Scream - Watch Order: Release Order
The Scream franchise revolutionized the horror genre in the 1990s with its clever meta-commentary on slasher films, combining genuine scares with sharp wit and self-awareness. Created by Wes Craven and Kevin Williamson, the series follows Sidney Prescott and her friends as they repeatedly encounter the masked Ghostface killer across multiple decades.
This release order presents the complete saga chronologically, from the original Woodsboro murders through Sidney's college years, the Hollywood trilogy conclusion, the ten-years-later revival, and the recent legacy sequels that introduce a new generation while honoring the franchise's roots.
Linear Timeline: Release Order = Story Order
Scream
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.
Scream 2
Two years after the first series of murders, as Sidney Prescott acclimates to college life, someone donning the Ghostface costume begins a new string of killings.
Scream 3
While Sidney Prescott and her friends visit the Hollywood set of Stab 3, the third film based on the Woodsboro murders, another Ghostface killer rises to terrorize them.
Scream 4
Ten years have passed, and Sidney Prescott has put herself back together thanks to her writing. However, her return to Woodsboro sparks the return of the Ghostface Killer.
Scream
Twenty-five years after a streak of brutal murders shocked the quiet town of Woodsboro, a new killer has donned the Ghostface mask and begins targeting a group of teenagers to resurrect secrets from the town’s deadly past.
Other Film Series
Bryan Edgar Wallace
A series of German crime thrillers produced by CCC Filmkunst in the 1960s-70s, marketed under the name of Edgar Wallace's son Bryan, featuring standalone mysteries with gothic atmosphere and masked killers.
Edgar Wallace
German crime thriller series from 1959-1972 that created a distinctive subgenre of atmospheric gothic mysteries, featuring recurring cast and iconic villains.
Nightmare on Elm Street
The iconic horror franchise following the burned child killer Freddy Krueger who stalks teenagers through their dreams.
Saw
A horror franchise centered on the elaborate death traps and moral philosophy of serial killer John Kramer, known as Jigsaw.
The Conjuring Universe
Supernatural horror franchise following paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren and their haunted cases.
The Omen
A supernatural horror franchise following the Antichrist Damien Thorn from his sinister origins through his rise to power, plus a modern remake.