Scream (1996)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Tim S

  
  It had been a very long time since I had seen the original Scream... probably since it was first released on VHS uncut. After the success of the recent 4th entry (which I haven't seen yet, as of this writing), I decided to revisit these films. I'd only actually seen the… More
  It had been a very long time since I had seen the original Scream... probably since it was first released on VHS uncut. After the success of the recent 4th entry (which I haven't seen yet, as of this writing), I decided to revisit these films. I'd only actually seen the first two, so it was about time to catch up a bit. I'd like to think I'm a different kind of viewer now and can get more out of these films than I could when I first saw them and just wasn't all that crazy about them. I still enjoy the original Scream, but I wouldn't mind having the uncut version sitting on my shelf instead, being that it was the version that I was familiar with. Not that it makes the movie any better, but it's just weird that it's not available. Oh well, someday in a possible re-release on home video, I'm sure. The movie really holds up, despite the fact that it's a product of its time. It's one of the few movies Wes Craven has made that's actually very, very good. Now let's see if the sequels can keep up.

• Melvin W

  
  Principal Himbry: You make me so sick. Your entire havoc-inducing, thieving, whoring generation disgusts me.  "Now everybody is a victim and everybody is a suspect!" Scream is one of the greatest achievements in horror history. It's a movie that is so many things all… More
  Principal Himbry: You make me so sick. Your entire havoc-inducing, thieving, whoring generation disgusts me.  "Now everybody is a victim and everybody is a suspect!" Scream is one of the greatest achievements in horror history. It's a movie that is so many things all at once. It has it's straight horror plot that is like every other slasher, but it is so much more. It's an homage to the slasher genre and a spoof in the slasher genre at the same time. Think about that; the movie is making fun of the genre while paying its respect to it. That isn't done easily, but the writing of Williamson and the direction of Wes Craven get it done. This is a masterpiece; maybe not the type of masterpiece we are used to, but a masterpiece none the less.  The movie is just straight up cool from the first scene with Drew Barrymore to the last blood-soaked massacre. This has to be the most fun horror movie ever made. There's no lull; its straight up, none stop violence and satire. The cast is what you'd call a technically gifted cast, but for a movie like this; they shine. Neve Campbell is the perfect innocent girl. Courtney Cox is a lot of fun to watch as the reporter.  The film touches on so many aspects of the slasher genre. It mentions the scream queen, it shows clips of Halloween. One of the characters is basically a running commentary on the horror movie events that are being translated to real life with the killings. He says stuff, like: Randy: The police are always off track with this shit! If they'd watch Prom Night, they'd save time! There's a formula to it. A very simple formula!  and: Randy: Careful. This is the moment when the supposedly dead killer comes back to life, for one last scare.  The movie is brilliant on so many levels. There is a scene near the beginning of the movie that gives a killer away in such a subtle way. I'm not going to discuss what scene it is or how or what gives it away. I didn't even notice the first couple times I watched the movie, but watching it again I found the scene amazing because Craven is saying here's a killer in a way that no one is going to notice upon one viewing. Now that I'm on the subject of the killers; I might as well say that the movie works pretty well as a mystery-suspense as well. Well, that is as long as you don't see Scary Movie before watching this. There are some many characters that could be in on it, that could be the killer. It makes it very fun on the first go around to decide who you think it is. This movie is really overlooked when it comes to naming some of the best of the genre. Viewers who are only casual horror film watchers don't really get everything out of it that is there. To them its viewed as your standard slasher, with dumb characters, the same old plot and tons of killings. In fact, this is one of the smarter horror movies you'll ever see and part of it's cleverness is not letting non-horror buffs in on the fun. It seems like Craven is putting the standard plot progression in there for the viewer who can't get all the little jokes and references that are catered to the lovers of the genre.  For me, this movie is basically perfection. It combines humor, horror, suspense and mystery and makes for a fresh and exciting experience. It's obviously an important movie in the genre because it did breath new life into it. Nobody had seen anything new and exciting since the birth of the slasher with movies like Psycho, Black Christmas, Halloween and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. After those, it's hard to name any that came out and weren't just blended versions of those four. That is until Scream. It's unoriginal on the surface, but totally original beneath it and that basically puts it in a class all by itself. Tatum: You're starting to sound like some Wes Carpenter flick or something. 

