--- title: "Scream 2: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/scream-2/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/scream-2" critics_score: 74 critics_reviews: 9 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Scream 2 (1997): what the critics said Critics' score 74 from 9 reviews: 7 positive, 2 mixed, 0 negative. Most critics like Scream 2, and several rate it close to the original. The praise clusters on Williamson’s script, found witty and film-literate, and on its running joke about the rules of sequels, media and violence. Craven’s set-pieces are widely credited with real jumps, and the cast is called consistently capable, with Campbell, Cox and Arquette singled out. Total Film goes furthest, calling it scarier, funnier and better written than the first film. The reservations are mild. Several critics say it is predictably less inventive than the original, and Empire adds that the heroine fades into the background. Roger Ebert thinks the extra gore distracts from the cleverness and blunts the scares. The Los Angeles Times is coolest, finding the raised body count morbid despite the comic tone. Collider, writing much later, admires its handling of race and fandom but finds the third act chatty. The spread is narrow: no review is negative. ## Total Film Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 1 May 1998. The review calls Scream 2 scarier, funnier, better written and more exciting than the original, with endlessly surprising set-pieces and a non-stop mix of shocks and jumps. It restores knife-edged uncertainty to the slasher genre and delivers on the promise of the first film. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/scream-2-review/) ## Radio Times — Josh Winning Rating 4/5. The critic finds the sequel unexpectedly strong, intensifying the self-aware humour, death scenes and emotional connections while delivering some of the best horror sequences in the series. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-90vr4r/scream-2/) ## Variety — Leonard Klady Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 7 December 1997. Visceral, witty, and appropriately redundant, the sequel follows the rules of a successful follow-up while delivering a commercial recipe for strong returns. It aspires to more than slasher fare through its house-of-mirrors structure commenting on media, reality, and the genre itself, with a top-notch cast and smooth execution. [Read the review](https://variety.com/1997/film/reviews/scream-2-1200452335/) ## Empire — Kim Newman Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. The critic praises Craven's skill at delivering scares and Williamson's witty, movie-literate dialogue while noting the film's self-referential parody of sequels. It offers great comic and terrifying moments but is hampered by being less original than the first and by the heroine fading into the background. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/scream-2-review/) ## RogerEbert.com — Roger Ebert Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 12 December 1997. The sequel is about as good as the original, with a witty screenplay full of ironies about sequels, media, and violence. It is gorier than the first film, which distracts from the cleverness and fails to deliver real scares. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/scream-2-1997) ## The New York Times — Janet Maslin Rating NYT Critic’s Pick. 12 December 1997. Scream 2 has staying power thanks to its tongue-in-cheek trickery and sharp satire that nearly escapes the horror genre. The film-within-a-film device and media-circus elements keep the fun-house quality alive while advancing the franchise. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1997/12/12/movies/film-review-help-he-s-back-run-shriek-tempt-fate.html) ## Time Out — NF Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 10 September 2012. The critic notes that as a sequel the film predictably lacks the original's inventiveness. It still delivers intelligent and frightening horror by focusing on the victims and varying the formula slightly. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/scream-2-1) ## Los Angeles Times — Kevin Thomas Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 12 December 1997. The sequel raises the body count and contrivance in an attempt to top the original but delivers a morbid effect despite its comic tone and ingenuity. The large cast is consistently capable, with strong turns from Campbell, Cox, and Arquette, and plenty of witty film references remain. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-dec-12-ca-63142-story.html) ## Collider — Marco Vito Oddo Rating B+. 12 December 2022. The critic praises Scream 2 as a strong sequel that explores meta themes about sequels, fandom, and representation while delivering thrills and mystery. They single out its handling of complex topics like race in horror and toxic fandom for praise, while noting the third act is chatty and the reveal less satisfying. [Read the review](https://collider.com/scream-2-review-wes-craven/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/scream-2.md