Are you wondering if you need to watch Scream 1-5 before watching Scream 6? The Scream franchise has been around for almost 30 years since its release in 1996. Throughout its 30-year run, Sidney and company have fought Ghost Face in Woodsboro high school, Windsor College, and Hollywood.
That is a lot of intense phone calls and murders to digest. We’d be surprised if Randy would even have an answer to being in a sixth installment if he were still alive. If you haven’t watched the franchise from its inception, it can be hard to go back and watch all of them before the release of Scream 6. So here is the answer to your question on if you need to watch Scream 1-5 before seeing Scream 6 in theaters.
What Should You Watch Before Seeing Scream 6?
If you cannot watch the entire Scream franchise, it would be best to watch Scream 5 before watching Scream 6. This is because most of the characters from Scream 5 will return in the latest installment. In addition, by watching Scream 5, you will learn about the latest Woodsboro residents that Ghost Face is hunting.
Related: These Legacy Characters Won’t be in Scream 6
You will also learn how these new characters fit into the Scream universe built upon in Scream 6. Finally, with the legacy characters slowly moving out of the franchise, the characters introduced in Scream 5 are significant to keeping the franchise alive. This means Scream 5 is a good starting point for most viewers new to the franchise.
With that said, it is still recommended that you watch the entirety of the Scream franchise to understand the fantastic world that Kevin Williamson and Wes Craven have created. In addition, Scream 6 will feature a cult that ultimately carries on the legacy of Ghost Face, so you must understand where Ghost Face came from and who donned the mask, and why.
Related: All Scream Movies Ranked From Best to Worst
Also, the two best entries and characters in the franchise are Scream (1996) and Scream 2 (1997), and you should watch them to appreciate how groundbreaking they were to the horror genre. The first two installments saved the slasher genre, were the father of elevated and self-aware horror, and created a generation of horror fans that still love the genre to death.
