The Best Scream Movie According To Rotten Tomatoes

“What’s your favorite scary movie?” rasps an ominous voice on the phone, and depending on the receiver, the game of grisly cat-and-mouse amounts to different ends. The enduring legacy of the “Scream” franchise might have faltered as of late — especially with the controversies surrounding the yet-to-be-released “Scream 7” — but it is not an exaggeration to claim that the first few entries helped shape the rules of the slasher genre in mainstream horror. The original “Scream” is perfect for several reasons: it sets the tone with a truly effective opening scene, sustains the tension with a string of red herrings, and executes an unforgettably solid killer reveal right before the climax. As the story progressed over the years, the metatextual nature of the sequels gradually became an intrinsic part of the franchise’s identity, with the recent “Scream VI” upending its established rules and taking a more location-independent approach to the mythos surrounding the birth of Ghostface(s).

It is tough to discern which “Scream” movie is the best, as almost every film has something unique to offer. However, if we are to go solely by Rotten Tomatoes scores, “Scream 2” emerges as the highest-rated entry in the franchise at the moment, with an 81% on the Tomatometer. As great as 1996’s “Scream” is, its sequel manages to subvert expectations that often hound the successor of a beloved standalone mega-hit, going as far as leaking a dummy script to circumvent leaks and delivering thrills that seem self-aware of the slasher formula it is mimicking. Moreover, with the return of existing characters, the stakes feel significantly raised, as those who survived in the first film are now no longer safe from the clutches of a new masked killer. As more bodies drop, the deaths feel more hard-hitting, as we are given ample time to understand how some of these characters tick, especially when pitted against such an unpredictable source of terror.

The meta-commentary that “Scream 2” injects into its narrative via Randy (Jamie Kennedy) — who constantly reminds the characters (and us) about the rules of an effective sequel — introduces a satirical tint that is sustained through the in-universe “Stab” franchise. The publicity surrounding the events in Woodsboro gives birth to a slasher franchise that consciously mimics the inner workings of its real-world counterpart, and the irony of the setting is distilled through the jarring opening scene, which underlines the horrors of media exploitation and how it is received by the masses.

As “Stab” takes over the imaginations of the townsfolk, we are privy to their mounting desensitization to the on screen kills, rendering them incapable of discerning between a scripted death and a real one, even when the latter occurs right in front of their eyes. “Scream 2” is smart enough to anticipate the ugliness of real-world tragedies being exploited for corporate gain, where someone’s greatest nightmare is promptly turned into merchandise that is gleefully worn by the masses without thought or concern. The copycat Ghostface in “Scream 2” exploits this ghoulish state of affairs, melds seamlessly with the dozens of moviegoers wearing his signature mask and robes, and brutally stabs an unwitting audience member (Jada Pinkett Smith) in plain sight. The worst part? Ghostface gets away with it.

On the flip side, we witness how the tragedy (and its gross commodification in media) has affected Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell), who seems more withdrawn and on edge, despite being determined to survive this hell. The news of the copycat Ghostface fills her with concern for fellow survivors such as Randy, with a much more sure-footed Dewey (David Arquette) trying his best to prevent a repetition of the tragic past. Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox) is still as opportunistic as ever, but she is now intimately aware of the dear cost of such exploitation, as she is as much of a target as Sidney, which creates a fresh layer to her character.

While Sidney takes on a more (rightfully) cautious approach to new relationships, Randy copes with the trauma by adopting a more laid back, socially brash attitude where he confidently prattles that sequels are inherently inferior and can never surpass the original. Leaning harder into movie trivia and geek-adjacent shenanigans might have been Randy’s way of moving on, and the fact that this hopeful outlook is rapidly undercut with a cruel outdoor kill hurts when we least expect it. Amid all this chaos, we have the wrongfully accused Cotton Weary (Liev Schreiber) introduced as a red herring to keep us guessing about the identity of the copycat, and it works up until a point, as Cotton seems malicious enough to be able to commit the crimes under the right circumstances.

There are fresh faces who experience the menace that Ghostface is for the first time, such as Cici (Sarah Michelle Gellar), who is part of a dizzying chase sequence before being thrown off the balcony to her death. The reasoning behind her death isn’t obvious at first, but Gale and Dewey figure out the pattern and its connection to the original Woodsboro Murders, offering a valuable clue regarding the possible killer. Apart from this chase scene, every other high-stakes sequence is masterfully crafted, including Gale being hounded by Ghostface around the film department and the “Agamemnon” rehearsal where all hell breaks loose while the chorus surrounds Sidney, who fittingly plays Cassandra.

Throughout “Scream 2,” life imitates art after the latter is used to capitalize on real-life horrors, and the noxious cycle continues, constantly blurring the lines between what is staged and what is real. Surviving the onslaught of the past and the present at the same time has its toll, and Sidney emerges as a driven survivor unwilling to allow anyone to rewrite her destiny, not even the campy unpredictability of an enraged Mrs. Loomis (Laurie Metcalf). After the killer is apprehended, all is well at Woodsboro, until the next wave of Ghostface killings destabilizes hard-earned peace.