• Adam K

  
  I had never seen the interest in a slasher film. However this is no slasher film, this is a cult classic. From the first moment you are drawn in with interesting shots and plot devices as the excellent story is played out. It's tongue in cheek, it's brutal at times,… More
  I had never seen the interest in a slasher film. However this is no slasher film, this is a cult classic. From the first moment you are drawn in with interesting shots and plot devices as the excellent story is played out. It's tongue in cheek, it's brutal at times, it's ridiculous and the acting would usually bring me to tears of frustration, yet it simply works with Wes Craven's plot and direction. Neve Campbell is main character Sidney Prescott whilst "Friends" star Courtney Cox is Telly journalist Gale Weathers. The ridiculous spoof of all scary movies is played out whilst it's is being mocked. "Scream", is a film I just thought I would hate, yet it is actually a fantastic film. Don't worry if you're not a slasher fan, or a horror fan, or a film fan in general. As long as you know a bit about the genre's "Scream" is making fun of you will enjoy it immensely. ***' 3 & A Half Stars

• Eric A

  
  I was 7 when it came out, so naturally I thought it was scary......and for it's time it was. Plus it gave horror fans a quality new series, which otherwise had been lacking since the Halloween and Friday the 13th films.

• AJ V

  
  This is the best horror movie of the 90s, I think, at least the last great slasher movie. The movie is all about slasher movie conventions, so it's for the fans. Plus it's directed by a good horror film director. I really like this movie, and I highly recommend it.

• Bethany M

  
  A classic! A must see!

• Everett J

  
  With the 4th one coming out I figured I should go back and get caught up before watching the newest one. When the first one came out I wasn't crazy about it, and 15 years later I'm still not. I love the beginning, but the ending kind of ruins it for me. It just… More
  With the 4th one coming out I figured I should go back and get caught up before watching the newest one. When the first one came out I wasn't crazy about it, and 15 years later I'm still not. I love the beginning, but the ending kind of ruins it for me. It just doesn't make a lot of sense, although after the 3rd one it ties it together better I think. It's more entertaining than most slasher flicks, but it's definitely not the "classic"that a lot of people make it out to be.

• Matt G

  
  Classic horror film that started the Halloween costume that is now really popular! This answers the question "what's your favorite scary movie?" It has all the thrills and chills and laughs that you could want in a horror movie. I highly recommend this and cannot wait… More
  Classic horror film that started the Halloween costume that is now really popular! This answers the question "what's your favorite scary movie?" It has all the thrills and chills and laughs that you could want in a horror movie. I highly recommend this and cannot wait for SCRE4M!

• KJ P

  
  Scream takes every horror cliche, makes fun of it and makes them fantastic. This film just goes to show how amazing a horror flick can be, but not always satisfying. This has a great cast and a climax that will not be long forgotten. Delivering thrills and chills the entire way… More
  Scream takes every horror cliche, makes fun of it and makes them fantastic. This film just goes to show how amazing a horror flick can be, but not always satisfying. This has a great cast and a climax that will not be long forgotten. Delivering thrills and chills the entire way through, adding on comedy, and gaining a freshness of death tolls, Scream is a horror masterpiece that should never be reckoned with. This film is brilliant!

• Chris W

  
  Looking back, yes, this film was very groundbreaking, and it still holds up (for the most part), but it's not an air tight masterpiece, and it's legacy of spawning so many clones and rip offs that saturated the market is unfortunate. Still though, this is a dynamite horror… More
  Looking back, yes, this film was very groundbreaking, and it still holds up (for the most part), but it's not an air tight masterpiece, and it's legacy of spawning so many clones and rip offs that saturated the market is unfortunate. Still though, this is a dynamite horror film that is both intense, funny, and well done in terms of it's post-modernust deconstruction of the horror genre. The direction and writing are very strong, and full of life and energy. The script's wittiness still holds up too, although I have no idea why it's necessary for Sidney to wear the costume when hiding in the closet. The opening 12 minutes are absoilute perfection, and the rest of the film mostly stays at that same level, with an occasional dip to take a breather. The ending likewise is still a wild and fun thrill ride. Great stuff all around, even if it's not the perfect film it could have been (and that I once thought it was).

