“What’s your favourite Scary Movie?” utters Ghostface in his usual Roger L Jackson’s raspy tones as we pick up the phone and hear the favourite horror question. We think for a second and reply with the usual heavyweights – “Halloween. Friday the 13th, Elm Street and of course SCREAM” – Ghostface has a think and then replies “Scream! – which one is your favourite?”.. to which we can only reply, “Great question Ghostie – lets do a ranking:

NUMBER 7:

SCREAM 7 (2026)

Being a huge SCREAM fan, I’m glad there are fans who appreciate — and actually like — the latest instalment in the life of Sidney Prescott’s ever-battling war with masked killer Ghostface. But for us at Hacked2Pieces, while it improves on a second watch, it’s still the weakest entry in the franchise, largely due to it being the poorest written of the series — which is surprising, considering original writer Kevin Williamson is finally in the director’s chair.

There’ll be devoted fans who say the backlash stems from the firing of Melissa Barrera and the exit of Jenna Ortega, but we were more than happy to see Neve Campbell back front and centre in her signature role. The problem is, the behind-the-scenes issues and numerous rewrites clearly show in a film that offers so much, yet delivers so little.

Williamson, clearly wearing his love for HALLOWEEN on his sleeve, turns Ghostface into a Michael Myers-type figure — complete with head tilts and lurking in the shadows — even transforming the small town of Pine Grove into a mirror image of Haddonfield. New characters are largely there to be killed off, adding nothing fresh to the franchise, while illogical moments creep in — such as Sidney choosing to run into town to save her daughter instead of taking a car.

Scream 7 also delivers the weakest killer reveal of the entire franchise — a real Scooby-Doo moment that will leave many shrugging and asking, “Who… and why?” The AI angle is not only underused, but it also strips fans of the iconic voice of Roger L. Jackson, who is as vital to the franchise as the returning faces on screen.

With the slasher genre continuing to churn out new entries, SCREAM 7 is still superior to many run-of-the-mill efforts — and it’s worth stressing there isn’t a bad SCREAM film. But compared to the rest, Ghostface picking up the knife for the seventh time feels noticeably blunter than before — something that’s hard to ignore, despite the impressive box office figures.

NUMBER 6:

SCREAM (2022)

We’ve shocked ourselves by putting SCREAM (2022) at number five, as it’s an entry that brought back and revitalised the franchise after a decade away from the box office — and, of course, following the sad passing of the legendary Wes Craven, whose absence will always be felt, no matter how many SCREAM films are released.

As a “requel,” the film had the near-impossible task of bringing in both old and new fans while introducing a fresh wave of characters — and to be fair, it does a brilliant job. The Carpenter sisters were a welcome addition, alongside Mindy and Chad, while the legendary trio — Dewey, Gale, and of course Sidney — make the transition feel seamless. So why the low ranking?

For us, the opening scene — which ultimately results in a “no kill” — is the weakest of the franchise. It feels like a modern take on the original, but without the same flair or originality. Aside from one shocking kill, the majority of the set pieces feel fairly standard, with nothing that truly stands out among the best the franchise has to offer.

The killer reveal is well hidden for newcomers, but die-hard fans will likely spot the “slip of the tongue” moment that immediately raises suspicion. And while the finale — set in a familiar house — ticks all the right boxes, it ultimately feels like SCREAM 5 plays things a little too safe.

There’s nothing inherently wrong with that — if the goal was to re-establish the franchise and pave the way for future entries, then it absolutely succeeds. But in doing so, it lacks some of the creative spark that many SCREAM films have in abundance and that is why it fails for an old fan like ourselves.

NUMBER 5:

SCREAM 3 (2000)

When we came to doing our ranking, our original thought was that SCREAM 3 would come last. It was only during a rewatch of the franchise that we realised that, for all its faults — and there are many — we do have a massive soft spot for the original finale of the first set of films. It’s a sequel that is nowhere near the quality of the previous two, but time has been kind to it since its release. To be honest, the film benefits from nostalgia — a reminder of a time when, 26 years ago, we thought it ended the Ghostface saga once and for all.

It’s often considered the weakest among fans, even though it has gained a strong cult following over the years. And yes, there are moments we really struggle with — we’re looking at you, Maureen’s ghost — but there are also moments that are etched into our brains. Courteney Cox and her inexplicable haircut, Jay and Silent Bob, the Carrie Fisher cameo, the flying knife meeting Dewey’s forehead — and let’s not forget Parker Posey, who is simply a riot throughout.

