Waiting for Ghostface’s Ghastly Return? 13 Movies Like ‘Scream’ to Watch Now

There’s a reason why audiences have continued to gravitate toward the Scream franchise decades after the release of its first film in 1996.

The slasher series not only resuscitated the genre in the ‘90s, but it also employed satire and mystery to create a comically self-aware horror-whodunnit that understood the clichés of its genre and decided to use them to its own benefit.

Though each Scream film has seen the unraveling of a new mystery, all installments are tied by antagonist Ghostface, a masked, knife-wielding killer who stalks and murders his victims for reasons like revenge or jealousy.

The franchise has so far seen six films, with a seventh slated to be released in 2026. A-listers like Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Roger L. Jackson and Jenna Ortega have starred across the series.

So while we all eagerly wait for the release of Scream 7, here are 13 movies like Scream to watch in the meantime.

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)

One of the most seminal slashers on Scream’s moodboard, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is widely considered to be one of the most influential, and controversial, horror films.

Directed by Tobe Hooper, the 1974 film follows a group of friends whose road trip swiftly goes awry after they stumble upon a family of cannibals. Though the film was met with mixed reviews at the time of its release, with some deeming it too gruesome, it went on to become a cultural phenomenon and set a precedent for many slasher films to come, including Scream.

Starring Marilyn Burns, Paul A. Pertain, Edwin Neal, Jim Siedow and Gunnar Hansen, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre has since inspired its own franchise with nine films being released in the series.

Halloween (1978)

What better way to indulge your Scream craving than by watching the film franchise it satirizes?

Directed by John Carpenter, Halloween follows the murderous streak of masked killer Michael Myers (Nick Castle), an escaped asylum patient who sets out to haunt the town he once was a resident of. Widely regarded as one of the most influential horror films of all time, Halloween went on to spur a franchise that includes over 10 films and is heavily referenced in the first Scream film.

Alongside Castle, Halloween also starred Donald Pleasence, P.J. Soles, Nancy Kyes and Jamie Lee Curtis in her film debut.

Friday the 13th (1980)

Released in 1980 as a decade-defining addition to the slasher genre, Friday the 13th follows a group of camp counselors who get killed off one by one after a masked murderer infiltrates their campsite.

Though it was met with mixed reviews from critics, Friday the 13th was a box office success at the time of its release and is name-dropped in the first Scream when Ghostface quizzes Drew Barrymore’s character on who the killer in the film is.

Directed by Sean S. Cunningham, the film stars Betsy Palmer, Adrienne King, Harry Crosby, Laurie Bartram, Mark Nelson, Jeannine Taylor and Kevin Bacon, and inspired one of the longest-running horror franchises ever.

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

A decade before Wes Craven directed Scream in 1996, he helmed another iconic film, A Nightmare on Elm Street.

Starring Heather Langenkamp, John Saxon, Ronee Blakley and Johnny Depp in his film debut, the 1984 film follows killer Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund) as he haunts and kills a group of teenagers through their dreams.

Considering that Craven’s unique vision is attached to both films, it should come as no surprise that A Nightmare on Elm Street is the perfect precursor to Scream and equally cemented a lasting impact on horror, if not more.

The film has also gone on to inspire a franchise, comprising nine films, a television series and even novels and comic books.

Candyman (1992)

Directed by Bernard Rose, Candyman is based on Clive Barker’s short story “The Forbidden” and follows a graduate student, Helen Lyle (Virginia Madsen), as she stumbles upon the legend of the Candyman while researching superstitions and urban folklore.

A hook-handed ghost, the Candyman (Tony Todd) is summoned whenever his name is chanted five times in front of a mirror, and Helen soon discovers that he’s on his most recent killing spree.

Alongside Todd in a career-defining performance, Candyman also stars Xander Berkeley, Kasi Lemmons and Vanessa E. Williams. The film is widely lauded as one of the most influential Black horror films, and inspired a 2021 sequel of the same name directed by Nia DaCosta and co-written by Jordan Peele.

I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997)

Released a year after Scream brought back the slasher in the ‘90s, I Know What You Did Last Summer follows four friends who suddenly find themselves stalked by a hook-wielding killer a year after they tried to bury a terrible secret.

