Scream

It is hard to believe it has been 25 years since “Scream” premiered and in doing so; brought new life into the slasher genre which had become stale due to an abundance of direct to DVD and cable releases combined with many uninspired and stale theatrical releases. The movie was a massive success and launched a very successful trilogy and made the Ghostface killer and many moments from the series Pop Culture mainstays. After a hiatus; “Scream 4” arrived and continued the series and in 2022; “Scream” has arrived which continues the story to the eager anticipation of fans. When a young girl named Tara (Jenna Ortega); is brutally attacked in a fashion very similar to the Ghostface Killer; her sister Sam (Melissa Barrera); returns to Woodsboro to be by her side while Tara recuperates. Sam is joined by her boyfriend Richie (Jack Quaid), who has no idea about the history of Woodsboro nor the popular “Stab” film series that is based on the events of the murders that have plagued the town. Sam’s past troubles makes her return difficult and when Ghostface strikes again; she and Richie seek the help of Dewey (David Arquette); who has fallen on hard times and has split from Gayle (Courtney Cox). Despite his reluctance; Dewey gets involved and tells Sam the “rules” which would indicate the killer might be someone she knows and soon everyone in her and Tara’s circle becomes suspect even as the deaths start to increase. This allows for some of the best moments of the film as the characters make references to several other modern and past horror franchises and discuss things from online Trolls, rabid fans, and other Pop Culture references which provides some tongue in cheek humor about the series and also establishes the world of “Scream” as one where people are well-versed in horror films old and new and have modified the rules based on sequel, prequel, and “Requel” rules for films. As tensions and body count mounts; Gayle, Dewey, and Sidney (Neve Campbell) must face their fears to stop Ghostface before it is too late. While the final act of the film is very over the top and at times absurd; it does provide plenty of the elements that fans have come to expect from the series. I was able to accurately see and predict almost all of the twists very early in the film and did not have many surprises as the film unfolded; I think many will still find enough enjoyment watching the tale unfold as after four films I have a pretty good idea of the formula for the series and also have many years of this as I saw the twists in “The Sixth Sense” and “The Village” very early in the films so I just seem to have a knack for this sort of thing. While it does not break much in the way of new ground; the film does deliver what fans have come to expect and I did find in more enjoyable than “Scream 3” and there was more than enough to keep me entertained. There have been rumors that a sixth film has already been planned and if so: I will be more than ready for more. 3.5 out of 5

Some things never change. This can be good and also bad. Bad like Audibly Sharp knives (i.e., blades that make a sharpening noise when being whisked through thin air), or like when former deputy Dewey Riley (David Arquette) says “You have to shoot 'em in the head, or they always come back.” Of course, the very existence of the new Scream is irrefutable proof that they will come back regardless. This movie is slasher history repeating itself in more ways than one; in addition to revisiting this particular franchise, it borrows a key plot point from Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare – that I will not reveal but which you may have inkling about if you are, like me, a student of the genre. All of the above notwithstanding, Scream ‘22 is overall more good than bad. True to its roots, this iteration serves as a deconstruction of the current state of mainstream horror cinema. Specifically, it is a textbook example of a “requel” – like the last couple of Halloweens, or the recent Texas Chainsaw Massacre –, and by ‘textbook’ I mean that it actually includes a scene where a character literally explains what a requel is and how it works. I also like that it lampshades one of my least favorite tropes, which I call Chekhov's Inhaler. I just compared it to Halloween and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, but the fact is that Scream ‘22 comes to join the much better company of Wes Craven’s New Nightmare and last year’s Candyman (suitably, the movie is dedicated to Craven’s memory and gives Jordan Peele a shoutout). This Scream’s oft-repeated mantra is “always go back to the original,” and that’s sage advice because, like Nightmare on Elm Street, this franchise is a brainchild of Craven that began life as thinking man’s horror only to get progressively dumbed down with each new entry – unlike, say, Friday the 13th, which was born stupid. Thankfully, this film has been made by people with knowledge of and respect for their source material, and who don’t underestimate the audience’s intelligence. Consequently, when characters send text messages, the words appear on their phone screens as opposed to our movie and TV screens, and when a someone is stabbed, they spill real fake blood instead of a stream of red pixels (and in an age where CGI is the norm, any horror movie that uses practical effects instantly doubles its visceral impact). I will only add that, also like New Nightmare and Candyman ‘21, Scream ‘22 is as much of a return to form as it is a fitting farewell, so here’s hoping that it will live up to its promise that “After tonight, no more books, no more movies, no more f***ing Ghostface.”

FULL SPOILER-FREE REVIEW @ https://www.msbreviews.com/movie-reviews/scream-2022-spoiler-free-review "Scream (5) is a brilliant "requel" with cleverly fascinating meta commentary on the horror genre, toxic fandoms, social media, and much more, ultimately becoming a strong contender for this new year's Top10. Boasting a continuously entertaining screenplay filled with exceptionally captivating, relevant dialogue and some of the goriest, bloodiest murders in the famous saga, the directors (Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett) and writers (James Vanderbilt, Guy Busick) pay a beautiful homage to the influential creator Wes Craven. The whole cast - both newcomers and icons - delivers remarkable performances, portraying characters who unapologetically address admittedly cinephile-driven topics that some occasional moviegoers might not fully understand but will still receive pure entertainment on the big screen. As a horror-mystery flick, it keeps the viewers on the edge of their seats, laughing and getting jumpscared for the entire runtime. I couldn't recommend it more." Rating: A-