Ranking The Scream Franchise From Worst To Best
The Scream movie franchise is back at the forefront of the horror movie landscape with the recent release of the series’ fifth installment, simply titled “Scream.”
Scream is somewhat of an anomaly in the horror movie genre, as it’s never overstayed its welcome. With only five films and a television series on MTV that lasted three seasons, Scream hasn’t oversaturated the marketplace compared to horror franchises such as Halloween, Friday The 13th, and A Nightmare on Elm Street.
Scream may have fallen victim to the most amount of mockery and satire with the “Scary Movie” parody movies of the early 2000s. For many, they may have been their first introduction to the Ghostface horror icon. However, because the Scream movies have a blend of mystery and comedy to go along with their slasher-horror foundation, the parodies haven’t negatively impacted the films too significantly.
When Scream first came out in theatres in the mid-1990s, the horror genre was at a low point with an inflation of sequels that seemed to get worse and worse. Scream would turn out to be a tent-pole film in the horror landscape, similar to films like Psycho, The Exorcist, Halloween, and A Nightmare on Elm Street that would influence the genre for years to come.
When famed horror icon Wes Craven signed on to direct Scream, he already had experience handling a self-referential film with 1994s New Nightmare. While the film wasn’t a financial box office success, it was met with relatively positive reviews by critics and was the perfect film to direct before Scream.
Scream was the first film written by screenwriter Kevin Williamson, who would go on to pen films such as ‘I Know What You Did Last Summer,’ ‘The Faculty,’ ‘Cursed,’ and television shows such as ‘Dawson’s Creek’ and ‘The Vampire Diaries.’ His writing would guide the horror genre over the next decade, spawning numerous films that attempted to imitate either Scream’s meta-style or teenage drama backdrops.
Despite the number of spoofs that the Scream franchise has endured, it is arguably one the most consistent in the horror genre. It is rare for a horror franchise to have the same director and writer for the original and most of its sequels. Besides the Evil Dead franchise, where the first three films were all directed by Sam Raimi, Scream has the advantage of having the first four films directed by Wes Craven and three of the four written by Kevin Williamson.
Having the same team of Craven and Williamson has helped the Scream film series maintain a certain quality level, avoiding any extreme low points that plagued franchises like Halloween and A Nightmare on Elm Street.
For example, the Halloween film series didn’t have the same director for two consecutive films until Rob Zombie took over the franchise in 2007.
We will be looking at all five films in the Scream franchise and ranking them in order from the worst to the best. All five films, in my view, are good to great movies that all have their moments.
The top and the bottom are solidified and unlikely to change in the future; however, it’s the middle portion where there may be some controversy, as, in some respects, these films are interchangeable with similar qualities.
Release: February 2000
Box Office: $161,834,276
Director: Wes Craven
“The past will come back to bite you in the ass. Whatever you think you know about the past, forget it. The past is not at rest. Any sins you think were committed in the past are about to break out and destroy you.
“- Jamie Kennedy — Randy Meeks
The universally most lambasted film in the Scream franchise was its third installment, which came out in early 2000. Of the first four installments, this was the only one not written by Kevin Williamson, but instead by Ehren Kruger.
The progression for the third film to take place in Hollywood is logical. A large majority of the film’s setting takes place on the movie studio set of Stab 3, the film within a film series introduced in Scream 2.
Scream 3 brings to the screen some of the real-life issues the film was having with the script being unfinished by making it part of the movie.
The Scream movies are known for having amazing opening scenes, and Scream 3 is no different, with Liev Schreiber’s Cotton Weary being killed. There is a give and take in killing off Cotton Weary as the scene itself is well done establishing the stakes on the line in the movie; however, killing off one of the strongest characters of the franchise thus far may have been detrimental to the overall film.
One of the most divisive aspects of Scream 3 lies in its supporting cast.
How much you enjoy this third installment may depend on how you feel about Parker Posey’s portrayal of actress Jennifer Jolie, who is playing Gale Weathers in Stab 3, Patrick Warburton (Steven Stone), Jennifer McCarthy (Sarah Darling), and Patrick Dempsey’s Detective Mark Kincaid.
If you find these characters comedic, you might like Scream 3 more than most. However, if you find their characters to be more of a nuisance, then the movie may take a turn for the worse when they are on screen.
Neve Campbell’s Sidney Prescott isn’t as heavily featured in the film as the previous two entries due to her schedule coinciding with filming other projects such as Party of Five and Drowning Mona.
David Arquette and Courteney Cox pick up the weight for Campbell, becoming the central characters in the film.
Unlike the other four films in the franchise, Scream 3 only has one killer in Roman Bridger (Scott Foley).
The long-lost brother aspect that planned all of the events of the preceding films is convoluted and opens up more questions than answers. The near-supernatural actions of Ghostface with the magic voice box that can imitate all of the characters’ voices feel out of place in a series that was somewhat grounded in reality.
Regardless of some of the new over-the-top characters and questionable actions of the killer, Scream 3 isn’t a complete failure or even a terrible movie. Due to the Columbine school tragedy, Scream 3 also suffers from a lack of violence and feels tame at times.
