Scream (1996)

Movies still have the power to become cultural events. But it’s not as strong as it used to be before our collective attention span splintered into a trillion directions. It is hard to describe the effect 1996’s Scream had when it was released to someone who hadn’t been born yet. Though its impact is still felt 30 years later, since you are still seeing sequels to it.  Wes Craven, who had directed Nightmare on Elm Street, turns horror upside down here. The cold open sets the tone for what to expect for the rest of the movie. Which is no one is safe. The luminous Neve Campbell was made into a movie star by this movie, and she’s never been more charming than in her opening scene. While Scream may look like a horror movie, it’s more than that. There’s an element of comedy and mystery thrown in. If it’s not the first horror movie to be self-aware, it’s hard to find a better example. Jamie Kennedy’s character lays out the rules for horror movies, and Scream then makes use of them. It’s the kind of movie you wish you could see for the first time again. 2026 would spoil the plot of this movie 15 seconds after its release. Fortunately, the internet hadn’t gained a mass foothold yet in 1996, and spoilers were harder to come by on accident. It also was a huge deal when it came to home video, showing its lasting power. While the sequels were a bit of a letdown as they all tried to retcon, which was not a word in the 90s, plot points to make them fit into the Scream universe, the first one stands as an all-time great. Scream also kicked off the teen slasher movie craze with I Know What You Did Last Summer and The Faculty. The only shame of it all is Scream is so ingrained into the culture now, it’s hard to watch it without being influenced by the things it influenced. Sometimes being great has consequences. Watch Scream again and let it take you back to a time when going to the movies was just fun.