All 5 Scream Movies of the 21st Century, Ranked

Scream has become one of the most influential horror franchises of all time, driven by Wes Craven’s original vision and Kevin Williamson’s screenplay. The series’ meta qualities — characters aware of genre cliches and the dangers they bring — helped create an iconic final girl in Neve Campbell’s Sidney Prescott.

Over time, Craven directed the early entries, Radio Silence handled two later sequels as a soft reboot with younger stars, and Williamson returned for the most recent 2026 entry, which drew a large opening-weekend audience despite poor reviews. 5. Scream 7 (2026) takes a back-to-basics approach that feels dated.

In trying to replicate the 1996 classic it struggles with contemporary technology and media, gives Campbell little to do, fails to develop its new cast, leans on excessive violence, and resorts to a creatively bankrupt use of AI. Nostalgia can’t compensate for a film that offers nothing new.

scream 7, scream franchise, wes craven, kevin williamson, neve campbell, sidney prescott, radio silence, meta horror, ai use, final girl