Scream (1996)
Someone has taken their love of scary movies one step too far. Solving this mystery is going to be murder.
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.
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| Type | Movie |
|---|---|
| Released | 20 December 1996 |
| Genre | Crime, Horror, Mystery |
| Director | Wes Craven |
| Starring | Neve Campbell, Skeet Ulrich and Rose McGowan |
| Runtime | 112 min |
| Rated | R |
| Scores | Rotten Tomatoes 78% · Rotten Tomatoes (average) 7.1/10 · Metacritic 66/100 · TMDB users 7.4/10 |
| Budget | $14 million |
Where to watch Scream
Scream is streaming on Hulu ($21.49 a month) in the US. It is also on Fubo, Paramount+ ($13.99 a month) and Peacock ($16.99 a month). If that is the only reason to subscribe, one month of Paramount+ is $13.99 at list price.
We check availability daily. Page last updated 27 October 2026. Prices are standard monthly plans and change often, so check with the service before you sign up.
Rent or buy
You can rent Scream on Apple TV, Prime Video, Google Play, YouTube, Fandango at Home and JustWatch TV Store. It is also for sale on Apple TV, Prime Video, Google Play, YouTube and Fandango at Home.
Where to watch Scream in 113 other countries
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|---|---|
| Albania | Netflix about , SkyShowtime about |
| Algeria | Netflix about |
| Andorra | Netflix , SkyShowtime |
| Angola | Netflix about |
| Antigua & Barbuda | Netflix about |
| Argentina | Netflix $8999 ARS, Paramount+, Clarovideo |
| Australia | Paramount+, ARD/ZDF |
| Austria | Netflix €10.99, Paramount+ |
| Bahrain | Netflix about |
| Barbados | Netflix about |
| Belize | Netflix about |
| Bolivia | Netflix about , Paramount+ |
| Bosnia & Herzegovina | Netflix about , SkyShowtime about |
| Brazil | Netflix R$51.90, Paramount+ |
| Bulgaria | Netflix €5.99, SkyShowtime €6.99 |
| Cameroon | Netflix about |
| Canada | Paramount+ |
| Cape Verde | Netflix about |
| Chad | Netflix about |
| Chile | Netflix $7190 CLP, Paramount+, Clarovideo |
| Colombia | Netflix $18900 COP, Paramount+, Clarovideo |
| Costa Rica | Netflix about , Paramount+ |
| Croatia | Netflix €5.99, SkyShowtime €8.99 |
| Czechia | Netflix 259 Kč, SkyShowtime 259 Kč |
| Côte d’Ivoire | Netflix about |
| Denmark | SkyShowtime 109 kr DKK |
| Dominican Republic | Netflix about , Paramount+ |
| Ecuador | Netflix $5.99, Paramount+ |
| Egypt | Netflix E£110 |
| El Salvador | Netflix , Paramount+ |
| Equatorial Guinea | Netflix about |
| Fiji | Netflix about |
| Finland | SkyShowtime €9.99 |
| France | Netflix €14.99, Paramount+ |
| French Guiana | Netflix |
| French Polynesia | Netflix about |
| Germany | Netflix €15.99, Paramount+ |
| Ghana | Netflix about |
| Gibraltar | Prime Video |
| Greece | Netflix €8.99 |
| Guatemala | Netflix about , Paramount+ |
| Guernsey | Prime Video |
| Honduras | Netflix about , Paramount+ |
| Hong Kong | Netflix HK$78, Max |
| Hungary | Netflix 3190 Ft, SkyShowtime 2590 Ft |
| India | Netflix ₹199 |
| Indonesia | Netflix Rp65000, Max |
| Iraq | Netflix about |
| Ireland | Prime Video €6.99, Paramount+ |
| Italy | Netflix €13.99, Paramount+ |
| Jamaica | Netflix about |
| Japan | Prime Video ¥600 JPY, Hulu, U-NEXT ¥2189 JPY |
| Jordan | Netflix about |
| Kenya | Netflix KSh300 |
| Kuwait | Netflix about |
| Lebanon | Netflix about |
| Libya | Netflix about |
| Luxembourg | Netflix €10.99 |
| Madagascar | Netflix about |
| Malaysia | Netflix RM33.90, Max |
| Mali | Netflix about |
| Malta | Netflix €8.99 |
| Mexico | Netflix $269 MXN, Paramount+ |
| Moldova | Netflix about |
| Monaco | Netflix |
| Montenegro | Netflix |
| Morocco | Netflix |
| Mozambique | Netflix about |
| Netherlands | SkyShowtime €9.99 |
| Nicaragua | Netflix about , Paramount+ |
| Niger | Netflix about |
| Nigeria | Netflix ₦4000 |
