---
title: "Scream"
year: 1996
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/scream"
fi1m_id: "scream"
imdb_id: "tt0117571"
tmdb_id: 4232
wikidata_id: "Q27411"
fi1m_score: 86
critics_score: 83
critics_reviews: 12
published: "2026-09-13"
updated: "2026-09-18T08:37:44.834393+00:00"
region: "US"
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 (1996)

Directed by Wes Craven · 1h 52m · MPA R · Crime, Horror, Mystery

## Identity

Scream

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/scream
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** scream
- **IMDb ID:** tt0117571
- **TMDB ID:** 4232
- **Wikidata ID:** Q27411
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117571/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/4232, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q27411

**Fi1m score: 86** · Critics 83 from 12 reviews

*In a sentence:* Teenagers discuss horror films with the confidence of people who have never been in one

> Wes Craven makes Kevin Williamson’s knowing slasher funny without letting the danger become a joke. The cast earns our concern, though the script occasionally delays the fright while it explains how horror works.

## Synopsis

Sidney (Neve Campbell) and her fellow teenagers are in danger, and their knowledge of horror films supplies plenty of theories about what might happen next. They compare their predicament to the slashers they have seen, discussing the rules even as their own lives begin to resemble the stories on screen. Billy (Skeet Ulrich), Tatum (Rose McGowan), Stuart (Matthew Lillard) and Randy (Jamie Kennedy) are among the young people caught up in the mystery. Wes Craven directs Kevin Williamson’s screenplay, with David Arquette as Deputy Dewey, Courteney Cox as Gale Weathers and Drew Barrymore as Casey.

## Review

*Scream* is a sharp, frightening slasher that occasionally spends too long admiring its own jokes. Wes Craven directs Kevin Williamson’s screenplay with enough respect for the danger to make the comedy feel risky. The teenagers know the conventions of horror films and discuss them while finding themselves in familiar trouble. That gives Craven two jobs: keep us amused by what these characters recognise, then make us fear for people who can explain exactly what they are afraid of.

We were frightened by the opening. Roger L. Jackson’s phone voice makes the threat feel uncomfortably close, and Craven allows that unease to persist when the teenagers begin comparing their predicament to other slashers. Their familiarity with horror sounds inadequate to what is happening to them. A reference can get a laugh without persuading us that anyone is safe, and Craven is careful about how much relief each joke provides. The performers have to make the fear convincing for those changes of tone to work.

Neve Campbell plays Sidney with a seriousness that gives the film someone worth worrying about. Her performance steadies the surrounding cleverness without seeming to belong to a different picture. Matthew Lillard’s Stuart supplies the unrulier energy; his comic excess is enjoyable, though there are moments when we would welcome less of it. Rose McGowan’s Tatum and Jamie Kennedy’s Randy help make the younger ensemble feel quick enough to keep up with Williamson’s writing. The dialogue needs actors who can enjoy a joke without pausing to congratulate themselves, and this cast mostly obliges.

Mark Irwin’s cinematography gives the film a polished finish that suits its confident, talkative teenagers. The images never make the horror look like something we are merely being invited to mock, which helps when Craven needs the threat taken seriously. Editor Patrick Lussier handles the switches between joking and alarm with more assurance than the longer stretches of knowing dialogue. The immediate changes of mood work; the pace is less secure when another reference keeps a scene talking after we have understood the point.

Marco Beltrami’s music helps the frightening passages hold their seriousness without signalling that we should be enjoying an elaborate joke. At its most insistent, it can also do a little too much of the worrying for us. Bruce Alan Miller’s production design supports the recognisable teenage setting without demanding attention away from the performers. His contribution matters because these characters need to seem comfortable in their surroundings for the danger to feel like an intrusion.

The reservation is Williamson’s eagerness to explain how well he understands the genre. Some exchanges linger over conventions that the audience has already recognised, and the pleasure of recognition begins to wear thin. The jokes can also give us a comfortable distance from the people being threatened, particularly when they sound like commentary on the screenplay. For a film so alert to the habits of slashers, it is occasionally too pleased to point out a familiar device and then use it anyway.

Still, Craven understands something that knowing horror comedies often forget: a frightened audience need not stop finding things funny. He keeps enough uncertainty in the tone for the laughs to feel welcome, and Campbell gives us a reason to care when the clever talk stops. The result rewards familiarity with slashers without requiring a full education in them. Choose it for a horror evening with company, but do not mistake the jokes for a promise of gentle treatment.

