Scream is the best horror movie. I know it must feel weird to read that. Honestly, the most criticism I’ve ever received must have been when I mentioned how good of a horror movie Scream is. Even when compared to other movies, it demonstrates how incredibly innovative the slasher film is, as it stands out from others of the same genre. To convince you, I will provide 10 reasons why Scream is the best horror movie of all time.
- The Suspenseful Plot
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There’s no way you can tell me the plot of Scream is not incredible: A masked killer taunts his victims with horror movie trivia, and if they get the questions wrong, they die. Throughout the movie, there’s so much to uncover about the small town’s past and it’s incredible how this mystery interconnects with the killings happening in the movie. While watching the film, you’re constantly wondering about what’s going to happen next, and who you can truly trust.
- Scream Is A Meta Film
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Meta films will always get a chuckle out of me. Through its dialogue, Scream consistently reminds you of and points out the ways you could survive in a horror movie. The killer mentions other horror movies as a way to torture their victims and, from the start, its critique on stereotypical tropes is evident as a form of saying, “Yes, this is a horror movie, and we are extremely aware of it.”
- Who Doesn’t Love Ghostface?
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Ghostface is one of the most iconic masked killers in cinema history. On Halloween, you see at least 20 people with identical costumes recreating all the iconic lines from the movie. ”Do you like scary movies?” is such a simple, yet established line; the way it’s said is sinister and cool. There are reasons as to why people are obsessed with the physical aesthetic, the voice of the masked killer, and the lines said.
- A Great Horror Movie With Dark Comedy Elements
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There’s never a moment in this film where you feel bored, if I’m being frank. If you’re a horror movie fan, you can agree with me on this one. The amount of dark jokes covered throughout the movie keeps you entertained, even when they’re during incredibly intense moments. In most horror movies, it feels like the characters never have a moment of them truly connecting with their audience. With Scream, I felt like the comedy made them seem more relatable.
- Sidney Prescott Is Genuinely The Best Final Girl
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I’ve always been a big fan of hers. She’s a complex character that also happens to be a badass. Sidney is the most relatable character when it comes to her chances of survival out of any other horror film protagonist I’ve seen. The first time I watched the movie, I was sure she was going to be a victim of the “Final Girls” stereotypes that plague the film industry. There’s normally no reason why final girls have had the survival skills needed to outlast other characters in these movies. With Sidney Prescott, and her complex history and trauma, her reaction is justified. She is truly the coolest final girl.
- Connecting With The Characters
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The chemistry between the characters makes you vulnerable to like them and they all serve important roles in the plot. Although they display certain strengths and weaknesses that eventually lead to their downfall, in one way or another, it’s this display of vulnerability in their interactions and mistakes that connects the audience to these characters. In small moments of the film, you feel how each character subtly cares for an important aspect of their lives, and this humanization portrays them as actual people.
- Scream Is Quotable
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When the moment calls for it, there’s many quotes that are passionately performed. “Do you like scary movies?,””Not in my movie!,” and “Please don’t kill me Mr. Ghostface. I want to be in the sequel,” are lines that I quote too often. On social media, there have been many instances where users would lip sync and edit moments of the film, praising the movie for how iconic it is.
- Creative and Shocking Kills
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I was truly in awe watching the film for the first time. The death of each character will be etched in my brain for as long as I can remember. I want to mention how creatively they were done, especially since you wouldn’t think that a masked killer from a small town would be so gruesome and relentless to its victims, but it truly is the opposite. It does not have a huge amount of gore. However, it makes up for this with its astounding pace and shock value, especially for the time of its release.
- Eerie Sound Effects
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As an avid horror movie fan, I genuinely think the soundtrack (music and sound effects) is one of the most important aspects to nail when it comes to these films. Every time I heard the phone ring, a wrong step being taken, or if something was about to go wrong and we’d hear the music cutting off and then starting again as our victims realized what was happening, I fell more and more in love with this movie. It is top tier.
- Scream Was Revolutionary
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You have to think about it this way, the movie is simply not mundane. Since its release in 1996, slasher horror films have completely changed in the industry. Every aspect of this film is incredibly crucial, and there’s still so much to decipher about it even as you finish it. It brought many new ideas and inspired many other movies, because yet again I say, Scream is the best horror film.
You could disagree with me. But I truly invite you to watch the film if you haven’t. Give it a chance with an open mind, you might be surprised by how much it has to offer. Even if you’re skeptical, Scream has a way of drawing you in… Who knows? You might just find yourself understanding why it’s held in such high regard. Lastly, I have one question for you: Do you like scary movies?