Brody, Marley Shelton, and Rory Culkin join the cast this time around, excellently capturing the self-aware and not-so-serious energy of the franchise.
While the opening scene is a little extra in its meta-ness, the part in which Kirby tries to save herself by naming 20+ horror remakes is Scream gold.
For me, the identity of Ghostface in this one is the most jaw-dropping since the first movie, and I love the climactic showdown with Sidney’s one-liner, “Don’t f*ck with the original.”
Scream
So much has been written about Scream’s impact on horror, and cinema in general, so I’m not sure I have much to add.
Simply put, it’s one of my favorite films of all-time - propulsive, scary, funny, and witty. It cleverly satirizes horror and slasher movies while also being a perfect one on its own terms.
Plus, nothing can top the opening kill featuring the iconic Drew Barrymore!
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With all that said, let us know what your favorite Scream movie is and how you would rank the series!