*Fi1m score 86, published 13 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics like Scream a great deal. The praise clusters on Kevin Williamson’s script and Wes Craven’s handling of it: the reviews describe a slasher that knows the rules of its genre, says so out loud, and still manages to frighten. The opening sequence comes up again and again as the film’s best stretch, and several reviews single out the young cast as stronger than the material required. Reviews written years after release are warmer than those from 1996, crediting the film with reviving a genre that had run out of ideas.

The reservations are about the balance. Two of the twelve, The New York Times and Variety, find the mix of parody and straight horror uneasy; the former sees a film that winks at the tropes while still trading on them, the latter thinks the joking slows the pace. Nobody dislikes it. The spread is narrow, and the doubts come from the earliest notices rather than the later ones.

## Straight answers

**Is Scream worth watching?**

*Scream* is worth watching for anyone who wants a slasher that is frightening and funny at once, and we scored it 86. Wes Craven keeps the danger real while Kevin Williamson's teenagers joke about horror conventions, and Neve Campbell gives us someone to worry about. Our reservation is that the script sometimes explains the genre longer than it needs to.

**How long is Scream, and what is it rated?**

*Scream* runs 1h 52m and is rated R by the MPA in the US. It is a crime and horror film.

**Where can I watch Scream in the US?**

*Scream* is streaming on Starz, Hulu, The Roku Channel and Amazon Prime Video in the US, and it is also available to rent from Amazon Prime Video from $3.99. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How violent or frightening is Scream, and is it suitable for children?**

*Scream* is an 18 certificate in the UK and R-rated in the US, so it is not for children. It is a slasher with a genuinely frightening opening and sustained threat throughout; the jokes never soften the violence into something gentle. Older teenagers who know horror films will get the most from it, but the squeamish should give it a miss.

**How does Scream compare to Scream 2?**

*Scream* is the tighter and fresher of the two, and the better place to start; [*Scream 2*](https://film.one/film/scream-2) is the more elaborate. The sequel moves the mask to college, earns its jokes about sequels and matches the first film's set-pieces, but its ending explains itself at length. Choose the original for the sharper fright, the sequel if you want more of the same with bigger staging.

**Do you need to have seen the other Scream films before Scream?**

*Scream* is the first film in the series and needs no prior viewing; it is where the story and its running jokes begin. It stands entirely alone as a self-contained mystery, and it is the natural place for a newcomer to start. The later films assume you know this one, not the other way round.

**What order should I watch the Scream films in?**

Release order is the safe choice for Scream, and it is the order [our collection page](https://film.one/collections/scream) lists them in. *Scream* is the first of the 7 Scream titles on Fi1m; after it [*Scream 2*](https://film.one/film/scream-2). [The full order.](https://film.one/collections/scream.md)