Compared to some of the horror genre’s worst sequels like Seed of Chucky or Halloween: Resurrection, Scream 3 is levels ahead.
Release: January 20222
Box Office: $30,018, 805
Director: Matt Bettinelli-Oplin and Tyler Gillett
Writers: James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick
“I’m Sidney F@cking Prescott. Of course, I have a gun.”
— Neve Campbell — Sidney Prescott
The return of Scream came as a surprise to numerous fans in and outside of the horror sphere. After its initial trilogy that ended in 2000, another entry in the Scream franchise didn’t come out until 2011, and now, a decade later, we have a reboot-style sequel in 2022.
For as much money as the Scream movies have made, the creators behind the scenes have not allowed the series to fall into the trap of having too many sequels.
Scream 2022 or Scream 5 was directed by the duo Matt Bettinelli-Oplin and Tyler Gillett, best known for 2019s ‘Ready or Not’. The team brings out the most meta-version of Scream, with it constantly referencing horror films and frequent tropes.
The sequel-reboot features the best performance by David Arquette in the entirety of the franchise. Arquette’s Dewey Riley is the central legacy character of the film, who spends the most time with the new cast.
Establishing a new set of characters is difficult, but Scream does a beautiful job connecting them to previous entries. Jenna Ortega and Melissa Barrera play Tara and Sam Carpenter, bringing an emotional foundation to the film.
Other standouts include Jasmine Savoy-Brown as Mindy Meeks, Jack Quaid as Richie Kirsch, and Mikey Madison as Amber Freeman, bringing a familiar energy to the film reminiscent of the 1996 original.
While the new Scream does have some comedic moments, specifically with David Arquette and Jack Quaid, the film does take a more serious tone at times to its detriment.
The first four Scream movies did have soap opera family elements; however, this version of Scream takes it to another level with numerous dramatic scenes. For a film that is so self-aware, it feels somewhat out of place to go in a more dramatic tone than a comedic one.
Neve Campbell’s Sidney Prescott, along with Courteney Cox’s Gale Weathers, are used sparingly in the film, but when they are in the movie, especially in the final act, they are used in tremendous fashion.
The film’s third act tends to hit the audience over the head too much with its self-awareness. The aim is to criticize toxic fandom on the Internet that seems unhappy with any direction taken on established franchises in and out of the horror world.
But, constantly bringing up past issues in horror movies and fandom in general, and then proceeding to do the same things in your own film, feels hypocritical even if done on purpose.
Scream 2022 does a fine job bringing the series back to prominence with a great cast, proper usage of legacy characters, and bloody kills. But it also highlights the high quality of the other sequels, ultimately falling just short.
Release: December 1997
Box Office: $172,363,301
Director: Wes Craven
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Writer: Kevin Williamson
“You’d better check your conscience at the door sweetie. I’m not here to be loved.”
— Courteney Cox — Gale Weathers
Less than a year after the release of the original Scream in 1996, Wes Craven and the team went to work on a sequel. It’s scarce for a direct sequel, especially in the horror genre, to match the quality of its predecessor; however, the first sequel to the story of Sidney Prescott comes close.
On the review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes, Scream 2 holds the highest score of the franchise at 81%. It sits above both the first and latest entries in the series and is held as one of the best horror sequels of all time.
Following up on an iconic opening scene like the one in 1996's Scream is daunting. But Craven and Williamson crafted another memorable opener in Scream 2.
Introducing the ‘Stab’ films in Scream 2 was clever, giving the movie another Meta dimension.
The opening scene with Jada Pinket-Smith and Omar Epps at the movie theater is one of the best in the franchise allowing for an audience perspective.
The success of Scream (1996) gave room for the cast to expand, adding Joshua Jackson, Timothy Olyphant (Mickey Altieri), Heather Graham (Casey Becker), and Luke Wilson (Billy Loomis), and at the time one of the biggest stars in television Sarah Michelle Gellar (Cici Cooper).
A majority of the original cast is back, such as Jamie Kennedy’s Randy Meeks, one of the most beloved characters in the entire series. Randy’s death is still divisive to this day; however, it does give Scream 2 more weight with the impression that no one is safe.
One of the reasons Scream 2 isn’t higher on this ranking is primarily due to one scene. In the most cringe-inducing scene of the franchise, Sidney Prescott’s boyfriend Derek, played by Jerry O’Connell, stands up in the cafeteria and does a rendition of ‘I Think I Love You.’ It’s perplexing why this scene was kept in the movie, as it feels so out of place that it derails the film’s pacing.
The climax reveals of the movie is well done, with Laurie Metcalf pulling out a stellar performance as the crazed mother of Billy Loomis. Timothy Olyphant is also serviceable as Mickey, although his motivation of wanting to be caught to go to trial is puzzling.
Scream 2 does not reach the heights of the original. But for a sequel to come out a year later, with the same director and writer, most of the same cast, and multiple standout moments, is rare in any film genre.
