Scream is my favorite horror franchise and yet I somehow realized I have never officially ranked it in an article. It is clear that it revolutionized (one of my favorite) horror genres: the meta-slasher, for the 90s and beyond, but there are some films I would revisit over the others. From worst to best, here is my definitive ranking of every single Scream movie.
* WARNING: Major spoilers ahead for the entire franchise
7) Scream 7 (2026) - dir. Kevin Williamson
Synopsis: When a new Ghostface killer emerges in the quiet town where Sidney Prescott has built a new life, her darkest fears are realized as her daughter becomes the next target. Determined to protect her family, Sidney must face the horrors of her past to put an end to the bloodshed once and for all.
Every single piece of hate this movie got was entirely earned. It was an absolute train wreck. Who in their right mind thought an AI deepfake plotline was a good idea? The Ghostface reveal was embarrassing, and dragging Neve Campbell back while magically resurrecting Matthew Lillard felt like pure desperation. It’s bad when a lifelong fan won't even buy a theater ticket. They completely trashed the legacy with this one, and I know most people would agree, which is the biggest issue.
6) Scream 2 (1997) - dir. Wes Craven
Synopsis: Two years after the Woodsboro murders, Sidney Prescott acclimates to college life while someone donning the Ghostface costume begins a new string of killings.
* Spoilers for Friday the 13th (1980) *
I know people love this one, and as much as I like it and would rewatch (especially for that opening scene), it just doesn't do it for me. The college setting is fun on paper, but Sidney’s friend group is mostly forgettable, and killing Randy off so early felt cheap. You’re robbing the movie of its best voice way too soon. The one thing I do really love, though, is the undeniable suspense in the police car escape scene, but the rest of the film drags. The Ghostface reveal is what really kills it for me. Doing a Friday the 13th copycat with Mrs. Loomis felt lazy for a franchise built on subverting tropes.
5) Scream VI (2023) - dir. Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett
Synopsis: Following the latest Ghostface killings, the four survivors leave Woodsboro behind and start a fresh chapter.
I was ridiculously excited for this. It came out on my birthday, and as a New Yorker, seeing Ghostface take Manhattan was a dream concept. Does it actually look like NYC? Not even close (you can tell it was shot in Montreal immediately), but it still delivered. That subway tension was great, and the apartment ladder scene triggered the same gut-wrenching fear I felt watching Nerve years ago. The only real anchor dragging it down is (to no surprise) the Ghostface reveal. It was painfully obvious to me that there were 3 of them, and that completely deflated the third act.
4) Scream (2022) - dir. Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett
Synopsis: Twenty-five years after a streak of brutal murders shocked the quiet town of Woodsboro, a new killer has donned the Ghostface mask and begins targeting a group of teenagers to resurrect secrets from the town’s deadly past.
This was actually the first Scream movie I got to see in a theater, so it’s got a special place in my heart. Sam and Tara Carpenter were hands-down the best addition to the modern era, which makes the studio letting them go later all the more infuriating. Having Tara survive the opening phone call subverted expectations right away, and taking the climax back to Stu Macher’s house was a great full-circle fan moment. Plus, Mindy stepped up seamlessly to fill that essential horror-obsessed void left by Randy and Kirby.
3) Scream 3 (2000) - dir. Wes Craven
Synopsis: As bodies begin dropping around the Hollywood set of STAB 3, the third film based on the gruesome Woodsboro killings, Sidney and other survivors are once again terrorized by another Ghostface killer.
This movie is criminally slept on. It’s the only entry with a single Ghostface killer, and throwing the horror onto the Hollywood set of Stab 3 made for top-tier absurdity. But the real reason this sits so high is the chaotic energy between Courteney Cox and Parker Posey as Jennifer Jolie. Watching Parker Posey play an actress trying to out-Gale Weathers the real Gale Weathers is the comedy that balanced out the brutal kills. Modern horror takes itself way too seriously and we need campy, unhinged entries like this again (just not with characters with bangs as bad as Gale’s).
2) Scream 4 (2011) - dir. Wes Craven
Synopsis: Fifteen years after the original Woodsboro murders, Sidney Prescott returns home to promote her new book about surviving trauma, only for a new Ghostface killer to emerge, targeting a new group of teens.
This is how you do a modern sequel while keeping the original DNA alive. Emma Roberts completely nailed it as Jill, and Hayden Panettiere’s Kirby instantly became an all-time character for me. The Stab-a-thon scene is pure fan service done right. It tapped into social media clout-chasing way before the rest of the genre caught on, proving just how ahead of its time it really was.
1) Scream (1996) - dir. Wes Craven
Synopsis: A year after the murder of her mother, a teenage girl is terrorized by a masked killer who targets her and her friends by using scary movies as part of a deadly game.
Number one could never go to anything else. It was one of the first slasher movies I ever watched, and anyone who knows my taste knows I am an absolute fan of anything meta. Wes Craven and Kevin Williamson didn't just make a movie; they deconstructed the genre in real time without sacrificing genuine terror or a tight whodunit. Modern horror wouldn't look the way it does today without this film. With December 20th this year being the 30th anniversary of the original, I think a Scream watch would be perfect to celebrate it for the masterpiece it is.
Remembering Kirby: A Tribute to Hayden Panettiere
Just a few days ago, on August 16th, 2026, we tragically lost Hayden Panettiere at just 36 years old.
As Kirby Reed, Hayden gave the Scream franchise a fan favorite (a character whose sharp knowledge of horror trivia made her reminiscent of the legendary Randy Meeks in the original). Her brilliant work in Scream 4 and Scream VI won’t be forgotten, as horror won’t be the same without her. My heart goes out to her loved ones.
Rest easy, Hayden.
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