| North Macedonia | Netflix about , SkyShowtime about |
| Norway | SkyShowtime 109 kr NOK |
| Oman | Netflix about |
| Pakistan | Netflix Rs450 |
| Palestinian Territories | Netflix about |
| Panama | Netflix $5.99, Paramount+ |
| Papua New Guinea | Max |
| Paraguay | Netflix about , Paramount+ |
| Peru | Netflix S/28.90, Paramount+ |
| Philippines | Netflix ₱279, Max |
| Poland | Netflix 37.00 zł, SkyShowtime 34.99 zł |
| Portugal | Netflix €8.99, SkyShowtime €8.99 |
| Qatar | Netflix about QR32.72 |
| Romania | Netflix about 32.08 lei, SkyShowtime about 37.44 lei |
| San Marino | Netflix |
| Saudi Arabia | Netflix ﷼35.00 |
| Senegal | Netflix about |
| Serbia | Netflix about 705 din, SkyShowtime about 1058 din |
| Seychelles | Netflix about |
| Singapore | Netflix $15.98 SGD, Max |
| Slovakia | Netflix €9.49, SkyShowtime €8.99 |
| Slovenia | Netflix €5.99, SkyShowtime €8.99 |
| South Africa | Netflix R99 ZAR |
| Spain | Netflix €14.99, SkyShowtime €8.99 |
| St. Lucia | Netflix about |
| Sweden | SkyShowtime 109 kr SEK |
| Switzerland | Paramount+ |
| Taiwan | Max |
| Tanzania | Netflix about |
| Thailand | Netflix ฿169, Max |
| Trinidad & Tobago | Netflix about |
| Tunisia | Netflix about |
| Turks & Caicos Islands | Netflix |
| Uganda | Netflix about |
| United Arab Emirates | Netflix AED35.00 |
| United Kingdom | Prime Video £8.99 GBP, Paramount+ |
| Uruguay | Netflix about $U481, Paramount+ |
| Venezuela | Netflix about , Paramount+ |
| Yemen | Netflix about |
| Zambia | Netflix about |
| Zimbabwe | Netflix |
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What kind of watch this is
Wes Craven directs this 112-minute film, where a masked killer uses scary movies as a deadly game to terrorize a girl and her friends. The hook is the meta-commentary; the characters analyze their own deaths while they happen. It turns slasher clichés into a puzzle to be solved. It is a sharp, self-aware look at how these stories work. It respects the audience’s intelligence enough to let them play along.
What the critics said
Critics generally liked the self-aware slasher, finding its blend of satire and suspense effective. Rotten Tomatoes sits at 78% as of February 2026, while Metacritic gives it a 66/100 Metascore as of July 2025. Marc Savlov called it a "triumphant return to form" for Craven, a verdict David Ansen echoed by noting it "puts some fun back into a very tired genre."
Not everyone bought the bit. Janet Maslin found the in-jokes excessive and the humor "one-note," arguing the film failed to balance its mockery with genuine scares. The meta-commentary worked for some, but for others, the jokes drowned out the tension.
How it did with audiences
It cost $14 million and ended up earning $103 million. That made it the 13th-highest-grossing film of 1996. The opening weekend was quiet, but word-of-mouth pushed it up the charts. On TMDB, users rate it 7.4 out of 10.
What came next for the cast
Before Scream, Rose McGowan was a face in Encino Man and The Doom Generation. Afterward, she starred in Charmed and worked on Death Proof and Planet Terror. Matthew Lillard had already cut his teeth in Serial Mom and Hackers. His later credits include Scooby-Doo, The Descendants, and Five Nights at Freddy's. The timeline is clear. The causality is not. Careers move in strange directions.
If you liked this
TMDB's recommendations for people who watched Scream.
Sources
- Scream on TMDB — synopsis, cast, ratings and recommendations
- Wikidata Q27411 — review scores, box office and awards (CC0)
- “Scream (1996 film)” on Wikipedia, by its contributors (history) — reception, audience figures and legacy, summarised and adapted here under CC BY-SA 4.0
- Where to watch and prices: Binge Boss, from TMDB watch-provider data (powered by JustWatch) and our own provider list
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