Scream

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)

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)

Ghostface is wreaking havoc again in Woodsboro, and the local kids cannot keep up with him. Not only veterans but also a young heroine with a dark secret have returned to the town. Is it possible that people are dying because of it? The new Scream comes with a new creative team and plenty of fresh ideas. Ironically, it's a bit lacking in the horror aspect, and the new characters aren't very engaging, but it makes up for it with a clever script that bends horror clichés in a very interesting way, plays with the genre, and this time even with the viewers and fans themselves. Very clever and very entertaining, probably the best thing we've seen in this franchise since the first one. (01/13/2022)

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)

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 gap between the fourth and the "fifth" film was filled by the MTV series, but unfortunately, it didn't work. So, after 11 long years, we get another great Scream. The main trio is back - Neve Campbell, David Arquette, Courteney Cox, and Marley Shelton (and a few other casting surprises) from the fourth film. Current topics are requels, legacy sequels and elevated horror. Among the new faces, actresses Jenna Ortega, Melissa Barrera, Mikey Madison (that girl has Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and The Addams Family in her filmography, unreal), and Jasmin Savoy Brown did great. I also enjoyed it a lot thanks to the perfect atmosphere and the accompanying program in Edison. (01/25/2022)

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)

On a certain meta-level, the film’s protagonists excuse the fifth Scream for being a mere recycling of several worn-out formulas and motifs (which it is), because that’s what devoted fans want. And it is possible that that might actually be enough for fans of the genre, particularly fans of this franchise. Nevertheless, such a hackneyed film that serves viewers practically the same thing as its predecessors and has no need to distinguish itself in any way is hardly saved by the fact that its creators are aware that it’s worn out and humorously point that out in places. The protagonists can endlessly make snarky comments about the various rules of the horror genre and all of the mistakes that horror-movie characters make, but what good does that do if they themselves can’t avoid making the same mistakes? To a certain extent, however, there is still some entertainment value in the game of guessing which character is the killer while the possibilities gradually dwindle. Otherwise, neither the new (and not particularly likable) characters, the return of old familiar faces nor the gory (though unimaginative) murders hold much appeal. (02/20/2022)

(Spoiler alert!) For the fifth time, we hear "What's your favorite scary movie?" on the phone, and right at the beginning you ask yourself the question: Does a film, built on the same genre structure as its four predecessors, even have the potential to surprise and lure audiences into the theater anymore? The fifth Scream, and also the first without the late Wes Craven, has that potential. It should be mentioned beforehand that those who have not seen all the previous episodes cannot appreciate the latest outing of ghostface. The creators managed to artfully incorporate moments referring to the first four films into the story, while playing with genre expectations in a great way (close a door – nothing, close a closet – nothing, close another door – still nothing ... and suddenly you are stabbed), so despite the template-like structure, the latest Scream doesn't feel formulaic and manages to surprise. The identity of the two killers was not so surprising and you basically discover it during the attack in the hospital, which unfortunately convinces us that everyone is deadly. Yes, a couple of the murders really hurt! But the shocking revelation of the killers wasn't so much the point as paying homage to Craven and his legacy. Plus, it was good to see the old trio back together (the Gale-Dewey line really had an "onion" vibe), without which the younger and half-unseasoned cast couldn't have pulled off the film. Last but not least, I was surprised by the return of a character from "the other side". Three and three-quarters stars! PS: "Don't f*ck with the original!" PS2: Anyone who has seen Once Upon a Time in Hollywood will experience déjà vu at the end. (01/15/2022)

It laughs out loud at The Babadook, The Witch, and Hereditary for being pretentious bore and then lets us spend two thirds of the film watching close-ups of uninteresting people dealing with family relationships. It comes across as XXX-parody, because the film comes across as terribly cheap (like there's no money for extras at a high school or hospital) and the actors look like porn actors. And I don't mean that as an insult – they do really look like that. (04/12/2022)

Without hesitation the second best installment in the series. It's tremendously appealing the grace with which the creators of Ready or Not took on this (for me, anyway) legendary franchise. Logically, most of their references are to the best (first) installment and they work with all the characters and themes with the utmost respect while being unafraid to add a considerable amount of new elements. The fifth Scream works on many levels – whether as a mere reflection on endless film series, or again as a very thought-provoking education in what the actual slasher rules are, or as a simple yet extremely entertaining gore spectacle. What I appreciate most is the actual production itself, which feels old-school in the best sense of the word, yet manages to work perfectly in today's ultra-modern age thanks to the imaginative talents of the new filmmakers. In short, it's a beautiful textbook example of how to dust off a now classic 90s work without completely emasculating it. It's retained a huge heart and added some serious balls. A beauty. [80%] (01/14/2022)