Scream 2
Dimension Films | Release Date: December 12, 1997 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
62
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 22 Critic Reviews
Positive:
13
Mixed:
9
Negative:
0
Watch Now
Stream On
Stream On
Buy on
Stream On
Stream On
Stream On
Stream On
Stream On
Expand

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
91
Entertainment WeeklyLisa Schwarzbaum
This funny, gory stab-athon is as sophisticated about the mechanics of Part 2s as the original was savvy about horror flicks. Read full review
90
SalonAndrew O'Hehir
Inevitably a little patchier and less startlingly original than its predecessor -- S2 is an ingenious, often hilarious, movie that does nothing to diminish the well-deserved cult reputation of its director. Read full review
80
VarietyLeonard Klady
Visceral, witty and appropriately redundant, the sequel has a winning commercial recipe that's certain to cook up excellent returns in all areas. Read full review
75
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
Only a few sequels have been as good as the originals; the characters especially like "Aliens'' and "The Godfather, Part II.'' As for Scream 2, it's ... well, it's about as good as the original. Read full review
75
ReelViewsJames Berardinelli
Paradoxically, there's a lot less gore. There is blood, of course, but nothing excessive by slasher-movie standards, and there are no depictions of spilled entrails. Craven has remembered that scares are more important that graphic displays of human insides and bodily fluids. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalle
Though Craven satirizes horror cliches, he also knows how to cut through them and do new things. Throughout, the action comes unexpectedly and quickly. Read full review
70
The New York TimesJanet Maslin
Even if you haven't spent as much obsessive time at the video store as these guys have, you might enjoy helping 'Scream 2' laugh all the way to the bank. Read full review
70
Washington PostRichard Harrington
Early on, Randy suggests of sequels that "by definition they are inferior." That may be, but Scream 2 is more disappointing than it is inferior. Like its predecessor, it's both frightening and funny, just not as singularly classy. Read full review
70
Washington PostStephen Hunter
[Craven's] stroke of genius is to offer the horror movie in an ironic mode. He's winking at viewers and inviting them to share a clever conspiracy that we on the cholesterol-clogged side of 30 cannot begin to understand. Read full review
67
Austin ChronicleMarc Savlov
It's one of the better sequels to come out in years, and although it doesn't pack the emotional wallop of the first film, it's still head and shoulders (and punctured eyeballs) above most of what's out there. Read full review
63
Boston GlobeJay Carr
I'm not sure that I really want to see "Scream 3,'" but Craven, Williamson, and the screamers certainly bring this one off by not only slapping all their cards on the table, but insisting we admire the way they play them. Read full review
63
San Francisco ExaminerWalter Addiego
It's not as good as the original - which was fresher, funnier and scarier - but if it were, then by the criteria of the film's resident movie scholar, it wouldn't be a genuine sequel. Read full review
63
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Rick Groen
Ultimately, the viewing experience is like watching a snake swallow its own tail -- that once-menacing serpent is now a clown act, all yuks and no venom. Read full review
60
Chicago ReaderLisa Alspector
The precredits sequence is exciting--it's the only part of the movie that even begins to use the idea of the vulnerability of a horror-movie audience reflexively. The rest of the story is a straightforward narrative that's threatening only to the ingenues in the cast. Read full review
60
Dallas ObserverAndy Klein
Handily in a league with its predecessor...as good a follow-up as one can imagine, given the built-in difficulties of sequels. Read full review
60
NewsweekSarah Wade Hutman
For all its parodic elements, this clever 'whodunit' leaves us squirming and wincing at each slash of the killer. Prepare for a surprise and beware the person enjoying the film right next to you. Read full review
60
The A.V. ClubKeith Phipps
When the suspense setpieces do come, many of them are staged with considerably less imagination—with cheap jolts underscored by an intrusive score—than would be expected from director Wes Craven. Read full review
50
Film ThreatTom Meek
Isn't nearly as fresh, suspenseful or witty as it's inaugural bloodfest, but it does offer enough blood and breasts to keep Craven and Williamson in business for a few more arterial sprays. Read full review
50
Los Angeles TimesKevin Thomas
Contrivance and a horrendous body count combine to yield a morbid effect for discriminating filmgoers, despite a comic tone. Still, there's enough ingenuity and scariness to please plenty of fans of the first film. Read full review
50
Christian Science MonitorDavid Sterritt
There are multiple murders and two gory scenes, but if you love getting scared, then you'll enjoy this thrill ride. Read full review
40
L.A. WeeklyManohla Dargis
The less ticklish bad joke of Scream 2 is that self-referentiality has its limits. Read full review
40
TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonagh
This disappointing sequel to last year's horror sleeper gets trapped in the clichés it's trying to send up. Read full review
More From This Movie

62 Critic Reviews

8.4 User Reviews

Details & Credits|Trailers

Current Movie Releases
By MetascoreBy User Score
1 81 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
2 77 Project Hail Mary
3 75 Send Help
4 73 Hoppers
5 72 The Sheep Detectives
SEE ALL
Essential Links
New on Amazon Prime Video
New on Netflix
Coming Soon to DVD/Blu-ray
SEE ALL