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Scream

Play trailer Poster for Scream R 1983 1h 21m Horror Play Trailer Watchlist
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Tomatometer 0 Reviews 9% Popcornmeter 100+ Ratings
Weekend hikers stop off at a Western ghost town and stick around while someone kills them one by one.

Audience Reviews

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TheMovieSearch R Scream (1986) is one of those forgotten horror relics that feels like it was made in a haze of confusion and released simply because someone thought the title alone would sell tickets. For those drawn to it because of the iconic Scream franchise from the ’90s, prepare for disappointment—this film has absolutely no connection to Ghostface, Sidney Prescott, or anything remotely clever or self-aware. Instead, it’s a messy, meandering attempt at horror that never finds its footing and barely holds your attention for more than a few minutes at a time. From the start, the movie’s direction feels aimless. There’s no sense of pacing, no suspense, and no real understanding of how to build a horror atmosphere. The film lumbers from scene to scene with no urgency or tension, as if even the filmmakers weren’t sure what they were trying to accomplish. It’s the kind of movie that you keep waiting to get better, thinking maybe it’ll find its rhythm—but it never does. The story itself is completely disjointed. There’s no clear narrative drive, and the characters feel like placeholders rather than people. They wander around, deliver flat lines, and react to events in ways that make no sense. You never feel invested in anyone’s survival, because the movie gives you no reason to care. It’s as if the entire script was written on the back of a napkin, and the production crew just decided to “wing it” on set. The acting is equally disastrous. Every performance feels stiff and unnatural, almost as though the cast members were dragged in from different movies and told to just “pretend to be scared.” There’s a distinct lack of chemistry or emotional weight between anyone on screen, and when the scares do come, they’re so poorly executed that they border on unintentionally funny. Even from a technical standpoint, Scream (1986) is difficult to watch. The editing is choppy, the sound quality fluctuates wildly, and the cinematography feels completely uninspired. You can tell this was a low-budget project, but even with limited resources, a little vision or creativity could have gone a long way. Instead, everything feels lazy, unmotivated, and unfinished. Ultimately, Scream (1986) is a film that fails on nearly every level. It’s neither entertaining nor frightening—it’s simply a confusing, poorly made horror relic that exists only as a curiosity for die-hard fans wondering if there’s any connection to Wes Craven’s masterpiece. Spoiler: there isn’t. If you’re a fan of the Scream franchise, skip this one entirely. It’s not worth your time, and it’s certainly not the horror gem you might be hoping to uncover. Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 10/23/25 Full Review Caleb L A truly fascinating look into a well meaning passion project with some very cool ideas. At the same time, it is a slower paced film with an ending that only makes sense if you pay close attention to a monologue. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 10/20/25 Full Review joel g Watched this, thinking that it was the original and it turned out to be maybe the worst movie I’ve ever seen. Nothing interesting, scary or original about this. Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 09/24/25 Full Review BigD J The only positive thing I can say about this movie is that it’s meditative… in that it put me to sleep, quite literally. Boring and dull in every way imaginable, up to and including the kill scenes. Oh and as a sports fan, I enjoyed the vintage Oilers hat. Relatively cool venue with wasted potential. Even though this review page says ‘83, I believe the film was actually from ‘81. Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 06/05/24 Full Review Audience Member Increíble que alguien filme semejante disparate. Horrible. De lo peor. Pésima. Todos los adjetivos peyorativos se quedan cortos para describir esta idiotez sin pies ni cabeza. Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 02/15/23 Full Review Steven W A poor example of horror and slasher the film is complete mess there's no suspense tension or dread or even a real story or anything this is a perfect example of first time filmmaking develop the story and the characters Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 10/23/19 Full Review Read all reviews
Scream

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Movie Info

Synopsis Weekend hikers stop off at a Western ghost town and stick around while someone kills them one by one.
Director
Byron Quisenberry
Producer
Hal Buchanan, Clara Huff, Larry Quisenberry
Screenwriter
Byron Quisenberry
Production Co
Calendar International Pictures, Cougar Films
Rating
R
Genre
Horror
Original Language
English
Release Date (DVD)
Mar 1, 2011
Runtime
1h 21m