You read that right. The Scream series is, without question, the best horror franchise of all time. If you grew up in the ‘90s, Scream was the horror movie of the decade. Now, I know what you’re thinking: “Those movies aren’t that scary—they’re too funny. Plus, they’re drenched in ‘90s cheese. Why are these 25-year-olds playing teenagers? And that mask? It’s ridiculous!” I hear you, but stay with me.
I’m not here to discredit other horror icons. Franchises like Halloween, Friday the 13th, and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre are classics in their own right. But let’s be real—most of these series peaked with the first installment. Sure, there might be one or two sequels that stand out, but for the most part, the originals reign supreme. In fact, off the top of my head, I can only name a handful of decent horror sequels: The Exorcist III, Wes Craven’s New Nightmare (the one where Craven wrote himself into the film), and the 2018 reboot of Halloween.
But Scream? Scream is a different beast entirely. It’s more than just blood and gore, or even Courtney Cox’s baffling hairstyles (seriously, what were they thinking?).
The Masterpiece of Meta-Horror The brilliance of Scream lies in its razor-sharp satire. It’s not just a slasher film—it’s a commentary on media, violence, and horror itself. And at the heart of it all is Sidney Prescott, the ultimate horror protagonist. Sidney isn’t just running from Ghostface; she’s grappling with trauma, and she has an emotional depth and character arc unlike any other final girl in the genre. Sorry, Laurie Strode—I still think you’re badass, but Sidney is on another level.
A Genre Revived
By the mid-’90s, slasher flicks were dead in the water. Michael Myers and Jason Voorhees had become interchangeable, and Freddy Krueger was more of a cartoon character than a legitimate threat. When Wes Craven made Freddy meta in New Nightmare, audiences didn’t bite (even though it’s criminally underrated). But then Scream came along, written by Kevin Williamson and directed by the horror maestro himself, Wes Craven. It singlehandedly revived the slasher genre, spawning a slew of imitators (I Know What You Did Last Summer, Urban Legends, Valentine, and even Halloween H20).
Originally titled Scary Movie, Scream was a breath of fresh air. For once, the characters were aware of the horror films we, the audience, grew up with. They knew the tropes, and the audience, for the first time, was on the same page as the characters. Randy (played by Jamie Kennedy) serves as the audience surrogate, reciting the “rules” of horror as we collectively nod in agreement.
The Iconic Opening
The opening of Scream is iconic. In fact, if it had been released as a standalone short film, it would probably be considered one of the greatest short films ever made. The setup is simple: Casey Becker (played by Drew Barrymore) is home alone, getting ready to watch a movie when she gets a phone call from a stranger. What starts as playful banter about horror movies quickly turns sinister when the caller says, “I want to know who I’m looking at.”
From there, the tension escalates as Casey is forced to answer horror trivia to save her boyfriend, but when she gets a question wrong, her boyfriend is brutally murdered. The scene ends with Casey being killed while her parents listen helplessly on the phone.
It’s a masterclass in suspense and sets the tone for the rest of the movie: Scream is funny, self-aware, and terrifying all at once.
Meet Sidney Prescott
Enter Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell), who’s still dealing with the brutal murder of her mother, Maureen. Sidney’s life is already complicated—she’s got a suspicious boyfriend, Billy (Skeet Ulrich), who seems to communicate only in movie references, and a sleazy tabloid journalist, Gale Weathers (Courtney Cox), who’s writing a book claiming that Sidney wrongly identified her mother’s killer, Cotton Weary (Liev Schreiber). Now, with a killer on the loose, Sidney finds herself the new target of Ghostface.
What makes Scream special isn’t just the thrills and kills—it’s the way it deconstructs the slasher genre while offering something more. The people of Woodsboro are more concerned with the media circus than the murders themselves. They’re more interested in the spectacle than the human toll. As Ghostface terrorizes the town, everyone—including Sidney’s friends—is too busy cracking jokes and referencing horror movies to recognize the gravity of the situation. It’s a chilling reflection of how desensitized we’ve become to violence.
Real Horror: The People
Ghostface might be the masked killer, but the real horror in Scream is how callous everyone else is. They treat real-life murder as if it’s just another movie. When students find out their principal has been murdered, they rush to the scene to see his body. The media is more interested in ratings and book deals than in actual journalism.
Billy and Stu, the two killers revealed in the climax, embody this desensitization. They’re not supernatural monsters—they’re just two guys who think real murder is an extension of their love for horror movies. Their motivations? Stu claims there’s no motive, while Billy reveals he killed Sidney’s mother because she had an affair with his father, causing his mom to leave. These are just bored, privileged teens with no regard for the consequences of their actions. That’s the real horror of Scream.
Scream 2: The Godfather Part II of Horror Sequels Sequels,
especially in horror, rarely live up to the original. But Scream 2 is an exception. It’s The Godfather Part II of horror movies—arguably as good, if not better, than the first.
Building on the formula established in the original, Scream 2 manages to keep the meta-commentary fresh while deepening the emotional core of Sidney’s story. This time, the trauma she carries from the first movie weighs even heavier. Now in college, Sidney is trying to move on, but a copycat killer is on the loose, targeting students with names similar to those of the original victims. Gale Weathers is back, Cotton Weary wants his moment in the spotlight, and Randy’s still spouting horror movie wisdom.
The murders pile up, and Sidney’s PTSD worsens. Her friends die, and she begins to question everyone’s motives—including her new boyfriend, Derek (Jerry O’Connell). In a gripping climax, we learn that one of the killers is Mrs. Loomis (Laurie Metcalf), Billy’s mother, out for revenge.
Sindey Prescott: The True Final Girl
Both Scream and Scream 2 are about more than just the scares—they’re about trauma, media exploitation, and the desensitization of violence. Sidney isn’t just a “final girl”; she’s a survivor in every sense of the word. And that’s what makes the Scream franchise so great. It’s more than just another slasher series—it’s about how we, as a society, engage with violence and trauma. And at the center of it all is Sidney Prescott, a protagonist with real emotional depth and growth.
So, yeah—Scream is the best horror franchise of all time.
Stay tuned for Scream 3 & 4. I’ll be right back…,,
