In the mid-90s horror was struggling. The big franchises were tired. Sequels kept coming but no one cared. Then Scream landed in 1996. It was sharp, scary, and funny. It made you laugh at horror clichés while still making you jump. It reminded audiences why slashers mattered.
Nearly thirty years later, the series still works. Each film speaks to the horror of its time. Each one plays with your expectations while finding new ways to put Ghostface back in your nightmares.
Here's how the story unfolds.
Scream (1996)
The first film changed horror. That opening with Drew Barrymore shocked everyone. You thought she was safe. She wasn’t. It told you the rules had changed.
Sidney Prescott became one of the best horror leads. She felt real. She fought back without turning into a caricature. Gale Weathers and Dewey Riley gave you different perspectives. One driven. One kind but awkward. They grounded the story.
Ghostface stood out because he wasn’t supernatural. He ran. He tripped. He bled. He also taunted you on the phone, which made him personal. He felt like someone you knew.
Scream 2 (1997)
The sequel moved Sidney to college. It gave her more space to grow while showing you that Ghostface could strike anywhere. The rules of sequels were laid out clearly: bigger, louder, bloodier.
The Stab films within the films made the series more layered. The cinema opening drove the point home. Audiences cheering at fake violence while real violence unfolded in the aisles. It forced you to think about why you watch horror in the first place.
It isn’t as fresh as the original, but it proves Scream wasn’t a one-off.
Scream 3 (2000)
The third film took you to Hollywood. The satire is heavy. The scares are lighter. Ghostface uses a voice changer that lets him mimic anyone. That stretches belief.
Parker Posey steals the film as Jennifer Jolie. She plays the actress cast as Gale in the Stab movies. Her constant clashes with the real Gale give you the best scenes.
The finale in a mansion offers tension, but it doesn’t hit as hard as before. This entry feels like Hollywood laughing at itself more than a proper horror story.
Scream 4 (2011)
After more than a decade, Scream returned to Woodsboro. This time it aimed at reboots and remakes. Sidney comes back as a survivor who's written about her trauma. Ghostface greets her with a new generation of victims.
The younger characters live-streamed and filmed everything. At the time it seemed exaggerated. Today it feels spot on. The killers wanted fame, not revenge. That rings even louder now.
The kills are nastier and the ending feels bolder. It didn’t make a huge splash when it came out, but it looks stronger today.
Scream (2022)
After Wes Craven died, fans thought the series was done. In 2022 it came back. It called itself a "requel." Half reboot. Half sequel.
You still had Sidney, Gale, and Dewey. But the story shifted to Sam and Tara Carpenter, two sisters caught in the cycle of violence. The film looks straight at toxic fandom. It shows you how obsession twists people.
The violence is brutal and the commentary feels honest. It respects the old characters but doesn’t cling to them.
Scream VI (2023)
The latest chapter moves to New York. That choice changes everything. Ghostface in a packed subway car is terrifying. The city adds scale the series hadn’t tried before.
Sidney is absent, but Sam and Tara carry it well. Gale returns but doesn’t dominate. Ghostface feels more vicious here, more relentless.
Some twists repeat old ideas, but the pace, setting, and energy make it stand out.
Final Thoughts
Scream survives because it adapts. Each entry reflects the horror culture of its time. Slashers, sequels, reboots, and now toxic fandom. The stories always evolve.
The first four films worked because Sidney, Gale, and Dewey anchored them. The last two prove the series doesn’t need to lean on them forever. Ghostface remains effective because he changes every time. Behind the mask there’s always someone ordinary. That’s what makes him frightening.
Nearly three decades on, the question still lands the same way. What’s your favourite scary movie?