Scream (2022)
My History with the Series:
Scream has emerged as my favorite horror movie franchise over the past few years. The series is a perfect mix of horror, humor, whodunit, meta, and fun. So, when a new Scream movie was announced bringing back some of the original cast, along with the creators of Ready or Not (another movie I love), I was all about it.
I went opening night to see Scream at the Alamo Drafthouse in Raleigh. The theater was sold out and that night will go down as one of my favorite horror movie theater experiences. The audience was excited and seemed to really enjoy the film. It was a welcomed change after having a less than positive experience during Halloween Kills.
I ended up loving the film, as did my wife and friend and I left thinking Scream was one of my favorite movies of the year.
What the Film is About (Non-Spoiler):
Twenty-five years after the Woodsboro Murders, a new Ghostface killer begins attacking teenagers.
What I Liked About It:
-The new cast! I gotta say, I’m always dreading it when a new cast is introduced because I’m always loyal to the cast I grew up with, but man, they did a great job casting the new group. They were all different enough, flawed, yet likeable and made for a fun core group of root on. Of course, having the Sydney, Dewey, and Gale alongside of them to ease the transition was great storytelling.
-The movie is good! This isn’t one of those horror sequels you like just because of the franchise, but this is an intelligent film horror film that updates the franchise, keeps it fresh, but still retains the charm of the original films.
-The dissection of the requel (reboot/sequel) was brilliant. I’d never heard that term before, but similar to the scene when Randy explains all the rules of a horror film, the explanation of Hollywood’s obsession with the requel was just as enlightening and funny.
-I was concerned not bringing back Marco Beltrami would be a mistake for the music, but I was wrong. Brian Tyler was more than capable of bringing a chilling and haunting score to accompany this film that would have made Beltrami proud.
-I feel like the violence was adjusted accordingly. It can be brutal at times, which really made it work. Movies have changed and we’ve seen a lot over the last few years. A more realistic and brutal kill was a welcomed addition to the story.
What I Didn’t Like:
-N/A
Additional Notes:
-When Richie is watching the YouTube video about Stab 8, there is a thumbnail beside it for an interview with Kirby (Hayden Panettiere) who seemingly survived Scream 4.
-Neve Campbell was hesitant to return to the franchise without Wes Craven, but the directors sent her a letter explaining how much Wes Craven and his films meant to them.
-Multiple tributes to Wes Craven in the film and after the film. It’s obvious ::SPOILER:: The celebration for Wes’ passing in the film is also directed to Wes Craven ::END SPOILER::
-In the first film, Sidney uses an online 911 system to call for help. The reason for this was to show her address as 34 Elm Street. The scene was cut for time, but it’s noted in this film that her address is indeed 34 Elm Street.
Rating:
Scream (2022) is a perfect film in my eyes. The amount of love and effort put into everything from the costumes to the score to the characters and their actions was just spot on. This is how you do a requel or a sequel. You honor the original while bringing the rest of the film and franchise into modern times. Thankfully, Scream was successful so we will see another Scream film in just under a year.
I rated Scream a five out of five and say it’s a must watch.
