Scream

A likeable, self aware genre joke. Horror movie of the year. (15/08/2007)

Boo! Did you jump? If so, for you Scream will be the horror movie at least of the decade. If not, well, we’ve all seen a horror movie... But now seriously. Scream is more like fun built on a light parody of slasher movie clichés than something that would provoke any sense of dread. And that's the problem, too, because it ends up drowning in clichés. Still, it is a relatively pleasant picture; so it is a pity that it plunged film horror into the realm of unbearable screaming American teenagers for a long time hence. (01/11/2007)

Key movie for the development of teen horror in the coming years and at the same time an unreachable building block. Brilliant introduction, interesting storyline, and solid actors ultimately blend into a deliberately twisted carousel, through which Williamson and Craven surpass any expectations and, without throwing themselves off, keep me on edge and at the same time smirking knowingly. And above all, strongly satisfied. (09/10/2005)

The script of Scream is just a logical response to the media and social developments in the first half of the 1990s. Films like Pulp Fiction and Natural Born Killers pushed the boundaries and Wes Craven was twice in the right place at the right time. The first time he read a fresh script by Kevin Williamson and the second time he agreed to make it. Teen slashers have never been so fun, scary, and clever all at the same time. Anything and everything is quoted here, including, of course, classic hits, Carpenter's Halloween (1978) or Wes's A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984). As a new brand, Scream starred Drew Barrymore in the iconic opening scene that fans around the world have come to love. To this day, the series still means a lot to Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, and David Arquette. Career advancement, breaking out of the box, marriage... Then-newcomers Rose McGowan and Jamie Kennedy also built their careers on this movie. (12/04/2011)

Wes Craven creates something without form, smell, or a proper effect. Scream is neither horror (because of its comedic elements) nor a parody or comedy (because of its horror elements), and both together simply don’t work. Everything is halfway done, with the result getting lost in clutter and mediocrity. The opening scene with the phone is well done, as well as the ambiguity of the masked killer, but otherwise, it's a typical teenage slasher. And the director's winking at the audience is something I didn't really notice all that often. Either I'm completely ignorant about movies, or there simply isn't much to see there. Average, or compared to the other parts, a decent amount of entertainment. (16/02/2007)

The first film of its kind (at least that is so popular and universally known), an entertaining and original in the details wink at pop-culture that is able to stand on its own two feet, both as an open parody of the rules of the genre and as classic horror that must abide to said rules. By the end it gets a little silly and tedious, but timeless and ageless nonetheless. Even after all these years, it still has one of the best opening scenes in horror. 80% (08/05/2020)

"Not in my movie" hoho... I really wasn't expecting this. The first slasher where the bad guy gets more punishment than his victims during the movie. I had a good time. (10/05/2010)