Scream 2

Play trailer

2:16

Scream 2

R

Released Dec 12, 1997

2h 0m

Horror

Comedy

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

83%

Tomatometer

132 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.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Stream Now

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.

Read Critics Reviews

Peter Howell

Toronto Star

A howling great time.

Rated: 3/4

Feb 6, 2025

Full Review

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

Full Review

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

Full Review

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

Full Review

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

Full Review

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

Full Review

Read all reviews

Khaliel P

Released only a year after the first film, Scream 2 suffers from being rushed, offering a weaker and more predictable story despite Wes Craven’s continued meta approach with the “film within the film” device. The new killer is just a copycat, but the mystery quickly falls apart as the supposed suspects are never convincing and the final reveal feels hollow, since it introduces a character with no real presence beforehand. While the cast and a few inventive kills keep it watchable, the movie relies too heavily on its predecessor’s formula and ends up as a disappointing sequel that fails to bring anything truly fresh to the genre.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

08/24/25

Full Review

Matheus F

So many surprises and a satisfying end.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

08/17/25

Full Review

Joshua H.

Thought not as good as the original …I really enjoy this movie ….its a great sequel imo ….its got a great opening sequence plus I love all the characters

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

08/07/25

Full Review

Richard P.

Scream and Scream 2 are the perfect one-two punch. The more you watch them the better they get, and the second one starts to seem like the best of all the originals.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/05/25

Full Review

Austyn P

A little boring and the killers reveal was super dumb.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

08/02/25

Full Review

Nashville I.

It’s not the worst sequel; it’s mildly satisfying. Half the reveal is kind of perfect, but the other half is too ridiculous for film. Overall a decent watch but it’s pretty forgettable.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

07/20/25

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

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

View more videos

Scream 3

45%

38%

Scream 3

Watchlist

Scream

77%

80%

Scream

Watchlist

Scream 4

60%

57%

Scream 4

Watchlist

Feast

56%

59%

Feast

Watchlist

Tales From the Hood

58%

69%

Tales From the Hood

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Scream 2: Trailer 1

2:16

Movieclips: Scream's Bloodiest Kills and Funniest Scenes

35:42

View more videos

View more photos

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)

Most Popular at Home Now