Your Favorite Scary Movie is a very well researched and written history of the Scream film franchise featuring tons of interviews with the films' cast, crew, writers and more. You can tell Cullins really was interested in the subject that she was writing about.
The book introduces the reader to the films and then has a chapter on each film in the franchise followed by a chapter on how that film was received by critics and fans. I liked the format and feel like it worked well.
As a fan of the films, I loved learning new facts about them, behind the scenes details, more about screenwriter Kevin Williamson (who apparently wrote most of the late 90's slasher films) and,of course, more about the legendary Wes Craven. I was so excited while reading this that I was telling my friends all the new things that I learned and I immediately wanted to watch the Scream.
I recommend this to anyone who's a fan of the Scream, horror movies, Wes Craven, Kevin Williamson or who considers themselves a film buff.
I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

"No, please don’t kill me, Mr. Ghostface! I wanna be in the sequel!"

So, picture this… My parents are out for the night—my older cousins are watching me, and they put on Scream. I’m eight years old. Was I terrified? Probably. But who knows? All I do know is that my love for horror movies started right then and there.

Scream has always been my favorite movie. I can say, without a doubt, that I’ve seen the original trilogy over a thousand times—and the entire franchise? A LOT. They’re my comfort movies, I can quote them, tell you what is happening next, they're my background noise. Weird? Maybe. But I love them.

So, when I saw that an author was writing a book about how the Scream movies rewrote the rules of horror, I KNEW I had to get my hands on it ASAP. Huge thanks to Ashley Cullins for giving me the chance to read this!

This book was a love letter to Scream fans. Each chapter was packed with interviews, behind-the-scenes knowledge, and fascinating details from the actors, crew, producers, and directors alike. I learned so many new things about the franchise and got a deeper understanding of how it all came together.

I always thought Wes Craven was an incredible human based on interviews I’ve seen, but this book solidified it. Learning more about him—his kindness, his vision, and his passion—was one of my favorite parts. And Kevin Williamson? The journey to getting Scream made wasn’t easy, but damn, was it worth it. You can feel how much love he put into these films, how deeply he cares about the franchise, and how much he wants to be a part of it every step of the way. That’s why it’s so exciting that he’s stepping in to direct Scream 7—bringing everything full circle. If anyone understands the heart of Scream, it’s him.

I loved how many people the author interviewed, giving fans firsthand perspectives from those who lived it. It felt like I was sitting in on the conversation, soaking up every detail. And with Scream 7 coming in February, reading even the tiniest bits about how the movie is coming together made me even more excited! I cannot wait to see Neve Campbell bring Sidney back to life.

This book reminded me why I love this franchise so much—the cast, the stories, the impact, and, of course, the rules…

"There are certain rules that one must abide by in order to successfully survive a horror movie.

1. You can never have sex.
2. You can never drink or do drugs.
3. Never, ever, ever say ‘I'll be right back.’"

Thank you so so much to the author, Dutton/Plume books for a copy of this for an honest review! This book will be available on August 19, 2025!

Ashley Cullins dives into the history of the "Scream" franchise in "Your Favorite Scary Movie: How the Scream Films Rewrote the Rules of Horror." The book chronicles the films from Kevin Williams's idea for the first film through the development of the yet-to-be-released seventh installment, using first-person interviews with cast, crew, and movie industry veterans to tell the story.

I was in junior high school when the first movie was released, and I remember the buzz from friends who'd been allowed to see it as their first real scary movie experience in a theater. "Scream" spoiled my generation in that way; none of us knew what a truly trailblazing movie it was and how it would influence horror movie making for years to come. I re-watched the movies as I read the book, and it was fun to follow along with the insider stories and watching the results play out on screen. The movies are special in that they each capture a particular moment in pop culture and provide a welcome sense of nostalgia, but they also remain legitimately funny or scary by blending classic filmmaking techniques and writing with elements of surprise that twist the movies from the expected.

The book also dives deeply into the life and career of Wes Craven, with cast and crew sharing fond memories of the filmmaker. Cullins blends Craven's and Williams's backstories and career highlights into the book, and it provides a fascinating glimpse into the "old guard" and "new guard" of modern horror movie production, with Craven's influence on Williams the focus of much of the first half of the book, which becomes more interesting and full-circle, considering that Williams would eventually go on to become the director of the newest installment thirty years later.

