Every SCREAM Movie, Ranked

Becca Stalnaker

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Ghost face stabs a knife through a wall in Scream 2

Tis the season of spooky movies, horror fans. Whether you are a year-round watcher or an October-only horror fan, there are always certain films that make their way onto almost everyone’s spooky season list. Among those are Scream and its sequels. 2022 brought us a brand new Woodsboro outing; another is on the way in 2023. Since Ghostface is currently at the forefront of the genre, it’s time to rank all the films from worst to best.

Warning: There will be spoilers for all five Scream movies.

5. Scream 3

Dewey, Sidney and Gail arrive on the Stab set

Scream 3 marks the end of the original trilogy. With all of her friends and family gone, Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox) and Dewey Riley (David Arquette) are Sidney’s (Neve Campbell) only remaining connections to Woodsboro. When a string of murders begins in Hollywood, everything points back to old memories, and Sid is caught in the crossfire again. In a final message to the gang, Randy Meeks (Jamie Kennedy) reminds everyone that, in the last act of a trilogy, no one is safe, not even Sidney.

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I have to say that I do not think this is a terrible movie. I do, however, think it is the worst in the franchise. The whole rejected, obsessive half-brother storyline lost some serious points with me. It felt like they were reaching too much to keep the familial connections. I love that they included Randy, even though he died in the last movie. Though, including Randy’s sister, that had never been mentioned before, seemed a bit weird.

4. Scream 5

Sidney stands in front of the door holding a weapon

Scream 5 takes viewers back to Woodsboro for a new round of terror. Sam (Melissa Barrera) is suddenly called back to her hometown after her younger sister Tara (Jenna Ortega), is brutally attacked by someone in a Ghostface costume. When she and her boyfriend Richie (Jack Quaid) arrive in Woodsboro, Sam reaches out to an expert for help.

I both love and hate that Sam is supposed to be Billy’s (Skeet Ulrich) daughter. It is a fantastic way to connect the new to the old, but at the same time, it is a bit of a stretch. Obviously, Billy would have had no issue cheating on Sid, but the timeline would have been tight. As I said, I love and hate it. Randy’s niece and nephew being part of the group in question would have been a link to me. That would not have provided the same type of outlet for Sam’s “issues,” but that could have gone in a different direction.

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Another reason I rated this one so low is the glaring height discrepancy between Ghostface and the person who was supposed to be behind the Ghostface mask. I am specifically referring to Dewey’s death scene. It had to have been Amber (Mikey Madison) who killed Dewey since Richie was standing next to Sam. Amber is short; according to Google, the actress is 5 foot 2 inches. However, Ghostface stands taller than Dewey, who stands approximately 5 foot 10 inches. Also, Ghostface was strong enough to lift Dewey by the handle of a knife inserted in his back. Maybe I am reading too much into that scene since I am still salty about Dewey dying instead of Gale, but it annoys me. 

3. Scream 4

A group of friends sit together outside

Scream 4 introduces an entirely new cast with a few returning faces. This time, Sidney returns to Woodsboro to promote her new book. Of course, as soon as she arrives, the killing starts again, but this time, her cousin’s friends are the targets.

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Oddly enough, I loved the cousin twist, which is a bit weird since I hated the half-brother twist in the third film. Nevertheless, the entire story flowed better and made more sense to my way of thinking. Also, that insane showdown in the hospital is way better than the final battle in the previous movie. As a bonus, Hayden Panettiere‘s Kirby serves as fantastic representation for horror nerd girls. 

2. Scream 2

A guy scares his girlfriend while wearing a ghost face mask at the movie theater

Scream 2 takes place around a year after the heinous Woodsboro murders. Sidney and her remaining friends have gone to college and are doing their best to put the past behind them. Right when they think they’re safe, a murder is reported at the premiere of Stab, the horror movie based on the Woodsboro murders. As expected, the tragedies move closer to home, and everyone is a suspect.

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For a sequel, it is beautifully done. The story starts at a natural point after the original, character development has progressed and no one knows what to expect. All the surviving favorites are back, and a few new characters are introduced. Therefore, everyone is a suspect. Did one of the survivors go off the deep end, or is one of the newcomers a little too shifty? I dub this film the perfect complement to the original.

1. Scream

Casey holds a phone to her ear and stands by a door

Scream is about a teenager named Sidne and her circle of friends. As the anniversary of Sid’s mother’s death approaches, classmates start turning up dead. Each victim is brutalized and stabbed multiple times. Local police have no idea how to handle such a situation. Eventually, it becomes clear that the killer is specifically after Sidney, and she has to fight to survive.

You can’t top perfection, and my opinion is that this movie is one of the best slasher horrors ever made. As much as I enjoy the sequels, there will never be another film as good as Scream. The first time I watched this movie, I suspected every single character of being the murderer. I think the plot is excellent. It is just the right side of brutal, and the acting is stellar. I could gush about this film for all eternity, or maybe longer.

Only one question remains, where will Scream 6 fall on the list?

There you have it, every Scream movie ranked! Do you agree with my assessment? Let me know in the comments! I also want to know what you are watching for spooky season — don’t leave me hanging.

This article was originally published on 10/9/22.

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Becca Stalnaker

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