Although perhaps not always mentioned in the same breath as Halloween, Friday the 13th, or A Nightmare on Elm Street, it’s becoming increasingly more difficult to not mention Scream in the conversation for best horror franchise of all time. Maybe it’s missing the 80’s nostalgia factor that the other franchises have but in terms of quality, Scream is towards the top. Which is what makes Scream film rankings so difficult to do. But hey, you’re not reading this for me to talk about how difficult my job can be, so let’s rank these films. It’s going to be a scream, baby!
(This article will contain light spoilers for each film. If you haven’t seen them all, proceed with caution)
7. Scream 4
There are some people who will dismiss my Scream film rankings right now because of calling Wes Craven’s final film the weakest in the series. But it is and we need to discuss that. In a recent rewatch, I found myself really struggling with a few things. First and most problematic, the legacy characters didn’t feel like themselves at all. Dewey (David Arquette) is lovable, the real-life Cowardly Lion who found his courage; whose battle scars don’t define him but do slow him down. In Scream 4, he came across as almost mean and definitely cold, especially to Gale. It didn’t come across as character evolution; it came across as not being in tune with the character.
Sidney (Neve Campbell) seemed shoehorned into the plot without a purpose, except for the film’s final act. The first two acts of the film struggle to cultivate any sort of identity for the film, very much feeling like the film’s two writers had different ideas for how the story should go instead of a cohesive narrative being created. While the final act of the film is exceptionally good, it wasn’t enough to save the film from being last on my Scream film rankings list.
6. Scream 6
Let me start by saying that I enjoy Scream 6. Quality-wise, it’s a huge leap from Scream 4. Upping the brutality, bringing back Kirby (Hayden Panettiere), some strong character development and the excellent backdrop of NYC made for a really good film – to start. But the film absolutely falls apart in the third act, after shining in the first two acts.
Scream 6 suffers from an incredibly weak killer reveal, which was by far the worst of the series. Faking Quinn’s death didn’t work nearly as well as when the first film faked audiences out with Billy. It felt re-hashed, as did the family motivation for the killings. It was also too much of a stretch of the imagination that this entire family would be killers and that Detective Baily would be able to fly under the radar the way that he did.
Interesting to note that the lack of Sidney isn’t really a factor in this film being ranked second to last. Even though it was weird to not have her in the film, they handled her absence well. The Sam Carpenter character was a worthwhile replacement, differing from Sidney enough to make her stand out, while still carrying on the franchise’s legacy of kick ass, yet sympathetic female leads.
5. Scream 7
Sidney Prescott’s (now Evans) return to the franchise she helped launch in Scream 7 was a successful outing, that played off nostalgia smartly and introduced the likely new heir apparent in Sidney’s eldest daughter Tatum (Isabel May). Kevin Williamson proved to be a capable director, with the film juggling suspense, humor and a few gruesome death scenes in what overall was an entertaining film.
That’s not to say that everything worked in Scream 7, as the film’s attempt at using AI as psychological warfare against Sidney didn’t cut as deep as it could have. That’s not to say that it was bad in any way, but if you’re going to use the ghosts of Sidney’s past to try and rattle her, why not really hit her where it hurts? Same with the killers from the film. The motivation was good and time period appropriate, but at no point did Sidney or Tatum ever feel truly in danger. We went straight from a really good Ghostface chase scene to the reveal. A little more time would have went a long way here.
Perhaps the greatest sin Scream 7 committed was trying to do too much and therefore not giving itself enough time to slow down and linger over the details, which is what the best Scream films have traditionally done. This was a really good Scream film that stops just short of being a great Scream film but certainly has me excited for what’s next.
4. Scream 2
Scream 2 is an amazing film. It’s fun. It’s sexy. It’s scary. It established that there was real franchise value here. A lot of precedents for not only the franchise, but future horror films were set here. Whereas the films lower on the list range from good to very good, Scream 2 is a great film and is only this low on the list due to the high quality of films in this franchise.
Killing off Randy in the second film of a burgeoning series was the film’s greatest mistake, as the character was central to what made Scream different than other series – how self-aware and genre aware it was. A character like Randy might not be destined to be in as many films as Sidney or Gale, but there was still milage left with someone who can be a likeable, audience proxy on-screen.
Scream 2‘s killer reveal benefits from future installments, as themes of motherhood remain a constant thread that’s ever evolving. Minor quibbles with the film such as Randy’s death and another Dewey fake out are really the only complaints you can make about this near flawless sequel.
3. Scream 5
I’ve never understood the criticism of Scream 5, personally. The film is a love letter to not just Wes Craven and not just the original Scream either, but slasher series and fandoms as a whole. Although he didn’t direct it, there are Dream Warriors vibes and homages all throughout the film and some really incredible Craven-style long-angled shots, giving long-time genre fans warm and fuzzy feelings. The film’s underpinning social themes certainly harken back to Craven’s personal views and earlier work.
It’s not just the Craven love that makes this film so special. The legacy characters felt true to themselves. Their journeys are reflected in their stories. It felt real. The new characters were the most authentic and well-rounded group of fresh faces since the original. It didn’t feel like a group of victims or bodies for a new killer to pad the numbers. These characters were three-dimensional and that was sorely missing from the previous installment especially.
The concept of a “requel” was reminiscent of the originality of the first film. Sure, it was a reboot to some extent, but it was very much a continuation of the story we were already invested in. It made for a great plot, but it was also the kind of genre commentary we came to expect from the series. Scream 5 was a thrill ride from start to finish with a strong emotional undercurrent, which makes it stand apart from most films, in this series included.
2. Scream 3
Scream 3 had us fully invested in the concept of a trilogy. For more than a decade, this series was just that, which given Hollywood’s fixation with sequels, is actually impressive. This film catches a lot of grief for its emphasis on comedy but given the post-Columbine times we were living in, toning down the violence was a necessity.
But Scream 3 turned its restrictions into a positive. The story takes some heavy-handed shots at Harvey Weinstein way before that was the norm. Scream 3 also tells a layered story, built upon grief and psychological trauma that manages to be hysterical at times, but still fresh. This wasn’t just another Scream movie. This felt like a real conclusion and a satisfying one at that.
The new cast members made for terrific foils to the returning cast, providing levity in addition to suspense. Scream 3 serves as a nudge and a wink to both genre lovers and cinephiles, offering easter eggs and references galore. The killer reveal felt heavier than any other reveal in the series, giving Sidney’s story an abundance of power. Had this truly been the end of the character’s arc, it would have been a phenomenal one.
1. Scream
The original takes the top spot on my Scream film rankings. This is likely an unsurprising result, but I’ll defend my position nonetheless. Scream was a breath of fresh air into a genre that was in a dark period. Franchise burnout was real. Horror’s golden age of the previous decade was now a thing of the past. The genre needed something new and fresh. Wes Craven and Kevin Williamson delivered just that.
Scream was hip, witty, incredibly clever and had a cast of relatable characters that would go on to take Hollywood by storm. Everyone knows a Sidney, knows a Randy, knows a Tatum and knows a Stu in their real lives. Horror is at its best when we can see ourselves on-screen and there are few examples better than Scream in terms of investing the audience. We all knew the cliques within the genre and the film quizzed us on how well we knew them. We all knew the rules and Scream asked: Could you survive if this happened to you? Are you the Sidney or are you one of the victims.
What did you think of my Scream film rankings? Be sure to drop a comment and let me know!