It begins as it always does: someone alone receives a menacing phone call, has their life threatened, and then ends up on the wrong end of a blade held by a killer wearing a Ghostface mask. By the third entry in the Scream franchise, a fairly-tight trilogy focused on protagonist Syndey Prescott (Neve Campbell) at that point, folks understood the routine, so it required a bit of a shakeup. In that case, it meant killing Cotton Weary, Liev Schreiber’s mostly-background character who was pivotal to the story of Sydney’s mother, Maureen Prescott (Lynn McRee), and her murder. That was 2000, so how does one shock audiences 11 years later when director Wes Craven (A Nightmare on Elm Street) reunites with original scribe Kevin Williamson (The Faculty) and his core cast of survivors for Scream 4, he drops a meta opening that folds in the fictional in-world Stab films (inspired by the Woodsboro killings of the series) by breaking the wall twice before starting the movie proper. It was a signal before any of the primary characters could utter a word that this story was going to be different and everything as we knew it would be different. It felt fresh and exciting for the first time in a long time. Now, Craven’s last Scream entry is available on 4K UHD (it’s the last of the franchise to receive the upgrade) in standard DVD, VHS, and limited-edition steelbook from Lionsgate, and includes a mixture of legacy and new special features.
The last Ghostface attack was perpetrated by half-sibling Roman Bridger (Scott Foley), the director behind Maureen’s death and all the murder that’s followed. In the years since, Sydney has written a book about her experiences, Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox) has retired from reporting to try her hand at fiction, and Dewey Riley (David Arquette) is now the sheriff of Woodsboro. As Sydney arrives back in Woodsboro, her hometown, for the last stop on her book tour, a new Ghostface has emerged, but it’s not targeting Sydney, it’s targeting those around her, including young cousin Jill Roberts (Emma Roberts). With Ghostface now a local legend and subverted icon among the youth who are not old enough to know the terror of the killings, trying to keep everyone safe requires understanding a new set of rules and knowing that, once more, who to trust is the difference between seeing the sun rise or the inside of the morgue.
The following home release review is based on a standard edition 4K UHD Blu-ray retail copy provided by Lionsgate. With there being three different available versions, let’s first breakdown what they are and the differences so you can make the most educated decision.
L-R: Alison Brie as Rebecca Walters, Marley Shelton as Deputy Judy Hicks, Adam Brody as Deputy Hoss, Neve Campbell as Sydney Prescott, Courteney Cox as Gale Weathers, David Arquette as Sheriff Dewey Riley, and Anthony Anderson as Deputy Perkins in SCREAM 4. Photo courtesy of Lionsgate.
First, there’s the standard edition. It’s a two-disc set, (4K UHD and Blu-ray with a digital code) featuring new artwork similar to the design of the recently-released Scream 7 home release. The Blu-ray disc has stylized art of a red “4” with Sydney featured within it, while the 4K UHD disc has Ghostface featured in its red four. Both discs include the exact same supplemental materials, which are the legacy features carried over from past physical releases. The standard 4K UHD does include Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, so this version is enhanced in video presentation and sound (more shortly) compared to its prior releases. This edition can presumably be picked up through any physical media seller.
L-R: David Arquette as Sheriff Dewey Riley and Courteney Cox as Gale Weathers in SCREAM 4. Photo courtesy of Lionsgate.
Second, there’s the “Be Kind, Rewind” VHS Edition via Lionsgate Limited. Presented in full frame (versus widescreen on the 4K UHD, Blu-ray, or digital editions), this throwback edition includes specialized artwork on the cover and just the film inside. Amusingly (as I am an old), the website notes that a VHS player is not included in purchase. Noting that older media is coming back into vogue, having Scream 4 on VHS, a format it likely wasn’t released in originally on home video in 2011/2012 due to the popularity of DVD and the arrival of Blu-ray some years ahead of the original theatrical release, may tickle fans of the series, especially those who owned the original Scream on the format. Those looking for supplemental materials, however, will need to pick up one of the other formats as nothing is (understandably) included here.
SCREAM 4 Lionsgate Limited VHS. Photo courtesy of Lionsgate.
Third, there’s the 4K UHD steelbook via Lionsgate Limited. While also featuring edition-specific artwork (designed by gnah studios), along with the legacy materials, two disc formats, and a digital code, this edition is the only format to include brand-new supplemental materials: “The Meta of Scream,” “Rebooting the Franchise: Scream 4 Revisited,” “Ghostface Revealed!,” and “Wes Craven: The Maestro of Scream.”
Based on the information available at Lionsgate Limited and through the hands-on experience with the standard edition, only the standard and steelbook editions include a digital code to stream the film. Checking MoviesAnywhere and iTunes, where the digital code is compatible for streaming, no bonus features are included in that edition. Make sure to note this if bonus features matter to your decision-making process.
