From Stab-Worthy to Slash Masterpiece: Ranking the Scream Movies

With the release of Scream 7, I decided to update my ranking of the Scream franchise. Scream is my favorite horror franchise of all time. I really enjoy it for its meta-commentary on the horror genre as well as the balance between horror and comedy. These movies also manage to always have likable fun characters that are really fun to follow along with. This is also one of the few horror franchises that doesn't go off the rails too much. Most of the others (Halloween, Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street) get to a point where the movies just get really stupid. However, this is not the case with Scream as the movies have managed to stay pretty consistent for the past 30 years. With that being said, here are my thoughts and ranking of the 7 Scream movies.

7. Scream 7

Unfortunately, the newest Scream is the worst in the franchise and the first one that I have had to give a negative review to. There are a few positives to this movie. The Scream movies all have this fun sense of charm and metacommentary, and this one is no exception. It is also fun to see Sidney return to be the lead of the film in a new phase of life with a daughter. However, the overall story and logic are lacking. There are just too many lapses in logic in this film. There are too many moments that make you question where the police are. Several scenes take place in the middle of downtown, and there are no police to be seen. It just makes no sense. The movie also failed to handle the relationship between Sidney and her daughter effectively. They have a strained relationship until the movie no longer needs them. The killer in this movie is also probably the worst in the franchise. Their motivation is just so convoluted and doesn't make any sense. They give a long monologue, but the words just don't mean anything. Overall, this was a very disappointing film, which, despite having its good moments, fell short of the rest of the franchise.

Score: 5.5/10 Grade: C

6. Scream 3

Scream 3 is one of the weaker films in the franchise but is still a decent enough movie. The movie allows Sidney to start in a place that makes sense to her character given what happened in the previous two films. I also enjoyed the direction they took the film with the setting being on the set of a Stab movie. I just thought that was a very fun and clever way to go. The movie also gets to do its meta-commentary on not just horror movies but also on Trilogies which was a lot of fun as well. Finally, I thought the final reveal was interesting enough and gave a new side to the stories of the previous two films. As this is towards the bottom, there are quite a few things I have issues with. The main issue is that this is the film that feels the most like a gimmick. At times it feels like it is just going through the motions to feel like a Scream movie. At times, the film also verges on cheesy territory just due to some of the action scenes and dialogue. This film felt a bit too goofy to me which ended up just really hurting the film.

Score: 6.5/10 Grade: B-

5. Scream 2

Scream 2 takes what was good about the original film and is actually able to continue doing it. This movie does a great job of continuing the ideas of the original film and allowing the characters to progress naturally. This movie does a great job of making fun of the tropes of sequels, especially through dialogue of Randy. I really enjoyed that this movie chose to go to a different setting and explore these characters in college instead of just remaining in Woodsboro. It allows us to explore Sidney's character a lot more as we get to see her have new experiences. The things that keep this one back are that I felt the characters and the villain weren't as memorable as they are in the rest of the series. The movie as a whole just isn't as memorable as the rest of the films and just doesn't add as much to the franchise. While it is still a good movie, it just doesn't stand out in the franchise.

Score: 7.5/10 Grade: B

4. Scream 4

Scream 4 gives us a return to Woodsboro but with Sidney in a new phase of life. This movie brings in some new younger characters with Sidney's cousin and friends. These characters are all a lot of fun and bring back the feel of the original film but with a new generation. I really enjoyed the overall story of bringing Sidney back to Woodsboro and having to see how her family is affected by the events of the previous films. I also really liked the direction they took the older characters. Dewey, Gale, and Sidney are all at natural places in their life and it was nice to see them finally start to move on from their past horrors. The newer characters were also a lot of fun with the standouts being Kirby and Deputy Hicks, both of which return in later films. The only thing holding this back for me was the whole boyfriend subplot. I felt that the boyfriend character just randomly showed up throughout the story without adding much to the plot until the end where he just feels shoehorned in. Other than that, this is a solid addition to the franchise.

Score: 7.5/10 Grade: B

3. Scream (2022)

Scream (2022) returns to the franchise after 10 years and brings some new life and new direction to the story. I really liked that they decided to use new characters as the center of the story while still utilizing the legacy characters as side characters. The addition of Sam as the center was a great change to the franchise. While she is a new character, the story still manages to tie Sam back to the original franchise in a unique way. I also thought the handling of the legacy characters was very well done. They play a significant role in the story but they don't take the spotlight of the new cast. As is typical of the Scream movies, this film also takes on the meta-commentary of the requel (Reboot Sequel) style of Hollywood. The story manages to make fun of some of the tropes of requels while also acknowledging that they are in one. Finally, I thought the Ghostface action was really well done with some very exciting and suspenseful moments. The only thing keeping this out of the top 2 is that I felt that the killer's motivation was a bit too meta and corny. Had it been a bit more grounded, this film may have been number 2.

Score: 8/10 Grade: B+

2. Scream VI

The most recent Scream film comes in as one of the best Scream films. I really enjoyed the story they told here and how they had the killers tied to all of the previous killers in the franchise. I really enjoyed all of the characters in the film, especially the "core 4". They have a great dynamic together and are a lot of fun on screen. I really enjoyed the direction they took Sam and Tara's character. It was different than in previous films as we really get to see how the last film had an impact not only on their mental states but also on how everyone sees them as well as their relationship with each other. I felt that this film has the best kills in the franchise with Ghostface getting some really gnarly action in. Finally, I really liked how they decided to distance themselves from Woodsboro and Sidney as they move the story to NYC. I thought this was a great direction to go and really allowed the story to go in new directions. There are only a couple of issues that keep this from number one. The first issue is that the characters are just too invincible. You see multiple characters get serious injuries but still manage to walk away like it's nothing. I also felt that having the movie set in NYC wasn't used to its fullest potential. There aren't any scenes that really show you that they are in the city. Overall, aside from those issues, this is a great film and one of my favorite horror movies.

Score: 8.5/10 Grade: A-

1. Scream (1996)

The original Scream is still the best. This movie was the first to do a meta-commentary on horror which makes fun of the tropes of horror movies and has the characters aware they are in a horror movie. It lays the foundation for what makes the rest of the franchise work and stand out. The movie also delivers a lot of likable characters and introduces us to Sidney who is one of the more competent leading ladies in a horror franchise. This movie also does a great job of creating a fun whodunit mystery that the rest of the franchise will go on to follow. The killers in this movie are also the most logical and have the motivation that makes the most sense. Finally, I thought that this movie had some of the most memorable moments and kills in the entire franchise. Overall, this is a fantastic movie and really sets up a great premise that lets the rest of the franchise run full steam head with all sorts of success. Not only is this my favorite Scream, but it is also my favorite horror movie.

Score: 8.5/10 Grade: A-