Cullins also devotes a sizable piece of the book in defining what makes each movie in the franchise different but still connected to the overall world of "Scream," which is interesting and helps to really place what makes the franchise feel perhaps more consistent than other long-running horror franchises. They grow and evolve with the culture but also still maintain a throughline of characters that reminds audiences that these stories all clearly take place in the same "world." While Ghostface's identity may change, in the end, the story is essentially the same; someone is hiding behind a mask with a motivation for death and destruction. What makes the "Scream" movies so fun is that they aren't a series of one-upping gory and creative character deaths aimed at one-time shock value; instead they are ultimately thrillers with a focus on the mystery and the suspense around the big reveal. And after the reveal, we want to go back and watch the movies again to look for the clues and references we may have missed. The makers of "Scream" clearly respect the fans' passion, as Cullins discusses the focus put on each film's story development and the attention to detail that has been undertaken to prevent plot holes and blatant insults to the audience's loyalty.

It is absolutely essential that readers have seen all six films in the franchise before reading this book if they do not want to be spoiled because the plots are all discussed in detail with each movie's killer(s) unmasked in the respective chapters. This is probably a no-brainer for many, but it's worth calling out in case fans of the Craven films haven't explored the more recent installments.

I would have liked to see more of a discussion of the movies' influence on other films that followed their release. While the author does talk to a few horror filmmakers about the influence of Wes Craven and the franchise, it never goes as deeply into this area as one might assume based on the book's subtitle.

"Your Favorite Scary Movie" is a great companion read to the films, and fans of the franchise and the modern horror and slasher genres are sure to love this book for its insights. It's a solid addition to the movie lover's bookshelf.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced read.

I absolutely loved this book it was so cool hearing all the behind the scenes of production. I’m a super fan of scream so this was just so much fun to read and now I want to rewatch all the movies like I’ve done so many times.

It was just really fun and well written. 5 stars from me.

Early ARC review.

5 Stars!

Wow. As a fan of the Scream franchise this book is a love letter for all the die hard fans of the Scream Franchise! This book dives deep into what happens behind the scenes and how each Scream movie is made and what filmmakers have to fight for to have in these films! The nostalgia for revisiting Scream 1-3 was incredibly emotional! I grew up in the era when this movie first came out and had the best watching experience with the original trilogy. These movies shaped the way I viewed horror movies and paved the way for other horror movies to break out in the horror genre scene. You can tell Wes Craven had a deep love for not only film making but for everyone he worked with! It’s sad to know that Scream 4 was his last movie and knowing it didn’t get the reception it should have. Wes was just grateful to get to be around what he calls his family and make another movie within the Scream universe that’s close to his heart!

This book shows the crazy obstacles he has to go through with a school board denying him to film on their property. Which he lets them know in the end credits for Scream 1 just how he feels, and also deal with the MPAA board asking him to cut several bloody sequences or else they’d give would give him a hard NC-17 rating. Wes Craven is noted to have taken the first learning experience with Scream 1 and use these notes to his advantage for the future Scream films.

Kevin Williamson. Is such a brilliant writer and storyteller. I’m at awe that he wrote the original Scream story in just three days! Williamson thrived on the early years of films such as Jaws and John Carpenters Halloween, he said watching and hearing people’s reactions to horror movies is what made him want to become a screenwriter and director! He even goes into detail about writing his first one act play about a babysitter who gets a creepy call and they end up discussing all of the tropes in horror films.

That was his first start to writing a horror genre script and not his last. Williamson worked tooth and nail to get his script to become something more than your average horror movie. Scream had the right antidote for a new age of horror for people looking to get something more than the average slasher films during his early years


This book covers the pain staking trials and tribulations that all the Scream 1-6 movies had to go through to get made. It’s so interesting and fun to read what they had to cut to make the movies we know and love today! I am so excited that Neve Campbell is back to playing Sydney for Scream 7 and I can’t wait to see what Williamson and Neve will be able to create now that we the audience are back to our roots with Sydney back home.

This book was so much fun to read, scream has been one of my favorite horror franchises since the first movie came out on VHS. I remember all the characters and the directors name. Every line by heart. It was interesting to read about what it took to get the movie made and the people behind the scenes. I had a great sense of nostalgia as I was reading seeing the scenes described playing in my head and remembering where I was the first time I had seen the movies.

The parts about Wes Craven, the crew, actors and everyone behind the scenes really made them human to me. I know that sounds odd but when I think about movies everything and everyone who puts effort into making them. It's like this mythical plain that I'm not privy to because I'm the audience you know?