### Reviews we read (12)

- **Radio Times**, Josh Winning (5/5): The review calls Scream an exceptional, trendsetting modern classic that updates genre conventions with razor-sharp dialogue and a fresh take. It singles out the bone-chilling opening and Craven's elegant direction of the smart script. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-7afxck/scream/)
- **Empire**, Adam Smith (90/100, inferred): The film turns the slasher genre into a chaotic post-modern pyjama party with imperilled teens remarking on similarities to other slashers while following the rules. Craven leaps deftly from exuberant in-jokery to moments of terror. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/scream-review/)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Kevin Thomas (90/100, inferred): It is a bravura, provocative sendup of horror pictures that is scary and gruesome yet swift-moving, and it explores the relationship between movies and their audiences. Writer Kevin Williamson and Craven keep viewers guessing the killer's identity while delivering a terrific entertainment with a strong young cast. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-12-20-ca-10835-story.html)
- **Sight and Sound**, Kim Newman (90/100, inferred): The review praises Scream as a witty, self-aware post-modern slasher that rigorously dissects genre conventions while delivering scares and laughs. It singles out the clever in-jokes, strong junior cast and Craven's skill at balancing parody with genuine tension. [Read](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/most-self-aware-slasher-ever-made-scream-reviewed-1997)
- **Time Out**, TCh (90/100, inferred): The review commends Craven and Williamson for killing off clichés with panache in this post-modern horror comedy. It highlights the intelligence, wit and strong young cast as making it a standout scary movie. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/scream)
- **Little White Lies**, Adam White (85/100, inferred): The critic praises Scream as a seminal, female-centric slasher that blends murder mystery, self-referential comedy and mainstream appeal into a sleeper hit that revitalised the genre. It singles out the film's compassion for its heroes and its critique of misogyny and cultural paranoia for particular praise. [Read](https://lwlies.com/in-praise-of/in-praise-of-scream-the-prom-queen-of-the-slasher-genre)
- **Total Film**, Total Film (85/100, inferred): Scream is a simultaneously frightening and witty film that affectionately tributes teen slasher films with shrewd self-referential gags that make the scary bits scarier. The cheapster cast are better than they have any right to be. [Read](https://www.gamesradar.com/scream-review/)
- **The New York Times**, Janet Maslin (50/100, inferred): The critic finds the film an uneasy mix of parody and exploitation that winks at horror tropes while still delivering lurid thrills. It singles out the self-aware characters who quote other slasher films for both its cleverness and its cynicism. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/1996/12/20/movies/tricks-of-the-gory-trade.html)
- **Variety**, Leonard Klady (50/100, inferred): The review notes strong chills and an intelligent script with a third-act twist but faults the uneasy balance of genre convention and parody that slows the pace. It singles out the top-notch surface sheen and strong ensemble cast for praise while predicting only modest commercial returns. [Read](https://variety.com/1996/film/reviews/scream-1117436711/)
- **Collider**, Chase Hutchinson (A): The critic calls Scream one of the greatest horror films for its loving skewering of genre tropes combined with strong slasher elements, stellar performances (especially Matthew Lillard), and an iconic opening scene that sets up the meta rules-breaking. It remains the best entry in the series due to its confident mix of comedy, tension, inventive kills, and precise direction by Craven. [Read](https://collider.com/scream-review-wes-craven/)
- **The Wrap** (90/100, inferred): The piece hails Scream as a meta-horror masterpiece that revived the slasher genre with clever references and rule-breaking. It singles out the opening scene's subversion of star power and horror tropes as a key innovative element. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/sceam-20-anniversary-10-reasons-why-scream-is-a-meta-horror-masterpiece/)
- **The Ringer**, Adam Nayman (85/100, inferred): The critic celebrates Scream as a revitalizing force that injected postmodern wit and self-awareness into a moribund horror genre. He singles out the opening sequence with Drew Barrymore for subverting audience expectations and establishing the film's ruthless unpredictability. [Read](https://www.theringer.com/2022/01/13/movies/scream-franchise-history)

## Details

- **Director:** Wes Craven
- **Director:** Wes Craven
- **Screenplay:** Kevin Williamson
- **Cinematography:** Mark Irwin
- **Editor:** Patrick Lussier
- **Music:** Marco Beltrami
- **Production design:** Bruce Alan Miller
- **Costume design:** Cynthia Bergstrom
- **Producer:** Cary Woods, Cathy Konrad
- **Cast:** Neve Campbell as Sidney; Skeet Ulrich as Billy; Rose McGowan as Tatum; Matthew Lillard as Stuart; David Arquette as Deputy Dewey; Courteney Cox as Gale Weathers; Jamie Kennedy as Randy; Drew Barrymore as Casey
- **Runtime:** 1h 52m
- **Certificate (MPA):** R
- **Release (the US):** 20 December 1996
- **Genres:** Crime, Horror, Mystery
- **Part of:** [Scream](https://film.one/collections/scream.md) · 1 of 7
- **Budget:** $14 million
- **Box office:** $173 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0LETmDvuXc

## Where to watch in the US

- Starz: streaming
- Hulu: add-on, hd
- The Roku Channel: add-on, hd
- Amazon Prime Video: add-on, uhd
- Amazon Prime Video: rent $3.99, uhd
- Amazon Prime Video: buy $14.99, uhd

*Checked 2026-09-13.*

Also available in: AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CO, CZ, DE, DK, ES, FI, FR, GB, HK, HR, HU, ID, IE, IT, JP, MX, MY, NL, NO, NZ, PH, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, SI, SK, TH, TR, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## If you liked this

- *Peeping Tom* (1960): A horror film that makes our appetite for watching feel unpleasantly relevant.
- *Black Christmas* (1974): For the unease beneath the banter, and danger within familiar domestic spaces.
- *Perfect Blue* (1997), Fi1m 82: An animated thriller that makes watching and being watched increasingly difficult to separate. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/perfect-blue.md)
- *The Faculty* (1998): More teenagers scrutinise one another while horror makes ordinary adolescent suspicion reasonable.
- *One Cut of the Dead* (2017): Another horror comedy whose pleasures depend on knowing less before starting.

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/scream