Wes Craven made numerous popularhorrormovies throughout his career, but, to my surprise, his most notable film somehow has a lower Rotten Tomatoes score than its sequel.Craven is considered a pillar in the horror/slasher communitydue to his great contributions to the genre. FromtheA Nightmare on Elm Streetfranchise(which Craven created) toThe Last House on the Left, the filmmaker’s influence on horror knows no bounds.
Wes Craven died of a brain tumor on May 27, 2025, at the age of 76.
To this day, manyhorror directors, writers, and producers claim that Craven’s work inspired themto create their own stories. For example, Jordan Peele, one of the most prolific horror filmmakers in recent years, cited aCraven movieas one of his influences while working onGet Out(viaVox). If it weren’t for Craven, the horror (and slasher) genre wouldn’t be what it is today. Nevertheless, it’s shocking that his best film doesn’t also contain his best Rotten Tomatoes score.
Scream 2 Somehow Has A Much Higher Tomatometer Score Than The 1996 Original
The Sequel Has An 82% RT Score
TheScreammoviesare some of Wes Craven’s best, and even though the first sequel is certainly near the top of the list, it doesn’t beat the original film. However,Rotten Tomatoesdoesn’t agree. On the review aggregation website,Scream(1996) has a lower score thanScream 2— it’s rated 77% compared to the sequel’s 82%.
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On Rotten Tomatoes, critics praisedScream 2for continuing its self-awareness (this time criticizing sequels) while also avoiding the sequel curse. Meanwhile,Scream’s reviews highlight the movie’s clever meta commentary and iconic opening sequence. However, its critics' consensus also mentions thatit might be “a little too cheeky for some,“likely accounting fortheScreamsequelhaving a higher score.
Why Scream Is Better Than Scream 2
Nothing Can Beat The Original
Wes Craven’sScream 2is still a phenomenal movie and an impressive sequel in its own right. Most follow-ups to renowned films crash and burn on sight, andScream 2avoided this curse. But to rank it above the franchise’s first slasher film doesn’t make much sense (even if it’s too “cheeky”).Screamis credited with reviving the horror genre in the 1990sand has created a long-lasting legacy that so many films strive to achieve. The original movie started it all, and almost 30 years later,Screamremains relevant and a significant influence in thehorrorworld.
