It's pretty much a given that the '90s changed the game when it came to horror films. Take Scream, which was the first example of a sort of meta horror: a film that flipped classic scary-movie tropes [1] on their heads. There's no better time to celebrate the slasher flick than Summer, so keep reading for all the reasons we love it.
The Title Is Just So Quotable
That Dastardly, Totally Badass Hook
Um, Ryan Phillippe's in It, and He's Shirtless
This Perfectly '90s Insult . . .
. . . And This Other '90s Insult
It's Infused With Real Talk
All the '90s Clothes, From the Overalls to the Tied Shirt
Those Classic "Jump Out at You" Moments
It's Still Righteously Gory
It's the Start of the Golden Duo That Would Later Star in Cruel Intentions
Jennifer Love Hewitt's Well-Displayed — Er, Assets
Um, and Let's Not Forget About Freddie Prinze Jr., Either
Classic Horror Tropes, Like Screaming, Dragging . . .
It's Self-Aware
Plus, Ryan Phillippe [2] looks, like, really good in that tank top.
All of the Sarah Michelle Gellar Drama
Actually, Basically Everything About Sarah Michelle Gellar
It's Got Some Feminist Vibes, and We Totally Dig Them
But Really, It Freaked Us Out Pretty Good
And Finally, It Has That Perfect Surprise Ending