Whatever you do, don't close your mind to such an inventive concoction. One last time, despite all your better instincts, go ahead -- open that theater door.

Scream is a rarity: a horror movie spoof that succeeds almost as well at provoking scares as laughs. full review

The pic's chills are top-notch, but its underlying mockish tone won't please die-hard fans. full review

The assumption that there's something inherently clever about a slasher movie making reference to both its genre and the filmmaking process is a fundamental flaw of this tiresome, blood-filled comedy. full review

Turns slasher flicks into slapstick. full review

The best fright fest of the '90s. full review

A bravura, provocative sendup of horror pictures that's also scary and gruesome yet too swift-moving to lapse into morbidity. full review

Not even horror fans who can answer all this film's knowing trivia questions may be fully comfortable with such an exploitative mix. full review

I liked it. I liked the in-jokes and the self-aware characters. At the same time, I was aware of the incredible level of gore in this film. full review

The film plays lively games with the macabre. full review

While Scream has its frights, it feels more like one of those solve-the -mystery jigsaw puzzles than a real movie.

Craven has expressed a desire to get out of the horror business. Maybe that's why he's set out to make more than a horror movie. He's contributing to a long tradition of reflexive films, going back as far as the turn of the century. full review