• Steven C

  
  "Scream" is a bon-a-fied 1990's classic. Wes Craven's film turned the horror genre on it's head with this metafiction that works both as a twisted dark comedy and incredibly well as a cat and mouse thriller. Kevin Williamson's script is clever and witty,… More
  "Scream" is a bon-a-fied 1990's classic. Wes Craven's film turned the horror genre on it's head with this metafiction that works both as a twisted dark comedy and incredibly well as a cat and mouse thriller. Kevin Williamson's script is clever and witty, keeping the audience guessing and laughing through it's entire runtime. The characters are vivid and lively and the suspense is true. "Scream" is a vastly original horror movie that, to this day, stands as a true testament to American metafiction and honors the history of American horror. I really love this film.

• E.J. B

  
  Scream is such a smart, original work that it manages to avoid any sort of criticism by criticizing itself first. It manages to call attention to the formula and the cliches that abound almost every slasher film released since the 1980s. But it doesn't think it's any better… More
  Scream is such a smart, original work that it manages to avoid any sort of criticism by criticizing itself first. It manages to call attention to the formula and the cliches that abound almost every slasher film released since the 1980s. But it doesn't think it's any better than them. It thinks it's one of them. It parodies the films that inspired it, and then manages to become one of those films all within the same scene. The plot essentially works like this. Teens die. The remaining teens have seen enough movies that they believe that if they adhere to the rules laid out by those movies, they will survive being sliced and diced by the serial killer who is supposedly watching their every moves. The ones that slip up, don't follow the rules, meet gruesome ends. The mystery plot slowly unravels as the characters deconstruct who in their group could be the killer, and then try to deconstruct the killer's possible motive. It's as if the characters know they're in a horror movie, even though they don't know it. That's the kind of wit, irony, and complexity that screenwriter Kevin Williamson has laid out in this picture. The film is directed with precision by horror auteur Wes Craven, who populates the film with tons of neat little in jokes as well. Fifteen years since its release, Scream remains one of the best slasher films of all time, not just because it contains everything that works to make a great slasher, but because it has a sense of humour about how it works.

• Brad W

  
  Wes Craven is not a horror director, he is a horror god. Scream is a genius movie, that takes in the true fact on horror movies, that theyre all cliche. Horror is not a challenge, its a 3 step procedure, according to Craven. (#1) Dont have sex. (#2) Dont drink beer or do drugs.… More
  Wes Craven is not a horror director, he is a horror god. Scream is a genius movie, that takes in the true fact on horror movies, that theyre all cliche. Horror is not a challenge, its a 3 step procedure, according to Craven. (#1) Dont have sex. (#2) Dont drink beer or do drugs. (#3) Dont say "ill be right back.". Scream was a amazing film, but the record for Cravens best work is Nightmare on Elm Street.

• Conner R

  
  Scream is an incredibly hard movie to judge. On the one hand, it's one of the greatest spoof movies ever made in that a lot of people don't see it as an actual spoof. On the other hand, I feel like Scream really wasn't supposed to be a spoof, but an actual horror movie.… More
  Scream is an incredibly hard movie to judge. On the one hand, it's one of the greatest spoof movies ever made in that a lot of people don't see it as an actual spoof. On the other hand, I feel like Scream really wasn't supposed to be a spoof, but an actual horror movie. Wes Craven always plays around with comedy in his projects, even from the beginning of his career. So when jokes pop up in the movie, it's not all that foreign. If Scream really was aimed to be gritty and serious, then I really don't have respect for it. Not only does it slam existing horror movies, but it uses the same clichés in order to scare its audience. Now I'm going to be nice and give Wes Craven and Kevin Williamson the benefit of the doubt and say they intended for Scream to be the highly intelligent criticism of the horror genre that it is seen as. I mean it's a great looking movie on top of the content being highly planned out and executed perfectly. The stylization and hammy acting is all part of the vibe they wanted to achieve. It's a love/hate relationship I have with this movie. I've been going back and forth ever since I saw it when I was eight.