In terms of the 4K UHD on-disc presentation, it’s strangely a mixed bag. The sound on it is fantastic. The score from Marco Beltrami (Scream; Logan) rises and falls wonderfully alongside the tension of the film, the bursts of sound to trigger that fright response come through clearly and with just the right impact. Part of what makes Craven’s Scream films so good is that he helped shape modern horror and understands what audiences expect from dark corners, actor positions within a frame, and other tropes to generate anticipation and them subvert them — like the audience knowing a killer is likely about to get Erik Knudsen’s (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World) headset-wearing live-streamer Robbie Mercer, and having him walk into a hanging plant with the same shrill musical note as when Ghostface does appear will make you jump because it defies expectation. Visually, however, at least from a technical perspective, it’s not what one would want from a 4K UHD restoration. The blacks are certainly darker and details more defined, making it so that the reunion of former classmates Sydney and Deputy Judy Hicks (Marley Shelton) is characteristically unsettling (the usual red herring incorporated into these films for new-to-this-universe characters) at first as Sydney can barely see the Woodsboro PD officer moving in the dark of Jill’s house. However, though moments like these are enhanced due to greater range of color and more authentic lighting due to the Dolby Vision, the bitrate for the film is strangely unstable. For most of the first act, the bitrate hovers in the 60 – 70 Mbps and then dips into the upper 40s — mid-50 Mbps for the rest of the film. The issue here is that 4K UHD have a max bitrate of 128 Mbps and Blu-ray have a max at 40 Mbps, which means that this new edition is basically just better than a Blu-ray presentation. Of course, anything run off a disc is going to give you a better picture and sound experience than anything streamed because there’s far less compression on the disc than on a data stream, but, instead of utilizing the full space of the 100 GB disc used for the 4K UHD, the film shares space with all the special features, and that’s going to reduce the strength of the presentation since it needs to add compression to the film to make space for the supplemental materials. If Lionsgate had left the legacy features on the Blu-ray, the bitrate would likely remain stable and high for the length of the film, providing the kind of experience that folks are paying for.
It’s been well known before 2020 that, as several chickens residing with a human suit, it’s always been odd that I gravitated toward the Scream series. With the exception of the most recent entry in the franchise, I find them all entertaining and interesting for what they seek to accomplish. I was never in it for the slasher fun that some enjoy, but for the characters, their relationships, and the ways in which the rules of cinema defined each entry. With Scream 4, it’s all about the ways that horror films of the double-aughts and 2010s sought to subvert expectations by remaking titles with their own respective twists. Alongside the sweeping access to fast internet and cell phones for communication, as well as the big shift in entertainment toward reality programming, the script by Williamson weaponized the “pick me” culture to fashion a villain audiences wouldn’t see coming: Jill. In hindsight, coming off Roman in 3, this makes a strange bit of sense as Sydney had already been stalked by a relative, but it didn’t seem like something that Scream would revisit. Most impressively, the way that the perspective shifts to Jill upon the successful duel-stabbing of Sydney to show how methodically the deviant has thought through how to stage the scene to look like she’s a victim (clawing her own face and pulling her hair with the hand of her dead ex-boyfriend; slamming herself into walls; and throwing herself backward onto a glass table) demonstrates just how much she’s thought about this and planned out what makes a crime scene look authentic. The horror of the film is not just that the call is coming from inside the house, it’s coming from the place no one could suspect because known-family (unlike Roman) is supposed to be safe. Usually, her relatives are targets, not perpetrators, and this choice allows for an unpredictable final confrontation, even when one recognizes the plot armor worn by the core three. Also, it’s hard to not enjoy 4 when it gives audience the gift that is Hayden Panettiere’s (A Bug’s Life) Kirby Reed who, thankfully, returns in Scream 6 (2023) to kick a little more ass. Overall, the film isn’t as strong as the prior three entries and its commentary is not as sharp, but, in its attempt to do something different, it nevertheless feels exciting and unpredictable in a way that we haven’t felt since 2 (1997).
Ghostface in SCREAM 4. Photo courtesy of Lionsgate.
With this being a home release review, let’s circle back to the reason you’re here — is it worth it? Frankly, if all you want are the new bonus features, you have no choice but to get the steelbook, not because of the design of the art, but because it’s literally the only way to get the new features. From a marketing perspective, it makes sense to limit where the new features are, but, from a user perspective, it stinks, primarily because the inclusion of the supplemental materials will only detract further from the bitrate on the main presentation. It’s frustrating to be sold a bill of goods for a premium experience and not receive it. If this doesn’t matter to you, then you already know which version is right for you based on price point and availability. Given the option, I know I’d want the new features, but not for the full price. But whether it will be included in an upcoming sale is questionable and whether stock will remain available is equally so.
Just a few things to keep in mind.
Scream 4 Legacy Special Features:
- Feature Commentary with Director Wes Craven and Cast Emma Roberts, Hayden Panettiere, and Neve Campbell
- The Making of Scream 4
- Deleted and Extended Scenes (with Optional Commentary)
- Alternate Opening
- Extended Ending
- Gag Reel
- EPKs: B-Roll & Soundbites
- Junket Interviews
- Trailers
- TV Spot
Scream 4 Lionsgate Limited Special Features:
- The Meta of Scream
- Rebooting the Franchise: Scream 4 Revisited
- Ghostface Revealed!
- Wes Craven: The Maestro of Scream
Available on 4K UHD Blu-ray Combo, 4K UHD Blu-ray Steelbook, VHS, and digital June 9th, 2026.
For more information, head to the official Lionsgate Limited Scream 4 webpage.
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Categories: Home Release, Home Video, Recommendation, Reviews, streaming
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