Scream

The good-ol’ Scream just like we remember and love it. The new team hasn’t fundamentally changed the functional formula that Scream has been following for decades, just updated it for 2022 and fleshed it out in an remarkable way. The first one poked fun at simple slashers, the second made fun of sequels, the third mocked the last parts of trilogies, and the fourth one was a commentary on the changes that had since taken place in the horror genre. As a de facto reboot, it poked fun at reboots and remakes, added some gore, and brushed up against the once-dominant found footage trend. But another ten years have passed and the fad now is requels/legacy sequels and elevated horror. So it's clear what the fifth Scream had to be and is about. It's a requel, commenting on its requeliness, and it's also a bit of elevated horror, since one of its central themes is the toxic fandom surrounding the Scream film franchise Stab. And I think it's all done really cleverly, entertainingly and in some parts quite boldly. The scene where one of the potential victims walks halfway through a house, filmed to include perhaps ten potential (and unfulfilled) clichéd jump-scares, is hysterical and accurately illustrates the playfulness with which Gillett and Bettinelli-Olphin approached the new Scream. The only small problem I have is with some of the acting, especially the main new character Sam and the family relationship issues attached to her, which I didn't care for. But still, the first good horror flick of 2022. (01/14/2022)

All the participating creators obviously love Kevin Williamson and Wes Craven, so they pay them a hundred and one tributes, dig to the very bottom of the homage and really present a new Scream in all its glory. But the whole time you can tell that it's not exactly right, just like it wasn't right in 2000 when a different screenwriter came for the third installment and the lightness started disappearing immediately. Thanks for the return of all the legends, thanks for the fact that the meta flip of everything is still here, but maybe less would be more. The discussion about the direction of the genre, the point, and the fandom takes up almost half of the running time and undermines the series itself too much. Despite one fitting jump scare and a few nicely tuned moves, I am ultimately disappointed with the lack of tension, freshness, and overall novelty that even the underrated fourth one was bursting with. Additionally, the series resorts to steps it didn't have a reason to take before, and when discussing all possible identities of the killer at the end, it suddenly didn't matter anymore because any potential surprises had already been revealed. I don't welcome the planned sequel, it's terribly early as far as keeping healthy boundaries is concerned. (02/10/2022)

The Scream franchise was bound to come back at some point even without Craven, so there is no reason this could not happen. This movie is a solid continuation of the franchise, even if it does not bring much new to the table. I was slightly shaking my head at some of the creative decisions. Plus, with one specific creative decision, I even said I might not count it as canon (and I am not going to). However, this is still a very entertaining slasher horror movie that is undeniably meta. Some of the dialogue makes you laugh, and it is entertaining with fine new characters, among which Jack Quaid clearly stands out. Plus, there is Kyle Gallner as the white trash redneck who should have been in there a damn sight more! With the next installment, the movie’s producer will just have to go down a very crazy route, so it is not the same thing over and over again, so I expect at least the return of Matthew Lillard, who probably only has minor scars on his face from the first Scream. (02/04/2022)

The resurrection of Halloween made a fortune, so let’s try to resurrect Scream. This franchise is handicapped by the fact that it can make a killer out of anyone without any sophisticated motive, and that it is thus only a matter of a hiding place with would-be cool references to other horror movies and would-be sophisticated plays on genre clichés. The first one from 1996 was innovative in this respect. But the resurrection after 26 years without any progress in imagination is able to satisfy only with a decent number of slayings and the nostalgic return of the trio of original stars. Don’t expect effective scares and don’t be surprised if the characters continue to function relatively well after being stabbed in the gut with a big knife. Was there such silliness, delivered with a straight face, in the previous instalments? (03/19/2023)

Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett are a proven duo (Southbound and Ready or Not were no fluke) and the return of the famous slasher franchise is a great success. Those with knowledge of previous episodes have an advantage, I've forgotten most of it, but thankfully it didn't detract from the viewing experience. New youngsters are introduced and old friends return, Ghostface is in great shape (the high bodycount is a plus) and he definitely knows how to use a knife, he makes his victims uncomfortable and in all different ways and angles, so definitely a nice show. The nice thing about Scream is that it's one of the few slasher films that follows absolutely all the rules of the genre, even shapes and plays with them. The detective-like hunt for the killer, where absolutely everyone is a suspect and nobody can tell with certainty who Ghostface is until the finale works very well here. The various allusions and winks to other horror films and the the occasional wisecrack are nice, and the explanation of why Scream is a Legacy-seqquel and not a sequel or prequel was downright brilliant and very apt. It's not a horror film to be scared at, although the suspense works, but as entertainment it's almost impossible to fault. Story 3/5, Action 4/5, Humor 3/5, Violence 4/5, Fun 4/5 Music 4/5, Visuals 4/5, Atmosphere 4/5, Suspense 4/5, Emotion 3/5, Actors 3/5. 8/10. (03/22/2022)