All 6 ‘Scream’ Movies Ranked, from the 1996 Original to ‘Scream VI’

“Scream 3” (2000)

What happens: Scream’s move from Woodsboro to Los Angeles sets the stage for “Stab 3”: a troubled Hollywood production about made-up events, which soon draw real blood. The murders lure Sidney, Gale, and Dewey back into another Ghostface trap, and reframe everything we know about the first two Scream installments.

Why it’s great: The first film in the series not written by Kevin Williamson, “Scream 3” leaves plenty to be desired. The kills are lame, the motive is contrived, and Gale Weathers’ bangs are so bad it’s a miracle Courteney Cox came back for “Scream 4.” That said, the shabby disasterpiece Ehren Kruger’s rewritten script became can be scary funny (that utterly exhausting “Clerks” cameo notwithstanding). Voice-changing technology turns Ghostface into the perfect mimic, as the real-life inspirations for the “Stab” franchise are forced to contend with their thespian doppelgängers. It’s the Spider-Men pointing meme of Scream movies, bringing back your Woodsboro favorites and introducing newcomers from Patrick Warburton to Parker Posey.

Plus, Carrie Fisher appears as Bianca Burnette: a jaded actress who looks a lot like the real Carrie Fisher and almost got cast as Princess Leia, but of course, “Who gets it? The one who sleeps with George Lucas.” 

Perfect for: Fans of over-the-top aughts techno horror and/or “BoJack Horseman” Season 1. —AF

“Scream 2” (1997)

What happens: After Hollywood decides to immortalize the events of the original “Scream” in a fictional Robert Rodriguez movie called “Stab,” a new Ghostface plots a bigger and bloodier series of murders in pursuit of the perfect sequel.

Why it’s great: This was the moment where “Scream” really became the meta horror franchise we all know it as. The first movie was a brilliant play on the genre tropes that fans had come to recognize, but you’d be forgiven for thinking that its premise had reached its logical conclusion. Once Craven and Williamson blew up their world and started introducing fictional movies to the “Scream” universe, they paved the way for all the delightful weirdness that would come in the 21st century.

Perfect for: Anyone who loved the humor of “22 Jump Street” but wished more characters got brutally dismembered. —CZ

“Scream” (2022)

What happens: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett take their first stab (ha) at the Scream franchise with “Scream” (2022): a sendup of the so-called horror “requel” that sees a younger cast of Woodsboro characters — mysteriously, all connected to the original 1996 murders — contending with an especially toxic new killer.

Why it’s great: The fifth Scream is as unnecessarily clumsy as its title, delivering four films of franchise lore through far too many shot-for-shot homages and just as many overly contrived script references and reveals. There’s a soap opera quality to the positioning of fresh-faced final girl Sam (Melissa Barrera) as Billy Loomis’ daughter that’s eyeroll-worthy, and Mindy (Jasmin Savoy Brown) — the niece of Randy Meeks — isn’t as insightful with her horror commentary as Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillet’s might have hoped. When juxtaposed with the shocking loss of a major character, this movie’s flaws can feel especially grating. But the over-the-top strangeness of the fifth Scream’s set up is also true to the franchise and genre’s ridiculous past. Even if Scream’s new caretakers spend a bit too much time proving they’re really Scream fans, the first return to Woodsboro since 2011 crackles with the timeless appeal of Craven’s original formula and dares to double-down on everything this series stands for. 

Perfect for: Horror fans who liked “Ready or Not” and aren’t too defensive about “Halloween” (2018). —AF

“Scream VI” (2023)

What happens: Following the traumatizing events of 2022’s “Scream,” the new generation of Woodsboro teens head to college in New York City in pursuit of something resembling a normal life. But when a new killer dons the Ghostface mask, their battle with the anonymous murderer plays out on the subways, fire escapes, and dark alleys of the city that never sleeps

Why it’s great: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett found their groove by making an unapologetic 180 and delivering the least self-referential “Scream” movie to date. Sure, there’s the obligatory conversation about the “rules” of horror franchises. But the film really shines by leaning away from parody and telling a character-driven story that builds on everything the 2022 reboot set up. Jenna Ortega and Marissa Barrera prove that they’re more than capable of leading the franchise, which frees up the surviving legacy characters to add the perfect amount of color without the burden of carrying the whole film. The best “Scream” movies have always leaned into the fact that it’s really just a whodunnit series that happens to feature a lot of stabbings, and “Scream VI” proves that there are plenty of mysteries left to solve.

Perfect for: Anyone who had the misfortune of watching “Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan” and wants to see what it’s like when a New York-set horror movie actually takes place in New York. —CZ

Read IndieWire’s complete review of “Scream VI”

“Scream 4” (2011)

What happens: It’s been a decade since the Hollywood-set killing spree of “Scream 3,” and the Woodsboro crew is beginning to think they’re in the clear. But when an influx of horror movie remakes inspires a new murderer to start terrorizing Woodsboro, our heroes have to reunite to stop the latest pop culture-obsessed killer.

Why it’s great: Wes Craven seemed to understand that meta humor is not a drug that works in small doses. The only way to maintain a franchise like this is to keep exponentially increasing the self-referential ridiculousness to a level that previously seemed impossible with each film. Craven certainly accomplishes that by turning the opening scene into a cinematic turducken, showing characters watching a horror movie within a horror movie within a horror movie. That lays the foundation for what might be the franchise’s best whodunnit, a perfect blend of mystery and comedy that feels far too fresh to be the work of a 70-year-old man.

Perfect for: Anyone itching for a “Friday the 13th” and “Knives Out” crossover. —CZ

“Scream” (1996)

What happens: One year after the unsolved murder of Maureen Prescott in Woodsboro, California, Maureen’s teenage daughter Sidney is taunted by a masked serial killer known as Ghostface. As the bodies of Woodsboro residents start piling up, crime reporter Gale Weathers and deputy sheriff Dewey Riley get involved in the case.

Why it’s great: “There’s a formula to it!” And this is that formula. Craven struck cinematic gold with his 1996 original, from the stunning demise of Casey Becker (a Drew Barrymore scene referencing and rivaling Janet Leigh’s comeuppance in “Psycho”) to Sidney’s inaugural victory over two Ghostfaces. Stu Macher (Matthew Lillard) and Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich) remain the best villains in Scream history, and the echoes of their vicious indifference can be felt in the actions of even their most hapless successors. The original “Scream” offers everlasting commentary not just on ’90s horror or the history of the slasher, but also on the terror we could all inflict on each other — if the mood strikes. 

Perfect for: Horror heads of every stripe, but especially those with a fondness for “Wes Craven’s New Nightmare.” —AF