Year: 1996
Runtime: 111 min
Language: English
Director: Wes Craven
Budget: $14M
Following the murder of her mother, a young woman finds herself targeted by a mysterious killer who terrorizes her and her friends. The masked predator uses horror films as a twisted guide, tormenting them with frightening calls and deadly encounters. As the body count rises, they must try to unmask the killer before becoming his next victims.
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In the quaint town of Woodsboro, California, high schooler Casey Becker finds herself home alone when an ominous phone call interrupts her evening. The mysterious caller engages her in a conversation about horror films, but the tone quickly shifts to menacing when he threatens her life, revealing that her boyfriend, Steve, is tied up outside. To save him, Casey must answer questions about horror films; however, her incorrect response regarding Friday the 13th leads to Steve’s tragic demise. In a desperate attempt to escape, Casey becomes the victim of a brutal stabbing by the masked figure known as “Ghostface,” and her lifeless body is gruesomely displayed from a tree.
As the media frenzy descends upon Woodsboro, a police investigation commences, drawing attention to the struggles of Sidney Prescott, a teenager grappling with the impending anniversary of her mother Maureen’s tragic murder by Cotton Weary. This trauma complicates her relationship with her boyfriend, Billy Loomis. With her father, Neil, away on business, Sidney awaits her best friend, Tatum Riley. When a sinister call taunts her about her mother’s death, Sidney is suddenly attacked by Ghostface, who escapes just as Billy enters through her window. Growing suspicious of Billy after he accidentally drops a cell phone, he finds himself in trouble with Deputy Sheriff Dewey Riley, Tatum’s brother.
Later, at the police station, investigative journalist Gale Weathers confronts Sidney, alleging that Maureen had several affairs, including one with Cotton, who she asserts was wrongfully convicted of her murder. Staying at Tatum’s house, Sidney is plagued by more taunting calls from the killer. Although the police trace the menacing calls to Neil’s phone, they struggle to track his whereabouts.
Upon Billy’s release, he unwittingly reignites Sidney’s trauma by equating his mother’s absence with the pain of Maureen’s death. As tensions rise at school, Principal Himbry meets a gruesome end in his office. To provide a semblance of normalcy, Stu Macher, Tatum’s boyfriend, organizes a gathering at his home. Dewey and Gale monitor the party closely, anticipating the killer’s potential strike. The tension escalates when Randy Meeks outlines the unspoken rules for surviving a horror film, shortly before Tatum encounters Ghostface in the garage, leading to her tragic demise.
After discovering Himbry’s murder, chaos ensues at the party, prompting most guests to leave in horror. Billy arrives to mend fences with Sidney, leading to an intimate moment that turns deadly when Ghostface attacks. In the ensuing chaos, Ghostface brutally kills Gale’s cameraman Kenny and injures Dewey upon his return. Meanwhile, Gale’s attempts to escape in her van result in an accident, leaving her unconscious.
Sidney, in a frantic bid for survival, secures herself within the house, locking out both Stu and Randy, as they turn on each other, accusing one another of being the murderer. In a moment of betrayal, a seemingly wounded Billy returns, allowing Randy inside before shooting him and revealing the chilling truth: Billy and Stu are the killers. They disclose they murdered Maureen due to the fallout of her affair with Billy’s father, and now frame Neil as part of their scheme. In a desperate attempt to come out as the sole survivors, they harm one another, but their plan is interrupted by Gale’s reappearance; this diversion gives Sidney the chance to subdue Billy and ultimately kill Stu by dropping a television on him.
In a final confrontation, Billy, persistent even in his injuries, lunges at Sidney, only to be shot by Gale. Following Randy’s warning that horror film killers often rise again, Billy does attempt one last scare, but Sidney decisively ends it by shooting him in the head. As daylight breaks, Neil is rescued, Dewey is whisked away in an ambulance, and Gale delivers an impromptu news report, detailing the harrowing events of the night.
Last Updated: November 02, 2024 at 13:30
Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.
Fast-paced slasher mysteries where survival hinges on uncovering the killer.If you liked the suspenseful mystery and high-stakes survival in Scream, explore more movies like it. This selection features similar whodunit horror stories with masked killers, red herrings, and final girls fighting to uncover the truth before they become the next victim.
These narratives typically begin with a traumatic inciting incident, like a murder, that sets a masked or unknown killer on a path of vengeance or chaos. A protagonist, often dealing with personal grief or trauma, becomes the target and must use their wits to survive while suspecting everyone around them. The plot is structured around shocking reveals, false suspects, and a final confrontation where the killer's identity and motive are exposed.
Movies in this thread are grouped by their shared core mechanics: a fast-paced, high-intensity slasher format combined with a genuine mystery. They create a specific viewing experience centered on suspense, paranoia, and the intellectual puzzle of a whodunit, all wrapped in the visceral thrills of horror.
Horror films that knowingly play with and comment on their own tropes.For viewers who enjoyed the clever, meta-commentary in Scream, this list highlights similar horror films that are in on the joke. Discover movies that satirize genre conventions while still delivering genuine suspense and terror, perfect for fans of intelligent, self-referential scares.
The narrative pattern involves characters who are often aware of horror movie clichés, using that knowledge to try and survive—or having it used against them by the antagonist. The story unfolds with a layer of irony, where classic tropes like the final girl, the isolated setting, and the killer's motives are openly discussed, challenged, or subverted, adding a cerebral layer to the visceral horror.
This thread groups films that share a unique blend of tone: they deliver authentic horror and tension while simultaneously offering a witty critique of the genre itself. This creates a specific, elevated experience that rewards viewers for their familiarity with horror history.
Don't stop at just watching — explore Scream in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what Scream is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.
Track the full timeline of Scream with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.
Discover the characters, locations, and core themes that shape Scream. Get insights into symbolic elements, setting significance, and deeper narrative meaning — ideal for thematic analysis and movie breakdowns.
Get a quick, spoiler-free overview of Scream that covers the main plot points and key details without revealing any major twists or spoilers. Perfect for those who want to know what to expect before diving in.
Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about Scream: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.
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