Much like SCREAM 7, a troubled production meant we never got the version of SCREAM 3 that was originally intended. At the time, violence in media was under heavy scrutiny, so writer Ehren Kruger leaned into a more comedic tone — and it clearly shows. But this remains the only SCREAM film (so far) where Ghostface acts alone, and while the backstory treads dangerously close to undermining the original’s legacy, it ultimately gets away with it — largely thanks to one of the best final scenes in the entire franchise.

It’s great that Sidney returned for more chapters, but SCREAM 3 did give us a fitting goodbye — one that, at times, feels unfairly underappreciated.

NUMBER 4:

SCREAM VI (2023)

Opinion is starting to shift on the Carpenter sisters’ second battle with Ghostface, despite its huge box office and critical acclaim, with fans now finding faults in the plotline two years after its release. For us, though, we still love the New York caper. Unlike Scream 5, it actually took risks and delivered moments of genuine surprise that took our breath away for the first time in years.

The opening sequence is one of our favourites — that moment when Ghostface removes their mask immediately after the first kill, and we follow them from the scene, drew gasps of excitement in the cinema. For the first time in years, SCREAM fans found themselves in brand-new territory. It’s just a shame that this fresh direction didn’t last long, as the film quickly returns to the tried-and-tested formula.

That aside, this sequel is a huge amount of fun. A confident entry from the Radio Silence team, who re-established the world safely in the previous film and then let the shackles off here. The energy the film brings simply sizzles off the screen.

There’s no Sidney — sitting out the killings for the first time — but her absence allows Gale Weathers to finally get her own Ghostface phone call, leading to a standout set-piece that ranks among the best in the franchise. The return of Kirby is also a delight for fans — even if you try not to think too hard about how a horror-loving fan ended up as an FBI agent. We also get the best “escape via ladder” sequence since the underrated ’90s Emilio Estevez actioner Judgment Night.

The killer reveal is well hidden — largely because it’s so ridiculous it barely makes sense — and that’s one of the reasons the film is receiving more criticism as time goes on. But compared to SCREAM 7, at least there’s a motive — even if, logically, it’s a huge stretch.

Still, with strong kills and this level of energy, this final chapter of the Carpenter sisters’ story feels like a fitting end — and a SCREAM entry we’re more than happy to revisit.

It’s the most fun we’ve had watching Ghostface in years… well, since the next one on the list.

NUMBER 3:

SCREAM 4 (2011)

We love SCREAM 4 — a slasher we feel is one of the most underrated in recent years. It deserved far more success at the box office and more love from fans of the franchise, as it delivers on every level what a SCREAM film should be.

For us, the fourth film — and the last to be directed by Wes Craven — was way ahead of its time. The whole concept centres around a killer chasing their 15 minutes of fame, using social media and live-streaming to achieve it. Today, that’s the norm — but back in 2011, the idea was still in its infancy.

Seeing Ghostface back on the big screen after eleven years was a huge thrill, and the opening segment — while divisive to some — is one of the most creative the franchise has ever delivered. With Sidney returning to Woodsboro, alongside Dewey and Gale, facing off against arguably the most ruthless killer yet, it’s an absolute blast.

The new crop of teens are equally impressive, with Kirby stealing the show from the moment she appears onscreen. The killer reveal was also the last time a SCREAM film genuinely shocked the majority of its audience. Packed with standout set-pieces and sharp, witty dialogue, this fourth entry is an absolute gem — featuring a Ghostface who doesn’t care who they kill, even if it means going to extreme lengths by shooting a person’s penis off.

It’s a shame the original plan for SCREAM 5 never materialised, as the intended ending to this film could have taken the franchise in a bold and fascinating new direction. Much like the original plan for Halloween 5 – the studio just didn’t have the confidence to take that gamble – its a shame.

NUMBER 2:

SCREAM 2 (1997)

“Hello, Sidney… remember me?”

As Sidney hears those words down the phone, the shock is immediate — but for fans watching then, how could we forget? We were witnessing a period where two of the greatest horror films of all time were released within just two years of each other – one of the best original horrors, followed by one of the greatest sequels of all time,

There was so much pressure on the very first sequel after the barnstorming arrival of the original just a year before, and yet SCREAM 2 not only delivers in every scene — it proves that a new franchise was truly born, at a time when many believed the slasher genre was dead and buried.

What is there not to love?

