“Scream” is rightfully remembered as one of the best horror films of its era. The film exists at the convergence of three unique genres: horror, mystery and comedy.

The mask of the movie’s Ghostface killer has become an iconic piece of American horror culture, and the killer himself is one of horror’s most cherished villains, along with Freddy, Jason, Leatherface and company.

“Scream” was the last slasher film to truly bring anything new to horror and the slasher subgenre in general. Previous films, like “Friday the 13th”, had introduced the mystery element to the genre. “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” distinguished itself through taking its gore and guts to the next level. “Nightmare on Elm Street” brought in supernatural aspects to the genre.

“Scream” made itself known by bringing elements of satire and comedy into the otherwise typical horror-mystery of the late 20th century. Now, you may be asking yourself, how can a horror movie be a comedy?

Any lesser director than Wes Craven would fail in this task. Wes Craven, however, masterfully mixes these genres. While the story might not be a traditional comedy with cheap jokes and bad puns, it is able to successfully satirize the horror genre of the time, a genre that was rapidly becoming a predictable set of tropes.

The movie makes references to other popular films, including Craven’s earlier “Nightmare on Elm Street”, and the characters occasionally joke about how something would go if they were in a horror movie.

The story manages to engage the audience in its interesting characters and keeps them guessing as to who the real killer must be. The movie requires a good degree of audience participation to truly be successful; if you are paying attention and are involved in the story and theorizing about who could be the killer, you are watching the movie correctly.

This delightfully self-aware commentary on the horror genre is sure to grip the audience from start to finish as it seamlessly blends genres together to produce something in between “Friday the 13th” and “Scooby-Doo”.