The Scream movies are legendary in the slasher genre for their visceral kills, ‘whodunnit’ style stories, and, of course, the iconic Ghostface. Another beloved trait of the series is its ‘meta’ approach, where characters in each story understand the rules of horror movies and even reference them.
It’s an addictive combination that has served the Scream movies well for almost three decades. However, there are plenty of other fantastic films that follow similar tropes, each with its own spin on Slashers.
Whether you’re hungry for more masked killers or crave a murder mystery where nobody is safe, here’s a selection of the best horror movies to watch if you love Scream.
10
I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997)
Fans of the original Scream will feel right at home with I Know What You Did Last Summer, as they were both penned by the same writer, Kevin Williamson.
The similarities are obvious early on. Both movies follow a group of unfortunate teens as they try to discover a killer’s identity before it’s too late. As the name implies, there’s also a revenge plot, which adds a new dynamic to the mystery.
I Know What You Did Last Summer is more serious than Scream and arguably hasn’t aged as well. Still, it’s worth watching as it shares the same DNA. If you enjoy it, you’ll likely have fun with its sequel, I Still Know What You Did Last Summer.
9
Happy Death Day (2017)
Happy Death Day shares many similarities with Scream, but with a unique time-bending twist to keep it fresh. Both movies feature a masked killer in a world where the characters are well aware of horror movie tropes.
In Happy Death Day, Tree Gelbman, played by Jessica Rothe, is killed by a mysterious assailant on her birthday. However, her death isn’t permanent, and she wakes up in her bed on the morning of her birthday again to relive the encounter.
The story is less of a ‘whodunnit’ and more of a mystery as Tree attempts to break the bloody cycle. Happy Death Day leans more heavily into comedy than Scream, but it’s a fantastic take on the slasher genre we’ve not seen before.
8
Urban Legend (1998)
Urban Legend came out two years after the original Scream, when the 90s slasher boom was in full swing. It follows the same basic tropes. Both movies feature an attractive group whittled down by a mystery killer.
The movie is firmly planted in ‘whodunnit’ territory, but the kills are creative as each one is based on an urban myth. Viewers likely know some of those myths before watching the movie, and it’s fun to see how those translate in the film. For example, the myth that your stomach will explode if you swallow Pop Rocks and soda together.
Urban Legend isn’t as smart or witty as some other similar movies, but it’s entertaining, and perfectly captures Scream‘s 90s vibe.
7
Valentine (2001)
Valentine is another film arguably inspired by the success of the first three Scream movies. It features a masked attacker and a young group frantically trying to reveal the identity of their attacker before it’s too late.
The killer wears a creepy cherub mask and uses Valentine’s Day-themed items to do their dirty work. It’s a fun spin on the genre, and the cast was impressive for a slasher at the time, including big names like Denise Richards, David Boreanaz, and Katherine Heigl.
While Valentine lacks the humor of Scream, it remains an entertaining 2000s horror. Jamie Blanks, the director, is also responsible for Urban Legend, and there are obvious similarities between the two.
6
Black Christmas (1974)
Black Christmas deserves a special mention on the list as it actually predates Scream by more than 20 years. It’s tonally completely different, but if you enjoy the phone call scenes in Scream, you’ll love the frightening exchanges in this horror classic.
Slasher fans adore Bob Clark’s Black Christmas for good reason. It’s considered one of the first slashers and even predates Halloween, which was released in 1979. The movie is light on gore but it is atmospheric, with an ending that fans are still picking apart to this day.
The killer is mysterious and utterly unhinged on the phone. There are also some unnerving POV shots where you see events through the villain’s eyes.
If you enjoy Scream for its light-hearted tone, Black Christmas may not be the best recommendation. Still, it’s a treat to see many of the ideas Scream draws from in a 70s movie.
5
Wrong Turn (2003)
Wrong Turn is a classic slasher where it’s easy to put yourself in the victims’ shoes. The movie’s story follows a group who become stranded in a forest in West Virginia after a car crash. They venture into the woods for help, but find a horrific family of cannibals lying in wait.
It’s a predictable setup, but the killers are scary and have made the woods their hunting ground. Wrong Turn is more gory than Scream, but just as suspenseful when the cannibals are stalking their prey.
You can’t help but feel for the group, and their plight is oddly relatable. Anyone can get lost on the road, and you will constantly ask yourself what you would do in the same situation. The movie may lack a ghost-faced killer, but it’s a solid horror movie with numerous sequels.
4
House of Wax (2005)
House of Wax is a superb, high-budget slasher set in a creepy abandoned town with a grand wax museum. It may not be as clever or meta as Scream, but the shocking deaths and peculiar masked killer make it easy to recommend.
Jaume Collet-Serra’s House of Wax is actually a loosely inspired remake of the 1953 movie of the same name. A group of young adults unwittingly find themselves in a deserted town mostly inhabited by wax models.
There’s more to those wax figures than meets the eye, and the group must try to escape before they become permanent features of the settlement. The kills in House of Wax are grisly, and even Paris Hilton makes an unlikely appearance.
3
Cherry Falls (1999)
Cherry Falls is another movie released during the 90s slasher boom. Much like Scream, the masked assailant’s identity remains hidden until much later, and there are even meta references to horror tropes.
The big difference between Cherry Falls and Scream is that the killer is specifically targeting virgins in the town. This opens the floodgates for high school drama, and director Geoffrey Wright injects plenty of dark comedy into the story.
Cherry Falls is an easy watch, and its nods to Scream are obvious. That said, the killer’s motive and how they pick their victims keep the plot interesting as the sheriff, played by Michael Biehn, explores the town’s dark past.
2
Final Destination (2000)
The original Final Destination was released in 2000, and the Final Destination series is still going strong today. While the premise is quite different from Scream, there’s enough overlap that fans may still enjoy it.
Each Final Destination movie follows the same structure. A group cheats death in a catastrophic disaster they were not meant to survive, only for death itself to come for the survivors in the aftermath, taking them one by one.
You know death is hunting its hapless victims in Final Destination, but the movies are still satisfying because the kills are creative and shocking. The original takes itself just seriously enough, and the viewer never knows who is next or how they may survive.
The mystery is less about who is doing the killing and more about how the group will cheat death or die trying. The formula has remained entertaining for more than 25 years, with no sign of slowing down.
1
Cabin in the Woods (2011)
Cabin in the Woods is a light-hearted horror with plenty of meta nods to genre tropes. It also has a shocking plot twist that I won’t spoil here.
The movie features an all-star cast, including Chris Hemsworth and Kristen Connolly. A group of typecast young adults visits a creepy cabin in the woods, only to be attacked by zombies during the night.
It’s as cliché as it gets, but that’s the point. Cabin in the Woods is very self-aware, and all the occurrences in the house are part of a much grander plot.
There’s plenty of humor and light scares. Fran Kranz plays a stoner with some genuinely funny lines, and the movie goes completely off the rails in all the right ways during its final act. I’m being deliberately vague so as not to reveal too many details if you haven’t watched Cabin in the Woods yet, but if you’re still on the fence, just know the movie has a ridiculously impressive score on Rotten Tomatoes with an army of fans ready to sing its praises, making it an especially exciting horror film for Scream fans to give a watch.
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