The word ‘classic’ gets bandied about a lot on the internet to the point where it sometimes feels like it’s lost its meaning. That’s not the case here, though, folks! Yes, we have a bonafide horror classic on our hands and it’s absolutely 100 percent deserving of that specific moniker. Case in point: 1996’s Scream is sneaking its way up the streaming rankings and laying waste to the competition right now.
More specifically, the iconic slasher has seized the sixth spot on Paramount+’s Top 10 most-watched movies in the US, meaning it’s one of the most popular films on the whole service at the time of writing, according to FlixPatrol. Pretty well-deserved don’t you think?
Directed by horror auteur Wes Craven (RIP), the mind behind a laundry list of exceptional horror properties like 1977’s The Hills Have Eyes and 1984’s A Nightmare on Elm Street to name but a few, Scream was a hugely influential slasher pic that tore up the horror rule book and helped to kickstart an entire multi-media franchise.
Before Scream hit the scene, slasher fare was largely forgettable, throwaway entertainment. However, the beloved hit helped to buck that trend by way of Kevin Williamson’s incredibly sharp and intelligent script. Not only were the likable characters more fleshed out, but the charming meta-humor and fourth wall-breaking gags really cemented it as a wholly original experience. And that’s without mentioning the rip-the-carpet-from-under-you twist at the end of flick.
Starring The Craft’s Neve Campbell as the charismatic Sydney Prescott, former pro wrestler David Arquette as the endearingly loveable yet bumbling Police Officer Dewey Riley, Friends’ Courtney Cox as the self-interested reporter Gale Weathers, and an ensemble cast of buddies that range from Thirteen Ghosts’ Matthew Lillard, Grindhouse’s Rose McGowan, Romeo + Juliet’s Jamie Kennedy, and The Craft’s Skeet Ulrich; Scream is legit bursting at the seams with top-tier acting talent. And that’s without mentioning Hollywood A-lister Drew Barrymore and the Fonz himself: Henry Winkler. (And breathe!)
From a critical perspective, Scream was a massive hit, with a 76 percent Critical Rating and an 82 percent Audience Rating over on Rotten Tomatoes. Elsewhere, the slasher also managed to net an impressive $173 million at the box office off a $15 million budget. Finally, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention one other important element about Scream. That’s right, the acclaimed horror flick introduced us to one of the coolest villains in the entirety of cinema: Ghostface. Pretty iconic, right?
But what say you, though? Do you think Scream is a legit classic? Or do you feel like it’s just overrated schlock? Grab those shiny kitchen knives and let us know in the usual place down below.