The Scream franchise is likely one of the most iconic horror collection ever put to the display. Having been round since 1996, the collection helped reinvent and revitalize the slasher movie, kicking off a short-lived slasher craze that lasted for roughly a decade. Good, sarcastic, and above all else scary, the Scream movies are additionally distinctive within the panorama of horror in that, not like their dramatic predecessors within the Nightmare on Elm Road or Texas Chainsaw Bloodbath collection, every sequel within the Scream saga is entertaining in its personal proper.
Fortuitously, the Scream collection follows a largely simple linear path, specializing in the identical few characters from movie to movie quite than introducing a brand new group of fundamental characters in every film (a trait related to most slashers of its variety). With its newest sequels, nevertheless, it may be getting more and more tough for some followers to know the linear order to look at the Scream films and what precisely the general timeline is inside the Scream universe.
From the preliminary entry within the collection to its newest installments, right here is each Scream film organized in chronological order. (For sure, spoilers forward for every Scream film outlined under.)
Scream
Whereas Scream was clearly the primary entry within the Wes Craven-directed collection, Scream 3 retconned a lot of the preliminary story surrounding the occasions of the franchise’s preliminary installment. Rejected by his estranged mom, Maureen Prescott, the disillusioned Roman Bridger (Scott Bridger) collected proof of Maureen’s affair with Hank Loomis and Cotton Weary (Liev Schreiber). After Hank’s spouse, Nancy (Laurie Metcalf), left him upon uncovering his infidelity on her personal, Roman confirmed the footage of Maureen and Hank’s affair to the Loomis’s son, Billy (Skeet Ulrich), who blamed Maureen for breaking his household aside.
Enraged, Billy orchestrated a plan with Roman, recruiting his greatest pal, Stu Macher (Matthew Lillard), to kill Maureen and body Cotton for her homicide. Believing Cotton was wrongfully convicted, reporter Gale Weathers (Courtney Cox) pens a e book in regards to the crime, asserting Cotton’s innocence and constructing a popularity for herself as an investigative journalist.
One 12 months after Maureen’s demise, Billy and Stu homicide Stu’s former girlfriend, Casey Becker (Drew Barrymore), and her boyfriend of their signature Ghostface costumes. As hypothesis runs rampant concerning the killer’s identification, Billy psychologically manipulates his girlfriend, Maureen’s daughter Sidney (Neve Campbell), whilst he’s broadly imagined to be the assassin by the police and his pals.
When Stu decides to throw a celebration at his home, the 2 Ghostface killers go on a vicious spree, murdering a number of extra individuals – together with Stu’s girlfriend, Tatum Riley (Rose McGowan). Cornering Sidney in Stu’s kitchen, the 2 murderers reveal their true identification, taking duty for the current killings and Maureen’s demise. After a momentary distraction from an injured Gale, Sidney turns the tables in opposition to each of her would-be murderers, killing them each and ending the primary technology of Ghostface slayings in Woodsboro.
Scream 2
Within the wake of Billy and Stu’s bloodbath, Gale makes use of the chance to put in writing a nonfiction e book primarily based on the killings titled “The Woodsboro Murders” – a e book that quickly offers the supply materials for a collection of slasher movies dubbed the Stab collection. Two years after the unique murders, the discharge of Stab prompts a copycat killer to homicide two Windsor Faculty college students attending the film’s premiere, main the police to accurately assume a brand new particular person has taken up the mantle of Ghostface.
As information of those Stab killings unfold, Sidney – who has since graduated and enrolled in Windsor – begins to suspect that her new boyfriend, Derek Feldman (Jerry O’Connell), is behind the murders. On the similar time, Sidney’s fellow Woodsboro survivors – Gale, Dewey Riley (David Arquette), and Randy Meeks (Jamie Kennedy) – examine the murders on their very own, with Randy brutally murdered after making some insulting feedback about Billy and Stu.
After being chased by Ghostface throughout the campus, Sidney confronts the killer at Windsor’s theater constructing, who reveal themselves as Derek’s greatest pal, Mickey Altieri (Timothy Olyphant), and Billy’s mom, Nancy Loomis, the latter of whom is in search of revenge in opposition to Sidney for her son’s demise. With the assistance of Cotton Weary – who’s since been free of jail resulting from Billy and Stu’s crimes coming to mild – Sidney as soon as once more overpowers the 2 killers, murdering them in self-defense. As police and ambulance arrive, Gale and a critically injured Dewey reunite, having shaped an in depth romance with each other resulting from their time collectively.
Scream 3
Three years after Mickey and Nancy’s murders at Windsor Faculty, a brand new Ghostface emerges in Hollywood, focusing on individuals related to the upcoming manufacturing of Stab 3: Return to Woodsboro. To search out Sidney – who’s since graduated and gone into hiding below an assumed title – this new Ghostface goes after Cotton Weary, killing the now-successful discuss present host after he refuses to disclose Sidney’s location.
Along with her identification quickly compromised, Sidney ventures to Los Angeles along with her pals, Gale and Dewey, who Ghostface relentlessly pursues. With the unique Woodsboro survivors and the solid and crew of Stab 3 assembly on the home of producer John Milton (Lance Henriksen), the brand new Ghostface reveals his identification as Roman Bridger, Stab 3’s director and Maureen’s illegitimate son, who goes on to inform his half-sister his position in Maureen’s demise. As soon as once more outsmarting her would-be killer, Sidney is narrowly saved by Dewey, who arrives and shoots Roman within the head, formally ending the third wave of Ghostface killings.
