Ranking the best Scream movies might feel like an impossible task with the franchise spanning generations, but we’ve got into the mind of detective Dewey and horror fanatic Randy to bring you the ultimate line-up of Ghostface’s exploits. From the meta-mad original that defined a subgenre, to the divisive reboots, we have cracked the case on every entry in the Scream family, and whittled down what is worth watching and which films should be skipped.
30 years after the first movie hit screens and scared audiences silly, the Scream franchise is only getting bigger, with upcoming sequel Scream 7 welcoming back Neve Campbell’s final girl, Sidney Prescott, as she once again faces up to Ghostface. So there’s no better time than now to catch up on some of the best slasher movies.
6. Scream 3
Year: 2000
Director: Wes Craven
This one is bound to ruffle some feathers, as fans usually either love the third Scream instalment or strongly dislike it. Scream 3 draws Sidney (Neve Campbell) to Los Angeles, where Ghostface rears his ugly head on the set of the in-movie feature Stab 3, which just so happens to be based on the final girl’s real-life run-in with the first set of killers.
Despite featuring one of the most interesting Ghostface killers and welcoming back Courtney Cox’s Gale Weathers and David Arquette’s Dewey Riley, the movie went too far with its meta approach, and felt a little too much like a Scary Movie installment at times. With its far too sunny setting and wacky performances from Parker Posey and Patrick Dempsey, Scream 3 is by no means a bad movie, but it is the least ‘Scream’ feeling film out of the bunch.
For more, read our Scream 3 review.
5. Scream VI
Year: 2023
Director: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett
Next up is the newest installment, and the first movie to exclude Sidney Prescott completely. Scream VI follows Billy Loomis’ long-lost daughter, Sam Carpenter, and her half-sister Tara as they move to New York City to try to escape their dark past. However, as their college buddies start to catch onto who they really are, an all-too-familiar masked assailant starts to make their lives a living hell… again.
Bringing Ghostface to the Big Apple is not something we’d ever thought we would see, and we have to say we don’t think the two go well together. Despite the movie having one of the most gripping and frankly shocking opening scenes (thanks to scream queen Samara Weaving), seeing Ghostface march around the big city with a cracked mask, wielding a shotgun, just doesn’t feel right.
For more, read our Scream VI review.
4. Scream 2
Year: 1997
Director: Wes Craven
We are now getting into dangerous territory where, if we had a joint second-place spot, the next three entries would probably share that title. Alas, in our fourth spot is Scream 2. Releasing just one year after the original, Scream 2 follows Sidney as she attempts to put her past behind her and attend college far away from Woodsboro. But the final girl soon finds out that she may never get to live a life free from that dreaded mask again.
The sequel adds major star power (hi, Sarah Michelle Gellar), as well as featuring one of the best opening scenes in the franchise that went on to be parodied many times. You know what they say, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Plus, the second chapter manages to tie in lore and continue major plot points when it comes to Sidney’s mother and her exploits, whilst still carving out an original storyline.
For more, read our Scream 2 review.
3. Scream (2022)
Year: 2022
Director: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett
We’ve got to give credit where it is due and celebrate the gutsy reboot that did what many horror buffs thought could not be done. After over a decade of the franchise lying dormant, the fifth Scream movie saw directing duo Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin take the reins, injecting some fresh blood into the franchise with Jenna Ortega and Melissa Barrera, who have both gone on to become horror legends in their own right.
The film follows a group of teens who start to look closer at their inner circle when people around them are taken out by a masked killer. Ring any bells? Taking over the Scream mantle after Wes Craven’s passing had to be a terrifying task, but the filmmakers took the movie back to basics while paying respect to those that came before and without scrubbing out its legacy.
For more, read our Scream (2022) review.
2. Scream 4
Year: 2011
Director: Wes Craven
Now, we know this might be a little shocking, as you probably expected a way earlier installment to take the second spot, but you have to listen when we say Scream 4 is a gem. The movie acts as a reboot and sees Sidney return to Woodsboro on a book tour, where she stays with her family. But it’s not long until a new Ghostface killer rolls around. Dare we say, this movie might have the most ambitious Ghostface ever.
Hitting screens 11 years after the third movie took the franchise to weird places, Scream 4 focuses on what we love about Wes Craven’s creation. It’s self-referential, features a boatload of commentary on the horror genre thanks to Rory Culkin’s Randy-esque character, and there’s no shortage of creepy phone calls. However, the rules have changed, and the playing field is evened out, making things a little more interesting.
For more, read our Scream 4 review.
1. Scream
Year: 1996
Director: Wes Craven
What else would be in the top spot other than the original movie that started it all? Scream hit screens at a time when horror was getting kind of boring. Between creature features and drawn-out sequels, fans of the strange and unsettling felt as though they had seen it all. That’s when Scream breathed fresh air into the genre, with a new meta aspect, a horror icon that didn’t look like a storybook villain, and characters that didn’t take themselves too seriously.
The premise is simple: a group of teens find themselves fighting for their lives when a masked assailant starts to pick off those closest to them. However, between Neve Campbell’s highly relatable final girl and the fact that the killer really could have been anyone around her, the movie was sure to strike a chord with any audience member. Let’s face it, when a gruesome murder takes place, the killer is always someone you know, and that’s the scariest part of it all.
Scream 7 hits theatres in the US on February 27, and UK cinemas on February 26. For more, keep up with upcoming movies heading your way, then head to our roundup of 2026’s movie release dates