Scream (1996)
I hate to be predictable, but the original is iconic for a reason. To clarify, I’m not ranking it highest for nostalgia or for its good old-fashioned jump scares and striking visuals. The dialogue and delivery is gold, outshining every other film in the franchise. Lines from Stu Macher (Matthew Lillard), Tatum Riley (Rose McGowan), and Randy Meeks (Jamie Kennedy) feel less generic and more personality-driven, laced with mild but clever humour and backstory that slips clues into the dialogue. The characterization is strong and the tension never dips because the film’s level of predictability remains low –– even while openly acknowledging classic slasher tropes like “sex equals death” and never saying “I’ll be right back.”
Scream 2 (1997)
I struggled to place this one because it’s just as good as the first, but there’s one singular thing about this film that lost its chance for first place: the death of a seemingly legacy character. RIP legend. Although, frustrating as it is, I can’t deny the scene’s tauntful setup that escalates beautifully from banter to brutal. Plenty of other elements keep this film high on my list, like the reveal of Mrs. Loomis (Laurie Metcalf) and Mickey Altieri (Timothy Olyphant), which genuinely surprised me — at least on my first watch. The plot development is excellent, especially in the way Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) tries to start fresh in college while still navigating her complicated relationships with Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox) and Cotton Weary (Liev Schreiber). There is also a heightened tension because there is a higher kill count than the original, and it felt like Ghostface would actually win.
Scream 4 (2011)
Despite its mixed reviews, the fourth one remains firmly in my top three. This one is vicious, more graphic, the acting is gold, and there were some really badass scenes. They certainly weren’t shy about what they showed in the aftermath of each murder, and it establishes a tone for the killer that feels unforgiving, relentless and –– most importantly –– passionate. That’s the kind of adrenaline rush that makes me love the horror genre. Jill Roberts (Emma Roberts) and Charlie Walker’s (Rory Culkin) acting even before things turn dark were some of the best individual performances in the franchise.
Scream 3 (2000)
The plot is a beast on this one. We’re reconnected with Weathers and Dewey Riley (David Arquette) after years apart from Prescott, and we actually see her career blossom into fame and not because of her past. That’s before she returns to Woodsboro, of course, and the plot heats up real fast from there. I love being brought back to the original Prescott household but as a movie set in the film. It’s a top-tier strategy in trilogy elevation, but despite the dead ends and escapes Prescott makes, the scare factor isn’t as strong. The character movements are far less clever and the witty flare in the dialogue is weaker.
Scream VI (2023)
It may have a higher number, but it doesn’t deserve a high rating. It’s annoying to watch because of how unrealistic it is. The way the course of events unravels makes the characters and the writer look stupid because everything is so obvious from a viewer’s perspective. Murders go unnoticed even with the looming threat of Ghostface and Woodsboro’s history. Granted, that might just be a genre habit, but here there’s less adrenaline, less tension, and it feels pointless to watch. The scare factor feels included for the sake of the genre rather than enhancing watchability. A positive? The kill count is the highest in the franchise and the gore is still very realistic.
Scream 5 (2022)
Although I did enjoy being taken out of Woodsboro and into New York City, at this point the film becomes too modernized with different visual quality, plot, and graphics that take away the appeal that made me love these films so much. I’m not a fan of the new characters and their behavior, and the dialogue felt cliché, contributing to inauthentic dry humor and drama. It’s just silly, and the killer-reveal conversation is basically a rerun of the fourth film.
No matter the placements of this iconic film franchise, I’ll always get the itch for a good scream.
Veronica is a Staff Writer at The Cascade. She loves to travel and explore new places, no matter how big or small. She is in her second year at UFV, pursuing the study of Creative
Writing.