Thank you NetGalley and Ashley Cullins for this ARC! I loved Scream growing up and still today it is one of my go to favorite movies. Reading this book felt like another side to the story we don't often get to see. For anyone who is a fan of the Scream franchise needs to read this! Informative and enjoyable.

This book is literally perfect for any fan of the Scream movies. Learning more about the movies was great. When the book comes out, I plan on buying a physical copy of this to keep next to my DVD collection!



Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me a copy of this book.

Scream is one of my all time favorite horror movies so of course I had to request this book. I don’t really read much in the genre but with it having to do with horror and Scream, I had to give it a shot.

It was so interesting to go beyond the movies and see all the interviews and deep dive into the franchise. I’ve watched all the movies multiple times and this book just made me appreciate each of them so much more!

Thank you to Penguin Dutton Group, Plume, NetGalley and Ashley Cullins for providing me with an ARC.

From small beginnings to a horror household name - the Scream franchise is loved by generations and spans over 4 decades - and doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon! It seems to be a movie/s that will truly never go out of date. Now we have not only your vintage and new horror lovers but an entire new fan base in the masked man trend and more. (“They are intrinsically sexy. But, yes, Ghostface makes people horny. If there is any quote that ends up in the book, let it be that.”)

“Fiction is the only place you can take this darkness and live in it because you can close the book, and you can turn the TV off, and you can leave the theater. You can play in that darkness and then you step out of it and come back to the real world and you’re in the light.”

Your Favorite Scary movie takes a deep dive into all the behind the scenes preparation, the inspiration behind storyline’s, interviews with the actors and more. You get a detailed breakdown of each Scream instalment and I thoroughly enjoyed reading fun facts and stories about everything.

I highly recommend a read of this if you are a Scream and Ghostface fan. And if you’re not, it’s time to start watching and then come back and read this book!!

🔪🩸

As a die-hard Scream fan (my cat is literally named after Sidney), I absolutely loved this book. You can feel the passion and care Ashley Cullins poured into every page—it’s not just a collection of facts, it’s a love letter to the franchise and the legacy of Wes Craven.

I devoured 60% of it in one sitting. I couldn’t get enough of the cast quotes, the behind-the-scenes details, and the heartfelt stories that show just how much everyone involved adored Wes and believed in his vision.

Reading it also made me reflect on the direction of the franchise. I can’t help but wonder how different—and possibly stronger—movies 3 and 4 might’ve been if Kevin Williamson had been the main writer behind them. This book reignited my appreciation for everything Scream stands for, and honestly, made me want to rewatch the entire series all over again.

4 stars

A deep dive into the “Scream” franchise of six movies, soon to be seven (I had no idea there were so many. I only saw the first three.) This is perfect for fans as each movie is handled nicely (with the first, relatively groundbreaking film given the most space, as is only right) and each installment seems to be treated fairly, regardless of which is your favorite (though it seems the general consensus that number four is no one’s fave.).

The book is, first and foremost, a love letter to the incredibly talented and, by all accounts, absolutely lovely pair of filmmakers behind the first movies, Wes Craven and Kevin Williamson. The gentlemen come across as great at their respective jobs and stellar human beings besides, and it honestly does not get boring hearing people gush over them. I’m sorry Craven is gone and Williamson still seems a bit like a giddy little boy, thrilled that he gets to work in movies, even with the big news that he (small spoiler ahead as this has likely been announced far and wide even though I did not know it until I read the book, so skip this next sentence if you are the most casual of fans) will be directing “Scream 7.” Somewhere Wes Craven is smiling down at this news.

As one would expect the Weinstein brothers are underplayed here, but are handled succinctly (a quote calls Harvey a “rapist.”). According to the text these were Bob’s movies, primarily.

I’m not exactly a super fan so I can’t say if these books are complete and I’m not really the audience the author/publisher was going for, but I still really enjoyed this and fans will likely love.

My mom is obsessed with horror movies. So I grew up with a ton of them. Scream, in particular, is such a good one. It's been a while since I've even watched them, and this book immediately put me on a binge watch! I learned so many things I didn't know between cast bonding and how amazing Wes Craven truly was as a person and a filmmaker. This book is the perfect insight into the franchise we all love. To put the whole "Every generation will love this" into perspective! I am a 2003 baby!

I read through this book in one sitting. A very fun, engaging and informative read covering six of the Scream films and the genius of Wes Craven. I would recommend this book to Scream fans. I would also welcome a more comprehensive history of the Scream series from the author.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.

This was just okay for me. Hardcore Scream fans will really love it, but a lot of things written about I already knew. Did make me want to rewatch the whole franchise tho!