Scream (2022)
A bloody, hilarious, extremely meta and worthy continuation of Wes Craven and Kevin Williamson's iconic slasher series
As every horror fan already knows, the “Scream” franchise isn’t your typical bunch of slasher films. The original four films, which were directed by the late legendary horror maestro Wes Craven and written by Kevin Williamson, got meta and discussed the conventions of your typical slasher movie franchise with snark, wit and of course plenty of blood. The last installment “Scream 4” released all the way back in 2011 and the genre of horror as well as franchise filmmaking has clearly changed since then and with the success of revitalizing classic slashers like “Halloween” it was only a matter of time before Ghostface returned to the big screen.
“Scream” marks the fifth installment in the series with “Ready Or Not” filmmakers Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett taking over the directing duties taking over from Craven. Set 11 years after the events of “Scream 4,” the latest installment opts to shift the focus from Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell), Gale Weathers (Courtney Cox), and Dewey Riley (David Arquette) to a new batch of characters with the returning veterans taking on the ‘mentor’ roles.
The film opens in a similar fashion to the 1996 original, we find young Tara Carpenter (Jenna Ortega) home alone at night and receiving a mysterious phone call, *gasps* from a landline! After being greeted by that familiar raspy voice of Ghostface, things take a turn. So much so that her estranged older sister Sam (Melissa Barrera) travels back to her hometown of Woodsboro alongside her new boyfriend Richie (Jack Quaid). It isn’t long before things escalate and the entire community is rocked by the return of the Ghostface killings with a new batch of young potential suspects and the hesitant returns of Sidney, Gale, and Dewey.
Right from the get-go, the latest “Scream” is picking apart the horror genre and what it has become in recent years. From addressing elevated indie horror films such as “The Babadook” and “The Witch,” Jordan Peele’s socially conscious spin on the genre, and most of all the 'requel.’ There is never a moment where the film doesn’t have its tongue planted firmly in its cheek. The film additionally takes its time to address toxic fandom and the entitlement that the mega fans of countless franchises have accustomed themselves to. Even when “Scream” does fall into the trappings its poking fun of, it still maintains a self-aware nature.
What clearly excites fans the most about this latest installment is seeing the return of familiar faces, but in true ‘legacy sequel’ fashion, they mainly take a back seat to the new names on the cast-list. Arquette is given the most to do out of the returnees, injecting plenty of the trademark personality of the character and is responsible for some of the film’s biggest laughs. Cox and Campbell aren’t even fully implemented into the picture until the film nears its third act, but their presence is felt throughout and when they are finally given their time to shine, they make every moment count.
The new cast-members, for the most part, effectively fit the hallmarks of the franchise. Ortega and Jasmin Savoy Brown make their marks as the two biggest standouts of the cast. Ortega, who has been making the rounds and is about to have a big year ahead, gives the film a youthful lens but also isn’t afraid to show some roughness as well. Brown serves as this installment’s stand-in for Jamie Kennedy’s Randy Meeks, carrying mountains of charisma and delivers a monologue on ‘requels’ that will certainly get a laugh out of movie buffs. After making an impression in last year’s “In The Heights” Barrera continues to be a terrific onscreen presence as the new lead, Sam Carpenter and instead of being the new ‘Sidney Prescott,’ she makes the role her own, giving it her own unique spin. Quaid, who many know as Hughie from the hit series “The Boys” is equally brilliant in his role and proving he truly was born to be a part of the “Scream” franchise from his mannerisms and his wittiness.
The directing duo of Olpin and Gillett combine Craven’s sensibilities from the sequels with their own unique spin. The kills presented here are among some of the most brutal and gnarly in the franchise. While the film is never particularly scary, the suspense they build in several key sequences is remarkable and they are clearly unafraid to subvert the audience’s expectations.
The film does at times get a bit too carried away in some of the directions it takes and it can loose its whipsmart footing in some areas, but those can’t be fully addressed without delving headfirst into spoiler territory and this is a film fans certainly won’t want to have ruined. Some of the newer characters also feel a bit underutilized and despite bringing a shining presence whenever they are on screen, it does hinder our attachment to them.
“Scream” is a bloody blast and the perfect meta legacy sequel that fully commits to its self-aware nature. Even when it does fall into those genre trappings, it never loses its edge. Fans of the franchise will surely be pleased with what the film has in store for them.