This Friday the next chapter in the Scream saga comes to theaters. It’s the seventh installment in the franchise. In honor of its release, this week’s binge is my ranking of the previous six films in the franchise. Films appear in ascending order.

No. 6: Scream 3 (2000)
About: This will always hold a special place in my heart since it was the first of these films I got to see in a theater. That being said, this isn’t great. It’s the concluding chapter of the original trilogy, and it has its moments, but it will always be the weakest link in the chain for me.

No. 5: Scream (2022)
About: This was the re-boot, sequel, or as they dubbed it, requel. This didn’t work for me. I thought the Third Act was lame, and they did Dewey dirty in this film. I know it had some fans, I’m not one of them. In fact, some days I think about dropping this to the bottom of the heap.

No. 4: Scream VI (2023)
About: This was the second of the re-boot films, but it was a big step up to me. I enjoyed the story and the characters more. I liked the sequence of things and what it was building up to. I would have been curious to see where this would have gone had things gone differently with Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega.

No. 3: Scream 4 (2011)
About: I remember seeing this return of the franchise in theaters. I had a lot of fun with it. Even years later, I still enjoy it. Was it a little ridiculous? Sure, but I liked Emma Roberts, and this film gave us Kirby, which is a net positive.

No. 2: Scream 2 (1997)
About: This first sequel is a good film. It doesn’t rise to the level of the original, but it’s still a lot of fun. It does a nice job of expanding the world, building on the story, and adding in some fun twists.

No. 1: Scream (1996)
About: This not only tops the list here, but it’s also one of my favorite films of all time. I also think it’s an important film when it comes to the history of horror films. Without this iconic film hitting the way it did, there wouldn’t have been a franchise. I love Scream!

Matthew Fox is a graduate of the Radio, Television and Film program at Biola University, and a giant nerd. He spends his free time watching movies, TV, and obsessing about football. He is a member of the FSWA. You can find him @knighthawk7734 on Twitter and as co-host of the Fantasy Football Roundtable Podcast.