Directed by Jim Gillespie, the film stars Jennifer Love Hewitt, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe and Freddie Prinze Jr. At the time of its release, I Know What You Did Last Summer was a commendable box office hit and went on to inspire its own franchise. It’s often paired with Scream due to their consecutive release dates and similar influence on the horror market. Both films were also written by the same screenwriter, Kevin Williamson.

A reboot was released in July 2025, and included original cast members Prinze, Gellar and Brandy.

Scary Movie (2000)

Scream is a self-referential satire as much as it is a revelatory slasher. The Wayans brother’s Scary Movie however, takes Scream’s satire and amps it up to a full-blown parody.

Written by Marlon and Shawn Wayans (who also star), Scary Movie predominantly parodies Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer by following a group of friends with a big, dark secret who slowly, individually get killed off by a person wearing a Ghostface mask.

The film stars Jon Abrahams, Carmen Electra, Shannon Elizabeth, Anna Faris and Regina Hall and was directed by Marlon and Shawn’s brother, Keenen Ivory Wayans. At the time of its release, Scary Movie was one of the highest-grossing films of the year, cementing its cult classic status and inspiring its own film series.

Hush (2016)

Set in a remote home secluded in the woods, Hush follows a deaf writer’s fight for survival when a masked killer appears at her front door.

Directed by Mike Flanagan, the film stars his wife Kate Siegel (who also wrote the movie with her husband), John Gallagher Jr., Michael Trucco and Samantha Sloyan.

Hush was met with generally favorable reviews at the time of its release, and employs similar stakes (both literal and figurative) as seen in Scream. The film feels like one of Ghostface’s last, epic battles against a final girl, stretched out to an hour-and-a-half run time.

Don’t Breathe (2016)

Consistently subverting audience expectations, Don’t Breathe features an incredibly twisted game of cat-and-mouse.

Directed by Fede Álvarez, the film follows three intruders who break into a blind veteran’s home only to find that they’re in for a lot more than they bargained for. It stars Jane Levy, Dylan Minnette, Daniel Zovatto and Stephen Lang, and even inspired a 2021 sequel, Don’t Breathe 2.

Happy Death Day (2017)

A marriage between a dark comedy and a slasher, Happy Death Day follows a college student, Tree (Jessica Rothe), who is murdered on the night of her birthday and forced to relive the same day again and again until she finds her masked killer.

Directed by Christoper Landon, the film also stars Israel Broussard and proved to be a colossal success at the box office, earning $125.5 million worldwide against a $4.8 million budget, per Box Office Mojo.

A sequel, Happy Death Day 2U, was released in February 2019 with Rothe and Broussard both returning.

X (2022)

The first installment of a three-part series, X is set in 1979 and follows a ragtag film crew who head out to a remote, rural property owned by an elderly couple to shoot a pornographic film. As the shoot unfolds however, the crew find that the briefly welcoming couple are not all that they seem.

Directed by Ti West, X stars Ortega, Martin Henderson, Brittany Snow, Scott Mescudi (a.k.a. Kid Cudi), Owen Campbell and Mia Goth in the main, dual roles. The film has clear influences from slashers like The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, and was widely lauded for bringing fresh life to the genre, with some critics even deeming it a love letter to all that came before it.

X was followed by a prequel film, Pearl, which was released in September 2022, and a 2024 sequel, MaXXXine.

Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022)

Though it may tread on dark comedy more than it does horror, Bodies Bodies Bodies still exists within the same satirical vein as Scream.

The A24 picture follows a group of friends at a house party that quickly goes rogue after they decide to play a whodunnit game and find that their murder mystery is all too real. Directed by Halina Reijn, Bodies Bodies Bodies stars Amandla Stenberg, Maria Bakalova, Myha’la Herrold, Chase Sui Wonders, Lee Pace, Rachel Sennott and Pete Davidson.

It was lauded by critics for its humor and has since become a cult classic.

The Blackening (2023)

Another satirical slasher, The Blackening employs Scream’s self-awareness to poke fun at tropes within the horror genre, particularly its treatment of Black characters.

Set on Juneteenth, the film follows a group of friends who venture to a remote cabin in the woods to celebrate the holiday, only to be stalked by a mysterious masked killer.

Though The Blackening is laugh-out-loud funny, its sharp writing makes for equal parts horror and humor, rarely letting its tension rest for a second. Directed by Tim Story, the film’s ensemble cast includes Grace Byers, Jermaine Fowler, Jay Pharoah and Yvonne Orji.