Scream

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1:56

Scream

R

1996

1h 51m

Horror

Comedy

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Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

78%

Tomatometer

129 Reviews

80%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

The sleepy little town of Woodsboro just woke up screaming. There's a killer in their midst who's seen a few too many scary movies. Suddenly nobody is safe, as the psychopath stalks victims, taunts them with trivia questions, then rips them to bloody shreds. It could be anybody...

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Critics Consensus

Horror icon Wes Craven's subversive deconstruction of the genre is sly, witty, and surprisingly effective as a slasher film itself, even if it's a little too cheeky for some.

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Geoff Brown

The Times (UK)

Aside from the in-jokes, Craven ensures we scream alongside his characters at the indestructible killer in the Halloween who taunts down the phone.

Nov 18, 2024

Full Review

Peter Howell

Toronto Star

Scream is a howling great time.

Oct 17, 2024

Full Review

Jeff Daniel

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Scream succeeds through its ability to elicit both shrieks of horror and hilarity, as every bad horror movie moment becomes a target for ironic deconstruction and campy send-up.

Oct 16, 2024

Full Review

David Day

Horror Movie Talk

While it was accessible, it was also shocking and legitimately disturbing because it focused on uncontrollable teens as the killers – who doesn’t find that scary?

Rated: 8/10

Sep 18, 2025

Full Review

Patrick Cavanaugh

The Wolfman Cometh

About as smart and silly as a slasher can get, understandably inspiring countless imitators that never lived up to the original.

Rated: 4/5

Sep 11, 2025

Full Review

Megan Fisher

Loud and Clear Reviews

Scream stands alongside the viewer and lets them in on the jokes and conversation. [...] More than that, Scream expects the viewer to talk back.

Rated: 4.5/5

May 6, 2025

Full Review

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Juandi

I just watched this in theaters for the first time & it was beyond worth it. I’ve watched this movie over 100 times & somehow I still caught new Easter eggs. It’s truly the gift that keeps on giving. Thank you Wes Craven & Kevin Williamson for giving us one of the best films of all time.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/25/25

Full Review

Chris

Amazing best movie everrrrrr

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/23/25

Full Review

Jim C

Still the beat of the franchise. Seeing on the big screen for the first time was like seeing for the first time. The sound was incredible.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/23/25

Full Review

Dario B

A FANTASTIC MOVIE — IT’S LIKE A ROLLER COASTER RIDE OF SCARES AND LAUGHS FROM THE ICONIC OPENING SCENE TO THE VERY END — DREW BARRYMORE, NEVE CAMPBELL, ROSE MCGOWAN, MATTHEW LILLARD, SKEET ULRICH, DAVID ARQUETTE AND COURTNEY COX ARE ALL FANTASTIC IN THEIR RESPECTIVE ROLES — EVERY ONE OF THEM SEEMS TO BE HAVING A GREAT TIME — AND SO DOES THE AUDIENCE — THIS IS NOT JUST A MUST SEE FOR ANY HORROR FAN — IT’A MUST SEE FOR ANY MOVIE FAN!!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/23/25

Full Review

Andres

Classic, can’t go wrong

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

10/07/25

Full Review

Brandon N

LOVE this movie. Fun, exciting, humorous, thrilling. Great, underrated score by Marco Beltrami. This is what horror night at a friend's house should be then, now, forever.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/07/25

Full Review

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Wes Craven

Director

Neve Campbell

Sidney Prescott

David Arquette

Deputy Dwight "Dewey" Riley

Courteney Cox

Gale Weathers

Matthew Lillard

Stuart 'Stu' Macher

Skeet Ulrich

Billy Loomis

Scream: Official Clip - Wrong Answer

1:57

Scream: Official Clip - Do You Like Scary Movies?

1:44

Scream: Official Clip - More Creative Psychos

2:13

Scream: Official Clip - Do You Want to Die, Sidney?

2:11

Scream: Official Clip - School's Out

2:06

Scream: Official Movie Clip - Death by Doggie Door

2:11

Scream: Official Clip - Casey Is Killed

2:12

Scream: Official Clip - Turning the Tables

2:01

Scream: Official Clip - How to Survive a Horror Movie

1:35

Scream: Official Clip - Surprise, Sidney!

2:02

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Synopsis

The sleepy little town of Woodsboro just woke up screaming. There's a killer in their midst who's seen a few too many scary movies. Suddenly nobody is safe, as the psychopath stalks victims, taunts them with trivia questions, then rips them to bloody shreds. It could be anybody...

Director: Wes Craven
Producer: Cathy Konrad, Cary Woods
Screenwriter: Kevin Williamson
Distributor: Miramax Films
Production Co: Dimension Films, Woods Entertainment
Rating: R (Strong Graphic Horror|Violence|Language|Gore)
Genre: Horror, Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 20, 1996, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 21, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $103.7M
Runtime: 1h 51m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital, Dolby SR, Surround, Dolby Stereo, Dolby A
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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