(1996) is a landmark American slasher film directed by Wes Craven and written by Kevin Williamson that revitalized the horror genre with its self-aware, meta-fictional approach. Set in the fictional town of Woodsboro, California, it follows teenager Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) as she and her friends are targeted by a masked killer known as Ghostface . Plot Overview

The story begins with the brutal murder of high schooler (Drew Barrymore) and her boyfriend, setting the town on edge on the anniversary of Sidney's mother's death. As the body count rises, Sidney must navigate a series of deadly games and trivia-based threats from the killer. The film is famous for having characters who are aware of "horror movie rules"—such as "never say 'I'll be right back'"—and use this knowledge to try and survive their own real-life horror scenario.