10 Movies to Watch Like ‘Scream’

Happy Death Day

Happy Death Day puts a clever twist on the classic slasher formula that Scream fans will appreciate. The story follows college student Tree Gelbman, who is murdered by a masked killer on her birthday...only to wake up and relive the same day over and over again. Each time she dies, she gets another chance to uncover the killer’s identity and break the cycle.

I Know What You Did Last Summer

Fans of Scream will notice the similarities almost immediately in I Know What You Did Last Summer. Both films were written by Kevin Williamson and center on a group of teens hiding a dark secret that comes back to haunt them. After accidentally causing a fatal accident, four friends agree to cover it up, only to be stalked by a mysterious killer a year later. With its tense whodunit mystery, attractive young cast, and suspenseful set pieces, the film helped define the late-’90s slasher revival.

Black Christmas

Long before Scream reinvented the slasher genre, Black Christmas helped lay its foundation. This 1974 horror classic follows a group of sorority sisters who begin receiving disturbing phone calls from a mysterious stranger during the holiday season. As the calls grow increasingly unsettling, the danger becomes frighteningly real. The film is known for its chilling atmosphere, eerie point-of-view shots, and the terrifying voice of its unseen killer.

The Cabin in the Woods

If you love Scream for its playful take on horror movie clichés, The Cabin in the Woods takes that idea even further. The film follows a group of college students who travel to a remote cabin for a weekend getaway, only to find themselves trapped in a terrifying nightmare. While it initially feels like a typical slasher setup, the story soon reveals a surprising twist that completely flips the genre on its head.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

Few horror films have influenced the slasher genre as much as The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. The film follows a group of friends on a road trip who stumble upon a rural family of cannibals led by the terrifying Leatherface. What begins as an ordinary journey quickly turns into a nightmare as the group is hunted one by one. Known for its gritty style and relentless tension, the film shocked audiences upon release and quickly became a cultural phenomenon.

Hush

Hush strips the slasher formula down to its most intense elements. It follows a deaf writer living alone in a remote house in the woods when a masked killer appears outside her window. What begins as a terrifying game quickly turns into a desperate fight for survival, as she must rely on her intelligence and resourcefulness to outsmart her attacker. The film focuses heavily on tension, using long stretches of silence to make every moment more nerve-racking.

Scary Movie

While Scream cleverly plays with horror tropes, Scary Movie turns that idea into a full-blown parody. The film follows a group of teenagers targeted by a masked killer while dealing with a secret from their past. The twist is that nearly every moment hilariously spoofs famous horror movies, especially Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer. Packed with outrageous jokes and exaggerated clichés, the movie became a massive hit upon release.

A Nightmare on Elm Street

Directed by Wes Craven years before Scream, A Nightmare on Elm Street introduced one of horror’s most iconic villains: Freddy Krueger. The film follows a group of teenagers plagued by terrifying dreams about a burned man with razor-sharp claws. They soon realize that if Freddy kills them in their dreams, they die in real life. With its imaginative premise and unforgettable villain, the film blends supernatural horror with classic slasher elements.

Friday the 13th

Another slasher classic frequently referenced in Scream, Friday the 13th follows a group of camp counselors preparing to reopen the abandoned Camp Crystal Lake. Unfortunately, a mysterious killer begins picking them off one by one. The film helped popularize many of the genre’s most recognizable tropes, including isolated locations, unsuspecting young victims, and shocking final reveals.

Wrong Turn

Wrong Turn takes the slasher formula in a more brutal direction while still delivering the tense survival horror that Scream fans enjoy. The film follows a group of strangers stranded deep in the forests of West Virginia after a car accident. Hoping to find help, they venture further into the woods...only to discover a family of cannibalistic killers hunting them. The film leans heavily into suspense and gore as the survivors attempt to escape the remote wilderness.