Scream 2(1997)
1997 · Wes Craven · 120 min
Two years after the Woodsboro murders, Sidney Prescott acclimates to college life while someone donning the Ghostface costume begins a new string of killings.
Horror · Mystery
6.54.9k votes
TMDB score
3/5
Intensity
3/5
Gore
2/5
Stays with you
How Scream 2 scares
There's a playful, tense energy here, where you're having fun trying to guess the killer while still getting genuine jolts along the way. The pacing keeps things moving with chase scenes and sudden attacks breaking up stretches of suspense and knowing horror-movie humor. The danger is entirely human, a masked killer with a knife, and the movie doesn't shy away from showing the violence when it happens. It's built to entertain and keep you guessing more than to haunt you afterward, making it a great pick for a fun group watch.
On The Horror Database's 0–5 scare profile, Scream 2 rates psychological 2/5, visceral 4/5, gore 3/5, lingering effect 2/5, and overall intensity 3/5.
- Psychological: 2 of 5
- Visceral: 4 of 5
- Gore: 3 of 5
- Lingering: 2 of 5
- Intensity: 3 of 5
Slow burn vs Jump scares: 60 of 100 — leans Jump scares
Supernatural vs Real-world: 95 of 100 — leans Real-world
Fun-scary vs Disturbing: 20 of 100 — leans Fun-scary
Intensity over runtime
Shape only — no eventsReveal pacing shapeHide pacing shapeHidden by default — shows where the tension peaks and lets up.
Opens with a jolt then settles into a rhythmic back-and-forth of tense calm and sudden scares, tightening into a nonstop sprint by the end.
Intensity across the runtime, 0 to 100: 3, 2, 2, 3, 2, 3, 3, 2, 3, 4, 4, 5.
How scary is Scream 2?
On The Horror Database's 0–5 intensity scale, Scream 2 rates 3/5 — solidly scary, delivering its fear through jump scares more than lingering dread. It attacks the body more than the mind — physical, in-your-face horror. Expect it to be moderately gory and fun-first. Some of it will follow you to bed, but it lets go within a day or so.
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