A year after the murder of her mother, a teenage girl is terrorized by a masked killer who targets her and her friends by using scary movies as part of a deadly game.
By the time Scream arrives at its final twist, Craven has done too many contortions of his own to give the finale much shock value.
– Desmond Ryan,
Philadelphia Inquirer,
6 Oct 2013
rotten:
The picture is so full of cross-references, self-mockery and movies within movies (including a stalking that's recorded on video) that it can't help turning into a precious two-hour in-joke.
– John Hartl,
Seattle Times,
6 Oct 2013
fresh:
Scream builds to a splattering finale that should leave genre fans highly satisfied. Here's one of the year's better thrillers.
– Dave Kehr,
New York Daily News,
6 Oct 2013
rotten:
Scream may be a cut above the gore fests that line the dimly lit back wall at your video store, but it is a far cry from genre classics like Halloween or Craven's own Nightmare On Elm Street.
– John Petrakis,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Oct 2013
rotten:
The pic's chills are top-notch, but its underlying mockish tone won't please die-hard fans.