The bestScreammovie since the original 1996 classic is now streaming on Netflix, and it’s the perfect time to check out the horror sequel. Wes Craven’s slasher franchise is among thebest horror franchises of all time, and Ghostface is one of the genre’s most recognizable villains. Someadditions to theScreamfranchise are betterthan others, and it’s doubtful that any of them will ever top the original. However,the best installment since 1996’sScreamisn’t hard to pick out— and it’s available to watch on Netflix just in time for Halloween.

The movie in question is, of course,Scream 5— the franchise’s 2022 reboot that also serves as a sequel. While many horror reboots and legacy sequels struggle to reach the heights of prior films,Scream 5successfully reminds viewers why the franchise is so popular. It captures everything fans love about the slasher series, and it does so even better than the 1996 film’s direct sequels. Needless to say, it’s well worth adding to your Netflix watchlist now that it’s on the streaming platform.

Gale, Randy, and Sidney covered in dried blood, looking annoyed in Scream (1996)

Scream 5 Is The Only Franchise Movie Available On Netflix

The Other Scream Films Are Streaming On Max & Paramount+

Scream 5is finally streaming on Netflix, butit’s the only movie from the horror franchise that’s available on the platform. The otherScreammovies are available on Max and Paramount+. The first four additions to the series, which were released from 1996 to 2011, can all be found on Max. As these are direct sequels to one another, it’s fitting that they’re on the same platform. Meanwhile, the more recent additions to the franchise are currently streaming on Paramount+. This includesScream 5and6.

Scream VI

Paramount+

It’s somewhat disappointing that onlyScream 5has been added to Netflix, as viewers will need other services to binge the entire series. Of course, it’s not necessary to watch all the prior films before diving into the 2022 “requel.” As long as viewers have seen the first film, which introduces the legacy characters, they can enjoy this addition to the series.Those wanting to pick upScream5’s direct sequel, however, will either need to get Paramount+, rent it, or buy it.

Why 2022’s Scream Is The Best Movie Since The Original Movie

Most ofScream’s sequels are enjoyable, but the fifth movie is the best one since the original — and that’s largely because it feels so much like it.Scream 5properly pays homage to the 1996 classic, even featuring a modernized take onDrew Barrymore’s iconic opening. It also brings back the franchise’s legacy characters, reuniting Sidney Prescott, Gale Weathers, and Dewey Riley for one more stand against Ghostface. The 2022 film is self-aware and darkly comical, just like the original. However, it manages to do something that most legacy sequels don’t accomplish.

WhileScream 5impressively honors the original story, it also sets up a new one that’s just as compelling.

Ghostface brandishing a knife in Scream 2022

WhileScream 5impressively honors the original story, it also sets up a new one that’s just as compelling. This is why it’s leagues ahead of so many other horror remakes. Although the connection to the prior installments is clear, it never overshadows Tara and Samantha’s story. And placing Jenna Ortega and Melissa Barrera in those lead roles just leaves viewers wanting more.That’s whyScream 6is able to build on the previous film’s success, though the 2022 installment remains the greatest follow-up to the original.

How Scream 5 Successfully Rebooted Wes Craven’s Most Profitable Horror Franchise

It’s Both A Reboot & A Legacy Sequel

Another thing that contributes toScream 5’s success is the way that it reboots the horror franchise. The fact that it combines being a reboot and a legacy sequel helps the film stand out, delivering something that’s simultaneously nostalgic and fresh.Scream 5is technically a continuation of the original four movies, but it isn’t a direct sequel. It’s the first installment that isn’t directed by Craven, who died in 2015, years before the film was announced. And although it brings Sidney Prescott back into the picture, it follows new characters and kicks off a new story.

Which Ghostface Has The Highest Kill Count In The Scream Movies

Each Ghostface in the Scream franchise has murdered at least one person in their respective movies, but one character killed more than the rest.

That story continues inScream 6,which is a direct sequel to the 2022 film.Scream7is also in the works, and it should round out this newer series of films — though with Barrera and Ortega departing from the franchise, it’s hard to say if it will feel like a complete trilogy. Either way, these threeScreammovies are somewhat separated from the first four. Those are all their own series as well, with the later chapters successfully rebooting Craven’s profitable horror franchise.

Stu Macher & Ghostface in Scream.

Scream

Created by Kevin Williamson and originally helmed by Wes Craven, the Scream franchise takes a meta approach to the slasher horror franchise, centering on teenagers well-versed in the genre who find themselves hunted and killed by figures donning the Ghostface mask. The first four movies revolved around Neve Campbell’s Sydney Prescott as she frequently found herself the target of different Ghostface killers, while the fifth and sixth installments introduced new protagonists, sisters Tara and Sam, with their own dark past connected to the original Ghostface killer.

Scream movie franchise poster