I’ll be the first one to admit I’m not the biggest horror fan. It’s not that I can’t appreciate the use of sound to build suspense or marvel at a deep character study of a villain. Or that I don’t love freaking out in a movie theater with a loud audience. I can, and I do!
It’s just, I like being able to sleep at night. And if I watch a certain kind of horror movie, I know I’ll become paralyzed by a fear of the night outside my glass doors, or by shower curtains. I’m a bit of a horror wuss.
But there’s one movie I can watch and rewatch, and that’s Wes Craven’s 1996 movie “Scream.” There are definitely moments when I’m holding my breath and my diaphragm starts to spasm, but I’m mostly immune to the “Scream” scaries. In fact, I’m charmed by the ’90s sweatshirts, the video store and all those cordless phones.
The unflinching opening sequence with the gullible Casey Becker (Drew Barrymore) that sets up two and a half hours of gore and whodunit suspense, is one of the best scenes ever, horror or otherwise. And the main slasher, Ghostface, who can be simultaneously menacing and awkward, is now an iconic image, a TikTok meme, a ubiquitous Halloween costume.
“Scream,” I can do. And for one night, I hope you can, too.
How this works:
I invite you to join our watch party, hosted by three of my film-expert colleagues and me. You have until Sunday, Oct. 26, to watch or rewatch “Scream.” (or watch it for the first time, if you’ve been locked inside a garage for 29 years). You can begin sharing reactions, questions and theories in the comments. Then, on Monday, my colleagues and I will enter the chat.
Where to watch:
Here are some places where you can stream it.
A few questions to get you started:
Feel free to begin chatting in the comments as soon as you like:
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You’ve watched 1996’s “Scream” in 2025. Does the movie hold up?
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What surprised you as you watched it this time?
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Did anything strike you as ahead of its time?
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What is your favorite line or scene?
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If you’ve seen the other “Scream” films, how does the original compare?
Our panel:
Introducing my wonderful colleagues who will join the discussion:
Alissa Wilkinson, movie critic. As I suspect will be the case with many of you, Alissa has never watched “Scream” and will be sharing her first impressions.
Maya Salam, culture editor and reporter. Maya’s favorite “Scream” character is Stu Macher (Matthew Lillard), and to her, the most iconic line is “Movies don’t create psychos. Movies make psychos more creative!”
Mekado Murphy, assistant film editor. Does he like scary movies? Uh-huh! And his favorite snack is Jiffy Pop.
Have fun watching this slasher classic, and we’ll be back on Monday in the comments. (“Never, ever, ever under any circumstances say, ‘I’ll be right back.’”)
Barbara Chai is a deputy editor for the Culture department at The Times, focused on strategy and operations.
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