Scream

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% (05/08/2020)

The classic horror film Scream is probably one of the mainstays of teenage slashers, and it certainly doesn't disgrace its genre. There's a little bit of everything – humor, action, violence – and together it makes for a pretty solid spectacle. The cast is great, especially David Arquette, Courteney Cox and Matthew Lillard. On the technical side, I can't forget to mention the great music, the editing and the cinematography. In short, a proper horror film, as it should be, and it's a pity that its sequels don't have the same impact. (11/14/2010)

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. (02/16/2007)

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. (10/08/2005)

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. (11/01/2007)