The opening cinema kill with Jada Pinkett screaming for help, surrounded by a crowd of people dressed as Ghostface. The stacked, “sexy” cast, including Sarah Michelle Gellar, Joshua Jackson, and Timothy Olyphant. Our very own Top Gun moment with Jerry O’Connell singing in that iconic sequence. And then there are the set-pieces — Sidney climbing over an unconscious Ghostface, Gale’s chase through the soundproof room, that Randy moment which broke every Scream fan’s heart, and of course the Tori Spelling gag, so good it was even repeated in SCREAM 7.

And then… that killer reveal.

To a modern audience watching for the first time, it might seem a little obvious now — but back in 1997, cinemas were filled with stunned reactions as that sudden twist landed and the motive – damn – it was a good one.

SCREAM 2 wasn’t just a sequel – it felt like an event movie and the fact Williamson and Craven pulled it off in such a remarkable fashion deserves a whole lot of love from all horror and slasher fans.

NUMBER 1:

SCREAM (1996)

While the ’90s were entering their final twilight years, for the most part, action blockbusters were the name of the game. With The Rock establishing Nicolas Cage as a bona fide action star and Tom Cruise accepting his first impossible mission, it was also a year when a genre many thought had died suddenly rose from the grave.

Yes, 1996 may have seen action films dominating the box office, but even the likes of The Long Kiss Goodnight couldn’t compete with the sudden, knife-in-the-gut impact that SCREAM was about to deliver. A film destined to be labelled a classic — and one as important as Halloween back in 1978. But before we get to it, it’s important to start at the beginning, and how such a film managed to cause such ripples…

For a start, the ’90s had seen the slasher genre pushed to straight-to-video status. The formula of a masked killer targeting teens was now considered old hat. Even Freddy Krueger, who had dominated the ’80s, had already been given his farewell in the rather tame Final Nightmare. The word “final” also appeared in Jason’s supposed last outing — Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday — a film with a bizarre, Quantum Leap-style plot that divided fans, though it was saved somewhat by a blink-and-you-miss-it cameo from Freddy himself.

The man who started it all, Michael Myers, arrived too late to revive the party. His sequels landed just as the boom was ending, and for a character who once had such an impact, the franchise slipped into low-quality entries that dragged the story of Haddonfield downhill.

The simple truth is that horror fans had grown tired of the same slasher formula. What had once been a dominant genre in the ’80s had become stale and repetitive. The market was flooded with similar-looking films, and even the most loyal fans had had enough of masked killers.

One of the last great films of that cycle was The Intruder — a film largely ignored on release and now almost forgotten — which perfectly summed up the state of the genre. No matter how good the concept or execution, slasher films were no longer connecting.

Slash was dead. The bogeyman had been buried and then came Kevin Williamson and Wes Craven. Now Craven himself tested the Meta formula a few years before, bringing Freddy into the real world with his NEW NIGHTMARE offering and yet when SCREAM was released to an unexpected audience – the results were electric.

Scream works because it treats the slasher genre with the respect it deserves. It rewards viewers who have knowledge of the genre, as there are so many in-jokes that, on first watch, it can feel quite overwhelming. Scream plays like its own self-parody — when Sidney laughs at Ghostface on the phone and says she doesn’t watch horror films because “it’s always some big-breasted girl running up the stairs when she should be going out the front door!” — and then, moments later, we see Sidney do exactly the same thing. It allows the viewer to laugh even as the terror unfolds.

But within the laughs and playful tone – there is pure horror – the now legendary opening with Drew Barrymore is still one of the greatest horror moments ever put to film – a stunning sequence which even now after over thirty years – is still a powerful watch. Its fitting that HALLOWEEN is featured in this movie as SCREAM is just as influential as the John Carpenter classic. It introduced to the world a brand new final girl in Campbell’s Sidney – a character fans still root for – three decades later. Equally as important is Courtney Cox who was back then most notably known as Monica Gellar from FRIENDS and yet not once do you think of Central Perk when her fearsome, hard driven, brave and no-nonsense news reporter Gale Weathers is on screen

SCREAM is masterpiece. A horror film that introduced such characters like Sidney, Billy, Stu, Tatum, Randy, Dewey, Gale and the now forgotten Cotton Weary and you know what – they can churn out another 10 sequels and the reason why we’ll be there on opening night is the hope we get the same feeling and magic that the original had in spades – the truth is – SCREAM 1996 will never be bettered – but like of the six sequels that have followed – its fun to try.