Release: April 2011
Box Office: $97,231,420
Director Wes Craven
Writer: Kevin Williamson
“Spare me the lecture! You’ve done very well by all this bloodshed, haven’t you? Well, how about the town you left behind? I’ve got plans for you. I’m gonna slit your eyelids in half so you don’t blink when I stab you in the face. You’ll die when I want you to, Sidney, not a moment before. Until then, you’re going to suffer!”
— Ghostface
The most controversial and divisive ranking on this list will be 2011s Scream 4. At the box office, Scream 4 has so far been the least successful. It was the final film directed by Wes Craven before his death in 2015.
It is also one of the most underrated sequels in horror film history. Quite frankly, the criticism held towards this film may be due to timing rather than the movie’s quality.
Scream 4 is the film that the ‘Scary Movie’ parody franchise affected the most. The first ‘Scary Movie’ film was released in the summer of 2000 and directed by Keenen Ivory Wayans, earning $278 million at the box office.
The spoof film series spawned four sequels, three of which came out before Scream 4. In total, the ‘Scary Movie’ franchise earned close to $900 million at the worldwide box office. For a generation of moviegoers, the first time they saw Ghostface was the version by the Wayans Brothers instead of Wes Craven.
Compared to the most recent Scream, the fourth installment’s usage of legacy characters, such as Sidney Prescott, is better utilized, and bringing together a cast of new characters is exceptionally done here.
Hayden Panettiere puts out possibly her best performance on film as Kirby Reed, who is now one of the most adored characters in all of the franchise. Scream 2022 doesn’t have a new character that comes close to being as well-written.
Along with Panettiere, numerous new characters stand out, including Emma Roberts (Jill Roberts), Alison Brie (Rebecca Walters), Rory Culkin (Charlie Walker), and Marley Shelton (Deputy Judy Hicks).
One of the unsung heroes of the horror genre is Roger L. Jackson, who has done the voice of Ghostface for all the Scream films. Not since the original Scream has Ghostface felt more threatening when speaking to his potential victims. The threats feel deadly, and the tone used when speaking is menacing.
Scream 4 also has some of the best kills in the franchise, with the most notable being that of Olivia Morris, played by Marielle Jaffe, who is left with her intestines out in a blood-soaked bedroom.
The progression of characters like Sidney Prescott as an author using her own experiences to produce a pseudo-self-help book, Dewey as the Sheriff of Woodsboro, and Gale Weathers struggling to develop new stories to write about after ten years of peace is natural and realistic.
The movie avoids making one of them a version of Sarah Connor.
The most significant detriment that provides ammunition to critics of Scream 4 is in the opening.
All of the Scream films usually have outstanding openings; however, Scream 4’s introduction relies too heavily on being Meta using the film within a film trope while criticizing the state of the horror film landscape.
The ending also overstays its welcome by lasting too long.
The reveal of the killers and their motivation to film all the kills and then post them online to make their own movie was unique and more creative than what was done in the successor.
Scream 4 may not have been as well-received when it first came out in 2011, but over time, it could prove to be the most consistent of the franchise, aside from the original.
Release: December 1996
Box Office: $173,046,663
Director: Wes Craven
Writer: Kevin Williamson
“Now Sid, Don’t You Blame The Movies. Movies Don’t Create Psychos. Movies Make Psychos More Creative!”
— Skeet Ulrich — Billy Loomis
The top spot was an obvious choice as Wes Craven’s 1996 Scream is one of the greatest horror films of all time.
Scream was a monumental film in horror that brought about numerous clones and parodies that, over time, have not aged as gracefully as the film they were copying.
Scream also established Wes Craven as neck and neck with John Carpenter as arguably the greatest director in horror cinema, with each man having numerous classic films in the genre.
The opening scene, along with the unexpected killing of Drew Barrymore, is not only one of the greatest in horror film history, but in film history in general.
Scream immediately brings forth a premise that everyone can relate to: having your safety taken away from you in your own home.
The kills may be over-reliant on knife stabbings, and the fact that owning a cell phone is enough to make you a murder suspect hasn’t aged that well; however, the cast from top to bottom elevates the movie to a higher plateau.
Along with Roger L. Jackson, composer Marco Beltrami, who did the film’s score, brings out a unique atmosphere that leaves the audience with a sense of dread.
Scream is filled with homages, quotes, and references to classic horror movies like Halloween and Psycho. Arguably, no other film has used callbacks, nostalgia, and fan service in such a satisfying way until the most recent Spider-Man and Avengers films.
The film’s final act, revealing Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich) and Stu Macher (Matthew Lillard) as the killer duo, was perfect, establishing both as memorable psychotic villains
It must be stated that Neve Campbell’s Sidney Prescott is arguably the greatest final girl in horror cinema. The character is the perfect blend of strong and vulnerable, making her unique and relatable.
Over the last three decades, few films have had as much impact as Scream did on the horror genre. It still holds up to this day, and its influence makes it a movie that keeps on giving.
(Featured Image: Dimension Films/Woods Entertainment)
Originally published at https://www.frontproofmedia.com on January 22, 2022.