• Martin B

  
  While the horror genre thrived in the 80's with the Freddy/Jason-type unstoppable killer movies, the whole genre was pretty much dying in the 90's. <b>Scream</b> came along in 1996 and not only reinvigorated the genre, but completely reinvented it. Wildly… More
  While the horror genre thrived in the 80's with the Freddy/Jason-type unstoppable killer movies, the whole genre was pretty much dying in the 90's. <b>Scream</b> came along in 1996 and not only reinvigorated the genre, but completely reinvented it. Wildly popular (and deservedly so) at the time, its reputation has since been tarnished as it often gets lumped in with the countless wanna-bes and knock-offs that followed, including its own relatively inferior sequels. But this was a great horror flick that pushed all the right buttons. Original and entertaining (if not entirely realistic) dialogue, a cast full of breakthrough performances, and a story that dares be somewhat self-aware and play to the audience with a wink, all result in a film that works as a comedy, works as a spoof, and works as a straight-up horror film. Separate this in your mind from the rest of the glut of teen whodunnit horror flicks and I think you'll find it's just a damn fun movie. ...Not to mention it's nice to remember a time when horror flicks weren't watered down for a PG-13 rating.

• Christopher A

  
  Scream is a slasher movie in which we see the 'Ghost face killer' hunt down troubled highschool girl Sidney Prescott (Neve Cambell), while brutally killing anyone and everyone along the way. A solid storyline and ending that will keep you guessing are just some of the… More
  Scream is a slasher movie in which we see the 'Ghost face killer' hunt down troubled highschool girl Sidney Prescott (Neve Cambell), while brutally killing anyone and everyone along the way. A solid storyline and ending that will keep you guessing are just some of the reasons Scream works so well. 'The' slasher film of the 1990's, Scream repopularised the genre and turned the audience on to gore and blood once again. Its a horror film about horror films and Scream has plenty of references to the classics while openly poking fun at them. Whats ironic is that Scream would ultimately be better remembered through the parody that is Scary Movie and it's hard to watch it without laughing at pivotal moments in the film. "Do you like Scary Movies?"

• danny d

  
  rejuvenated a dying sub genre, this film introduced another classic horror villain. the killer is less effective for me in this series than others, but the cast works well and the story is solid.

• Lewis C

  
  "Watch a few movies, take a few notes." Scream is a fun horror flick, but I wish I could have seen it back in the 90's when it was a virtual phenomenon. There have been so many movies since then that have copied the formula, that the impact is really lessened. The… More
  "Watch a few movies, take a few notes." Scream is a fun horror flick, but I wish I could have seen it back in the 90's when it was a virtual phenomenon. There have been so many movies since then that have copied the formula, that the impact is really lessened. The rules of horror aren't quite the same now as they were when the Scream movies first came out, and for years before. And yes, I realize that change is in large part because of these movies. Seeing Scary Movie first doesn't really help matters much, either. I couldn't watch this without thinking back to that and chuckling.

• Spencer S

  
  Even though Scream is basically a horror film that harps on horror films, it is a cornerstone of 90's pop culture, and certainly scary. Just don't watch that beginning alone.

• Dead A

  
  <b><i>Careful, this is the moment when supposedly dead killer comes to live, for one last scare.</i></b></p> Funny they even explained how a horror movie supposed to be when it itself is in that category. Not only they said the pattern but also made fun… More
  <b><i>Careful, this is the moment when supposedly dead killer comes to live, for one last scare.</i></b></p> Funny they even explained how a horror movie supposed to be when it itself is in that category. Not only they said the pattern but also made fun of it. I really liked this movie. It wasn't boring at all. Even though their acting wasn't that good. At least not to me. The ending was laughable (where Billy Loomis {Skeet Ulrich} was shoot).

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