Scream 4
Ten years after her brush along with her half-brother Roman in Hollywood, Sidney has turn into a profitable creator, finishing a self-help e book detailing her personal traumatic experiences. Returning dwelling to Woodsboro for her publicity tour, Sidney reconnects along with her aunt Kate (Mary McDonnell) and teenage cousin Jill (Emma Roberts). Upon her arrival, nevertheless, Sidney is shocked to study that one other killer has assumed the position of Ghostface, preying on the subsequent technology of Woodsboro teenagers.
With the now-married Gale and Dewey – the latter of whom has turn into the city’s sheriff – Sidney pursues the killer, serving to Jill and her greatest pal Kirby Reed (Hayden Panettiere) keep one step forward of Ghostface. Sadly, lots of Jill’s family and friends, together with her mom Kate, are murdered alongside the way in which, with Gale wounded by Ghostface after sneaking into the city’s annual “Stabathon” movie pageant.
Retreating to Kirby’s home, Jill quickly reveals herself because the killer, impersonating Ghostface alongside her secret lover and confederate, Charlie Walker (Rory Culkin). Having grown uninterested in Sidney’s movie star standing, Jill tells her cousin that she organized the killings to place herself as the ultimate woman, succeeding Sidney’s place within the limelight and turning into well-known within the course of. After murdering Charlie herself, she frames him and her boyfriend Trevor Sheldon (Nico Tortorella) for the killings, stabbing Sidney and purposefully injuring herself to make sure her alibi is hermetic.
Surprisingly, Sidney survives her accidents, combating Jill in Woodsboro’s hospital. With some help from Gale and Dewey, the three handle to kill Jill, surviving yet one more bloodbath orchestrated by a Ghostface assassin.
Scream (2022)
Ten years after Jill’s demise and 25 years after Billy and Stu’s unique Ghostface killings, yet one more Ghostface emerges in Woodsboro, practically killing 18-year-old highschool pupil Tara Carpenter (Jenna Ortega). Reeling from the information of Tara’s assault, Tara’s older sister Sam (Melissa Barrera) and her boyfriend Richie Kirsch (Jack Quaid) arrive in Woodsboro, comforting Tara as she recuperates within the hospital. Whereas there, Sam reveals to Tara that she is definitely the illegitimate youngster of Billy Loomis, having skilled more and more troubling hallucinations of her father, who urges Sam to embrace her darker facet.
With the brand new Ghostface seemingly preying on the relations of individuals related to the primary Woodsboro bloodbath, Sam and Richie attain out to Dewey for assist. Although reluctant at first, Dewey – who has since retired because the city’s sheriff and gone by means of a bitter divorce with Gale – quickly agrees to assist, instructing the Woodsboro teenagers on easy methods to survive Ghostface’s onslaught.
Stopping Ghostface when the killer once more tries to kill Tara within the hospital, Dewey is viciously stabbed by demise by the assassin, prompting Sidney and Gale to return to Woodsboro as soon as extra. When making an attempt to depart city with Tara, Sam, and Richie are pressured to enterprise to Tara’s greatest pal Amber’s (Mikey Madison) home (previously Stu Macher’s residence) to search out Tara’s inhaler. There, the three discover themselves in the course of a entice arrange by Ghostface, who’s revealed to be each Richie and Amber. Embittered by the current route of the Stab collection, the 2 inform Sam that they got here up with the murders to offer supply materials for future Stab movies, hoping to pin the murders on Sam resulting from her familial connection to Billy.
When Sidney and Gale arrive on the scene, the 2 assist Sam and Tara get the higher of Richie and Amber, with Sam wildly slashing Richie to demise, briefly giving in to her household’s historical past of violence. Reuniting with Tara’s pals, fellow survivors Chad (Mason Gooding) and Mindy Meeks-Martin (Jasmin Savoy Brown), the group have a good time defeating the killers, collectively grieving the lack of Dewey.
Scream VI
One 12 months after Richie and Amber’s killing spree, Sam and Tara have moved to New York Metropolis, Tara attending Blackmore College along with her longtime pals Chad and Mindy and new roommate, Quinn Bailey (Liana Liberato). Shortly after their arrival, Blackmore movie professor Laura Crane (Samara Weaving) is killed by Ghostface killer Jason Carvey (Tony Revolori), a Stab-obsessed Blackmore pupil who plans to satisfy Richie and Amber’s plans to kill Sam and Tara together with his roommate, Greg. After killing Crane, nevertheless, Jason and Greg are killed by one other Ghostface killer in search of revenge in opposition to the Carpenter sisters.
As information of those murders unfold, F.B.I. agent and former Ghostface sufferer Kirby Reed arrives to analyze. Initially in search of power in numbers, Sam, Tara, and their pals are all of a sudden attacked by Ghostface of their condominium constructing, murdering Quinn and Mindy’s girlfriend, Anika (Devyn Nekoda). Shortly afterward, Ghostface comes near murdering Gale, leaving her hospitalized with extreme accidents. Determined to defend themselves, Sam and her pals plan an ambush with Kirby and Quinn’s detective father, Wayne (Dermot Mulroney), hoping to nook Ghostface at a hidden museum devoted to previous Ghostface murders.
As soon as there, the killer re-emerges, with Wayne, Quinn (who faked her demise), and Chad’s roommate Ethan (Jack Champion) revealing themselves behind the current murders. Outing themselves as Richie’s relations, Wayne and his two remaining kids donned the Ghostface masks to avenge Richie’s demise, desiring to kill Sam and body her for his or her murders. With Kirby, Sam and Tara acquire the higher hand in opposition to the Kirsches, killing all of them one after the other. Reuniting with a wounded Mindy and Chad, the survivors of the Kirsches ponder their future, with Sam and Tara leaving the museum to renew their lives collectively within the metropolis.
Richard Chachowski is a contract author primarily based in New Jersey. He loves studying, his canine Tootsie, and just about each film to ever exist (particularly Star Wars).