A handful of horror franchises have made big comebacks in recent years, from 2018’s Halloween opening up a new continuity only following up on the events of the original 1978 movie, to the Chucky TV series returning to the original Child’s Play universe and standing firmly separate from the 2019 reboot movie. Back in January, the Scream franchise returned from a 12-year hiatus with Scream 5, a.k.a. the simply-titled Scream. Following the fifth Scream movie becoming available to stream on Paramount+ and buy/rent digitally, it’s now been released on Blu-ray. To celebrate that, all the other Scream moves are on sale!
Maybe you just recently became a Scream fan and would like to own all the movies in physical format, or maybe you’ve been a Scream fan for years and just never got around to purchasing the Blu-ray copies. Either way, now’s a great time to add all five Scream movies or some Scream merch to your collection. For those of you who need a little extra convincing, or are reading this and haven’t delved into the Scream franchise at all yet, let’s go over each installment so you get an idea of what they each offer.
Scream (1996)
This was the movie that started it all, with A Nightmare on Elm Street’s Wes Craven sitting in the director’s chair and Kevin Williamson writing the screenplay. Featuring David Arquette, Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, Matthew Lillard, Rose McGowan, Skeet Ulrich, Jamie Kennedy and Drew Barrymore, among others, this was our first taste of a group of people going up against a serial killer called Ghostface (voiced throughout the entirety of this film series by Roger L. Jackson). Made off a $14-15 million budget, Scream made over $173 million worldwide and helped revitalize the slasher genre.
Scream 2
I won’t spoil what happens in the first Scream movie, but suffice it to say that Ghostface was defeated by the end… or at least, that incarnation of the villain was defeated. Scream 2 (which was released less than a year after its predecessor) introduced the concept of others taking over the serial killer identity, and among the newcomers in the sequel were Sarah Michelle Gellar, Laurie Metcalf, Jerry O’Connell, Timothy Olyphant and Jada Pinkett Smith. Not only was Scream 2 also a financial success, but some considered it superior to the first Scream movie. Opinion is subjective, so feel free to determine whether that’s the case in your mind or not.
Scream 3
The original Scream trilogy wrapped up in 2000, with Scream 3 taking a meta approach by having Neve Campbell’s Sidney Prescott coming out of hiding when a new Ghostface starts targeting the cast of Stab 3, the then-latest entry in a film series based on the Ghostface murders. The threequel brought folks like Patrick Dempsey, Scott Foley, Lance Henriksen, Jenny McCarthy and Parker Posey into the fold. While Scream 3 was met with mixed critical reception at the time of its release, it’s been reevaluated in recent years, so maybe you enjoy it more than others.
Scream 4
11 years after Scream 3’s release, Scream 4 brought moviegoers back to Woodsboro, California, the site of the original Ghostface killings. Taking place on the 15th anniversary of the murder spree, Scream 4 saw Neve Campbell, David Arquette and Courteney Cox’s characters back in their hometown as a new Ghostface started picking off a fresh generation of Woodsboro High students, and the new cast members on this entry included Emma Roberts, Hayden Panettiere, Anthony Anderson, Adam Brody, Rory Culkin and Alison Brie. Scream 4 enjoyed slightly better critical reception compared to the original Scream 3 views, and it would also be Wes Craven’s last time working on the franchise, as he passed away in 2015.
Scream (2022)
Ready or Not duo Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett inherited the directorial reins from the late Wes Craven on what was once referred to as Scream 5, but now we just call Scream like the original. Once again, we reunited with Neve Campbell, David Arquette and Courteney Cox, and the Ghostface who emerged this time around targeted teenagers who had ties to the original murders. This Scream movie received a lot of positive reviews, including from CinemaBlend’s own Corey Chichizola, who gave Scream 5 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Scream fans don’t have to worry about the franchise going on another extended hiatus, as not only has Scream 6 been greenlit, it’s been dated for March 31, 2023. For now though, take advantage of all the Scream Blu-rays being on sale, and keep checking back with CinemaBlend for more entertainment deals on movies and TV shows.
