--- title: "Scream: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/scream/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/scream" critics_score: 83 critics_reviews: 12 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): what the critics said Critics' score 83 from 12 reviews: 10 positive, 2 mixed, 0 negative. 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. ## Radio Times — Josh Winning Rating 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 the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-7afxck/scream/) ## Empire — Adam Smith Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. 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 the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/scream-review/) ## Los Angeles Times — Kevin Thomas Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 20 December 1996. 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 the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-12-20-ca-10835-story.html) ## Sight and Sound — Kim Newman Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 1 May 1997. 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 the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/most-self-aware-slasher-ever-made-scream-reviewed-1997) ## Time Out — TCh Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 28 April 2016. 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 the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/scream) ## Little White Lies — Adam White Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 20 December 2016. 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 the review](https://lwlies.com/in-praise-of/in-praise-of-scream-the-prom-queen-of-the-slasher-genre) ## Total Film — Total Film Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 2 May 1997. 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 the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/scream-review/) ## The New York Times — Janet Maslin Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 20 December 1996. 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 the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1996/12/20/movies/tricks-of-the-gory-trade.html) ## Variety — Leonard Klady Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 21 December 1996. 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 the review](https://variety.com/1996/film/reviews/scream-1117436711/) ## Collider — Chase Hutchinson Rating A. 10 March 2023. 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 the review](https://collider.com/scream-review-wes-craven/) ## The Wrap Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 16 December 2016. 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 the review](https://www.thewrap.com/sceam-20-anniversary-10-reasons-why-scream-is-a-meta-horror-masterpiece/) ## The Ringer — Adam Nayman Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 13 January 2022. 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 the review](https://www.theringer.com/2022/01/13/movies/scream-franchise-history) --- © 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.md