Upon its release in December 1996, *Scream* was received with a mix of surprise, critical acclaim, and commercial curiosity. While it began as a sleeper hit with a modest opening, it eventually became a cultural phenomenon credited with single-handedly revitalizing the "dying" slasher genre.
### **1. Critical Reception: "Meta" and Modern**
Most critics were fascinated by the film's self-awareness—a novelty at the time. The idea of characters who had actually watched horror movies and knew the "rules" was seen as a brilliant reinvention.
* **Roger Ebert (Chicago Sun-Times):** Ebert gave the film **3 out of 4 stars**. He famously compared the film’s self-deconstructing nature to "one of those cans that heats its own soup," noting that "the characters in *Scream* are in a horror film, and because they've seen so many horror films, they know what to do." While he liked the wit, he was one of several critics who found the level of gore "incredible" and potentially off-putting for general audiences.
* **Janet Maslin (The New York Times):** Maslin praised the film for being "scary, smart, and often hilarious." She highlighted how the film effectively used the audience's own expectations against them, particularly praising the "wit and intelligence" of Kevin Williamson's script and Wes Craven's ability to balance satire with genuine tension.
* **Variety (Leonard Klady):** Klady called the film's chills "top-notch" but offered a prophetic warning: "the pic's chills are top-notch, but its underlying mockish tone won't please die-hard fans" who might prefer straightforward scares over irony.
### **2. Box Office: A Sleeper Hit with "Legs"**
*Scream*’s financial journey is one of the most famous examples of a "sleeper hit" in Hollywood history.
* **The Opening:** It opened on December 20, 1996, earning just **$6.3 million** in its first weekend, placing fourth behind *Beavis and Butt-Head Do America* and *Jerry Maguire*. At the time, this was seen as a disappointing start.
* **The Turnaround:** Through massive word-of-mouth, the film didn't drop in its second week; instead, it **increased its earnings**, making $9 million in its second weekend.
* **Final Totals:** It stayed in theaters for months, eventually grossing over **$103 million domestically** and **$173 million worldwide**. This made it the highest-grossing slasher film ever at the time (until it was surpassed by its own sequel).
### **3. Specific Points of Praise & Criticism**
* **The Opening Sequence:** The killing of **Drew Barrymore**’s character (Casey Becker) in the first 12 minutes was considered a masterclass in subversion. Barrymore was the biggest star on the poster, and killing her immediately signaled to 1996 audiences that "all the rules were off."
* **The "Winking" Tone:** While most loved the meta-commentary, a minority of critics felt the movie was "too clever for its own good." Some argued that by mocking the tropes, the film lost the "primal power" and genuine terror that 1970s classics like *Halloween* possessed.
* **Performances:** Critics were pleasantly surprised by the cast. **Courteney Cox** was praised for shedding her "nice girl" image from *Friends* to play the ruthless Gale Weathers, and **Neve Campbell** was lauded as a smarter, more capable "Final Girl" than her 80s predecessors.
### **4. Genre Impact at the Time**
Before *Scream*, the slasher genre was largely considered a relic of the 1980s, relegated to direct-to-video sequels. *Scream* changed the landscape by:
* **Elevating Production Value:** It brought slick, high-quality cinematography and a "prestige" feel back to horror.
* **Targeting the "Media-Literate" Teen:** It was the first major horror film to acknowledge its audience's intelligence, assuming they were as well-versed in pop culture as the characters on screen.