Scream’s 30th anniversary re-release shows its horror still holds up

The original Scream returns for its 30th anniversary, and the re-release shows how Wes Craven and Kevin Williamson’s horror film remains both clever and unsettling. Its jokes about slasher conventions and film audiences still work, while the masked killer’s threats retain their force.

Set in Woodsboro, the story follows teenager Sidney Prescott as she faces danger from a killer who terrorises residents with phone calls. The film also features reporter Gale Weathers and deputy Dewey Riley, and plays with familiar horror rules, including the idea that sex, drink and drugs put characters at risk. Its landline-era setting and 1990s style are dated, but its scrutiny of male horror fandom still resonates.