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  "path": "/scream-movies-ranked",
  "publishedAt": "2026-02-26T17:46:34.000Z",
  "site": "https://nofilmschool.com",
  "tags": [
    "Best movies",
    "Scream",
    "Slasher films",
    "genre",
    "mysteries",
    "whodunit",
    "set piece,",
    "one of the best screenplays written",
    "development"
  ],
  "textContent": "\n\n\n\nSlasher films are in my top three genre movies. They're basically mysteries with a lot more bodies, and I love a good whodunit.\n\nIf I had to pick a franchise that has been consistently satisfying across seven movies, it's the _Scream_ series.\n\nThey make movies they know we want and consistently deliver on the gore and excitement.\n\nI genuinely enjoy all the movies here, even if I have my favorites. Ranking them was very hard because, outside of the top spot, I think you could make an argument for any of them fitting in any other place on the list.\n\nStill, today, we're going to rank all the movies in the _Scream_ franchise and talk about what I like about all of them.\n\nLet's dive in.\n\n* * *\n\n### 1. Scream (1996)\n\n\n\n\n  * **Director:** Wes Craven\n  * **Writer:** Kevin Williamson\n  * **Cast:**\n    * Neve Campbell (Sidney Prescott)\n    * Courteney Cox (Gale Weathers)\n    * David Arquette (Dewey Riley)\n    * Skeet Ulrich (Billy Loomis)\n    * Matthew Lillard (Stu Macher)\n    * Drew Barrymore (Casey Becker)\n\n\n\nI cannot imagine how electric this movie must have been on the opening weekend. From killing its biggest star to having multiple killers to just stacking bodies in the final set piece, it's an all-time classic and one of the best screenplays written.\n\n### 2. Scream 2\n\n\n\n\n  * **Director:** Wes Craven\n  * **Writer:** Kevin Williamson\n  * **Cast:**\n    * Neve Campbell (Sidney Prescott)\n    * Courteney Cox (Gale Weathers)\n    * David Arquette (Dewey Riley)\n    * Jamie Kennedy (Randy Meeks)\n\n\n\nWhen you start a franchise, you want to make sure there's more meat on the one for the characters and the world, and _Scream_ has a lot left.\n\nFrom digging into PTSD to the falsely accused to just sending kids to college, it's all on deck here for some memorable scenes and development.\n\n### 3. Scream 4\n\n\n\n\n  * **Director:** Wes Craven\n  * **Writer:** Kevin Williamson\n  * **Cast:**\n    * Neve Campbell (Sidney Prescott)\n    * Courteney Cox (Gale Weathers)\n    * David Arquette (Dewey Riley)\n    * Hayden Panettiere (Kirby Reed)\n    * Emma Roberts (Jill Roberts)\n\n\n\nAgain, I like all these movies, so I feel like this could have been higher, depending on what day you talked to me.\n\nIts own soft reboot of the franchise came back at a time of peak horror to poke fun at other franchises and deliver some of the most brutal kills. And a killer who made perfect sense.\n\n### 4. Scream (2022)\n\n\n\n\n  * **Directors:** Matt Bettinelli-Olpin & Tyler Gillett\n  * **Writers:** James Vanderbilt & Guy Busick\n  * **Cast:**\n    * Neve Campbell (Sidney Prescott)\n    * Courteney Cox (Gale Weathers)\n    * David Arquette (Dewey Riley)\n    * Melissa Barrera (Sam Carpenter)\n    * Jenna Ortega (Tara Carpenter)\n    * Jack Quaid (Richie Kirsch)\n    * Mason Gooding (Chad Meeks-Martin)\n    * Jasmin Savoy Brown (Mindy Meeks-Martin)\n\n\n\nThis is actually _Scream 5_ , and it low-key annoyed me that they soft-rebooted the franchise in the title because it was not necessary and was confusing.\n\nStill, what it gets right is including legacy characters but not remaining so attached to them that they're immortal.\n\n### 5. Scream 3\n\n\n\n\n  * **Director:** Wes Craven\n  * **Writer:** Ehren Kruger\n  * **Cast:**\n    * Neve Campbell (Sidney Prescott)\n    * Courteney Cox (Gale Weathers)\n    * David Arquette (Dewey Riley)\n\n\n\nSome people don't love the deep dive of Hollywood on Hollywood, but I do! That set piece where they're running around the fake house and staircases that don't match the doors is so fun.\n\nAnd having the cast of a _Stab_ movie be the vulnerable ones is just meta enough to be fun but scary enough to maintain the series' deft tone.\n\n### 6. Scream VI\n\n\n\n\n  * **Directors:** Matt Bettinelli-Olpin & Tyler Gillett\n  * **Writers:** James Vanderbilt & Guy Busick\n  * **Cast:**\n    * Courteney Cox (Gale Weathers)\n    * Melissa Barrera (Sam Carpenter)\n    * Jenna Ortega (Tara Carpenter)\n    * Mason Gooding (Chad Meeks-Martin)\n    * Jasmin Savoy Brown (Mindy Meeks-Martin)\n    * Hayden Panettiere (Kirby Reed)\n\n\n\nI put it last because it came out last. I don't have any justifications for it. I thought New York was a really good idea, and those subway scenes are a blast.\n\nPart of me wanted a little more action within the city, but I dug the trio of killers and the fake-out death.\n\n### 7. Scream VII (2026)\n\n\n\n\n  * **Director:** Kevin Williamson\n  * **Writers:** Guy Busick & Kevin Williamson\n  * **Cast:**\n    *     *     * Courteney Cox (Gale Weathers)\n    * Neve Campbell (Sidney Prescott)\n    * Mason Gooding (Chad Meeks-Martin)\n    * Jasmin Savoy Brown (Mindy Meeks-Martin)\n    * Mckenna Grace (Hannah Thurman)\n    * Isabel May (Tatum Evans)\n\n\n\nThe newest entry sees Neve Campbell return as the lead and has Kevin Williamson directing for the first time.\n\nI maintain that all these movies are a good and riotous ride. I went on opening night to get that nostalgic thrill of seeing Sidney Prescott front and center again. She's now a mother protecting her family, and we kind of feel really bad that her life has become completely defined by violence.\n\nThat lingering feeling has it down on this list, but I'd need to rewatch it in order to make any real decisions.\n\n### Summing Up Our Scream Ranking\n\n\n\n\nI'm excited to add more to this list over time. And I really love this franchise so much that I hope they keep making them and take it to new and exciting places.\n\nWhat this franchise gets right time and time again is that it's constantly deconstructing what audiences want and analyzing trends in the horror genre.\n\nIt's smart and savvy, and that's why I always come back for more.\n\nLet me know what you think in the comments.",
  "title": "The Ultimate Ranking of the 'Scream' Movies"
}