With “Final Destination: Bloodlines” in theaters this week, the turn of the century is top of mind. The first film in the franchise came out a quarter of a century ago, in the year 2000, so nostalgia for those late 1990s/Y2K-era teen horror films might be high right now, reflecting on what that trend might have signified or represented in such a different time, and what it means now. The franchise, which ran from 2000 to 2011, also takes advantage of the “lega-sequel” trend, linking the new film to characters from the first so that they exist in the same cinematic universe.

It’s the perfect time to revisit some of those favorite teen horror films that ruled cineplexes from the mid-1990s to the early 2000s, especially since one of the most iconic franchises, “I Know What You Did Last Summer,” has it’s own lega-sequel hitting theaters this July.

But first things first: all of the “Final Destination” movies are currently streaming on Max, including “Final Destination” (2000), starring Devon Sawa; “Final Destination 2” (2003), with Ali Larter in the lead; the roller-coaster themed “Final Destination 3” (2006) starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Ryan Merriman; the fourth installment “The Final Destination” (2009), featuring a speedway tragedy; and “Final Destination 5” (2011), bridge-collapse edition. Binge them all on Max.

The self-reflective “Scream” helped to kick off this trend for teen horror films in 1996, with the whip-smart film written by teen whisperer Kevin Williamson (“Dawson’s Creek”) and directed by horror maestro Wes Craven. It truly does not get better than the first “Scream,” which is streaming on Max, along with the Craven-directed sequels “Scream 2” (1997) and “Scream 3” (2000). Craven also directed the 2011 sequel “Scream 4," available to rent on iTunes and Amazon. The franchise was rebooted after his death in 2022 by Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, who helmed the two lega-sequels “Scream” (2022) and “Scream VI” (2023) starring Melissa Barrera and featuring the iconic characters from the first films (both are currently streaming on Paramount+).

Do your summer prep early by revisiting “I Know What You Did Last Summer” (1997) which was also written by Kevin Williamson, based on the 1973 Lois Duncan novel, and starred Jennifer Love Hewitt, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Freddie Prinze Jr. and Ryan Phillippe as four friends who dump a body after a fatal accident, and find themselves stalked by a fisherman with a really big hook. Stream the first one on Netflix.

“I Still Know What You Did Last Summer” (1998) added singer Brandy Norwood to the cast and takes place in the Bahamas (rent it on iTunes or Amazon). You can skip the 2006 direct-to-video sequel “I’ll Always Know What You Did Last Summer,” as the new 2025 film picks up after “I Still Know,” but it is on iTunes or Amazon for rent if necessary.

Perhaps the next lega-sequel will be from the “Urban Legend” franchise. “Urban Legend” (1998), directed by Jamie Blanks, starred Jared Leto, Alicia Witt, Rebecca Gayheart, Joshua Jackson and Tara Reid and took place at a New England university with a series of murders modeled after popular urban legends. Rent it on iTunes or Amazon. The sequel “Urban Legends: Final Cut” (2000) gets meta with it, as a student decides to make her thesis film about the murder spree and then finds herself within one. That is also available for rent on iTunes or Amazon. A direct-to-video sequel directed by the legendary Mary Lambert, "Urban Legends: Bloody Mary," was released in 2005 starring Kate Mara, and while it is unrelated to previous films, it is also available for rent on iTunes or Amazon. Stream the series now and maybe you’ll be ahead of the next horror reboot if trends prevail.

Or, check out Kyle Mooney’s 2024 tribute to the era, with his horror comedy “Y2K,” set on that fateful night, with, you guessed it, a group of teens trying to navigate a party, and some killer robots. It’s streaming on Max.

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