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Scream 2

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Scream 2

R

Released Dec 12, 1997

2h 0m

Horror

Comedy

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Popcornmeter

82%

Tomatometer

133 Reviews

58%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

Sydney (Neve Campbell) and tabloid reporter Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox) survived the events of the first Scream, but their nightmare isn't over. When two college students are murdered at a sneak preview of Stab, a movie based on the events from the first film, it's clear a copycat killer is on the loose. Sydney and Gail, as well as fellow survivors Deputy Dewey (David Arquette) and Randy (Jamie Kennedy) have to find out who is behind this new murder spree, before they all end up dead.

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Critics Consensus

As with the first film, Scream 2 is a gleeful takedown of scary movie conventions that manages to poke fun at terrible horror sequels without falling victim to the same fate.

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Peter Howell

Toronto Star

A howling great time.

Rated: 3/4

Feb 6, 2025

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Sandra Hall

Sydney Morning Herald

It's nothing like as inventive as the first Nightmare on Elm Street, but it's much more thoughtful and provocative than most genre horror movies, and more fun.

Feb 6, 2025

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Joe Holleman

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Good in the first half, begins to fade when new ideas are all used up and then finally staggers exhausted to the finish line.

Rated: 2.5/4

Feb 6, 2025

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Joseph Tomastik

Loud and Clear Reviews

This sequel properly continues the story of the original, lays even more crucial groundwork for its own sequels to play with, and establishes that the Scream formula can be replicated with the right amount of twists and turns.

Rated: 4/5

May 14, 2025

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Scott Bradley

Kansas City Star

It soon becomes apparent that Scream 2 is mostly just a cookie-cutter sequel masquerading as a critique of cookie-cutter sequels.

Rated: 2/4

Feb 6, 2025

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Joe Riley

Liverpool Echo

It's a two pronged game of creeps and cretins, where the tingle factor relies on sudden bursts of hammy stock horror action, rather than any prolonged exploitation of tension.

Feb 6, 2025

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O A

It's a great sequel to the first film. I would say this film is more committed to showing how brutal Ghostface can be while also being mysterious.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

05/27/25

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Nicholas B

Scream 2 is a solid sequel with suspenseful moments and clever twists. While it delivers engaging horror and keeps the tension alive, some parts don't quite match the impact of the original. Still, the cast and sharp writing make it an entertaining and chilling watch.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

05/25/25

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Audience Member

If you loved the first one it’s definitely worth a watch.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

05/21/25

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Eddie K

Not as good as the 1st one but still a lot of fun

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

05/19/25

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Cara G

First ones 100% better but this one's ok Sidney is again a scream queen but definitely watch this one.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

05/18/25

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zach c

I thought that scream two was a very tense, exciting and worthy successor to the first film, but the first film had a disturbing, unsettling vibe to it that this one did seem to lack. the cold opening kill was done quite poorly compared to the first one which was heart pounding and scary. overall, it is a great movie but not as good as some of the others in the franchise

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

05/12/25

Full Review

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Wes Craven

Director

David Arquette

Dwight "Dewey" Riley

Neve Campbell

Sidney Prescott

Courteney Cox

Gale Weathers

Sarah Michelle Gellar

Casey "Cici" Cooper

Jamie Kennedy

Randy Meeks

Scream 2: Official Clip - Stabbed in the Back

2:11

Scream 2: Official Clip - Omega Beta Killer

2:01

Scream 2: Official Clip - It's Showtime!

2:13

Scream 2: Official Clip - A Mother's Love

2:11

Scream 2: Official Clip - Killer Opening

2:12

Scream 2: Official Clip - The Rules for Sequels

2:15

Scream 2: Official Clip - Sequels Suck!

2:08

Scream 2: Official Clip - I'm Gonna Blame the Movies

2:08

Scream 2: Official Clip - Killer In The Chorus

2:12

Scream 2: Official Clip - That Was Intense

2:13

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Synopsis

Sydney (Neve Campbell) and tabloid reporter Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox) survived the events of the first Scream, but their nightmare isn't over. When two college students are murdered at a sneak preview of Stab, a movie based on the events from the first film, it's clear a copycat killer is on the loose. Sydney and Gail, as well as fellow survivors Deputy Dewey (David Arquette) and Randy (Jamie Kennedy) have to find out who is behind this new murder spree, before they all end up dead.

Director: Wes Craven
Producer: Cathy Konrad, Marianne Maddalena
Screenwriter: Kevin Williamson, Kevin Williamson
Distributor: Miramax Films
Production Co: Craven-Maddalena Films, Miramax Films, Konrad Pictures, Dimension Films, Maven Entertainment Inc.
Rating: R
Genre: Horror, Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 12, 1997, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 21, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $101.3M
Runtime: 2h 0m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital, Surround
Aspect Ratio: 35mm, Scope (2.35:1)

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