Scream (2022)

 

Directed by: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett

Starring: Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Marley Shelton, Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Dylan Minnette, Jack Quaid, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Sonia Ammar, Mikey Madison, Mason Gooding, and Kyle Gallner

Genre: Horror / Slasher, Thriller

Rated: R

The fifth entry in the Scream franchise takes place twenty-five years after the events of the original film. Someone has once again donned the signature Ghostface ensemble and started yet another string of attacks and murders in Woodsboro. This time, however, the focus is not on Sidney Prescott, but Samantha Carpenter, a young woman with a secret connection to the events of the original. A new group of young people are on the chopping block, forcing Sidney Prescott, Gale Weathers and Dewey Riley to once again face down another masked killer and hopefully put an official end to Ghostface’s legacy.

When I heard a fifth Scream film was in the works I was initially very hesitant – like Neve Campbell had said in many past interviews, I didn’t think it could be done well without Wes Craven. I was worried the series would be ruined. However, when I learned Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, the men behind Ready or Not (2019), would be heading the project, I grew far more optimistic – these two know how to combine horror and humor, badass final girls and brutal gore effects into very fun stories. When Neve signed on to return as Sidney (something she was reluctant to do without a good script) I knew I could get excited, and I was not disappointed.

Scream (2022) is a true love letter to the original film and gives friendly nods to the three previous sequels. There are tributes to several fallen characters of the past – beloved characters memorialized rather than forgotten. There are also a couple surprise appearances from past characters which I was ecstatic about. I would highly recommend watching / rewatching the four previous films prior to catching this one in order to pick up on all of the references.

Our legacy actors, Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox and David Arquette, are amazing as always in their return to the respective roles of Sidney, Gale and Dewey. Despite not being written by Kevin Williamson, the characters still feel true to their roots and have developed naturally over the past twenty-five years. I’m so proud of how far Sidney has come and cannot wait to add her entry to my character study blog (I had been holding off until I could see this film). She has finally stopped running and found her peace, and she will do anything to prevent the destruction of her happiness. Gale has calmed down and become a lot more caring. She has found her success and is willing to put others before a major story; however, she is still not someone you want to mess with. Dewey is still lovable and goofy, but he’s been through a lot, and it’s finally starting to show. These three characters have been through hell, and developed accordingly. The only other major returning character is Judy Hicks from part 4, and I was pleased to see she is treated with a lot more respect in this film. Rather than being the suck-up deputy with a crush on Dewey and a penchant for baking and cheesy quips, she has become the sheriff of Woodsboro. She’s a single mom who adores her teenage son and sushi. She is far more likable this time around, and it was nice to see Marley Shelton flex her more dramatic acting skills.

I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about the new young cast members. I was excited to see Kyle Gallner in the cast (surprise, surprise to anyone who has followed this blog for a while … it’s no secret I love this actor), and saddened that he was criminally underutilized. The only member of the new group of teens I’ve seen before is Jenna Ortega. I really enjoyed her as Phoebe in The Babysitter: Killer Queen, and her turn as Tara Carpenter, Samantha’s younger sister, in this film, is equally fun but definitely more badass. Tara takes hit after hit and gives back as much, if not harder than she receives. She’s tiny, but she’s feisty and very underestimated. She also has excellent taste in the ‘elevated horror’ side of the genre.

I am always reluctant to embrace a new “final girl” when it comes to this franchise as Sidney will always and forever hold that title. However, Melissa Barrera’s Samantha is a quality next generation lead. She has the heart, she has the brains, and she has the strength to face these circumstances head-on. Given more space to develop, she has the makings of becoming Sidney Prescott 2.0, and could possibly carry any further entries in the series. While this entry does feel like a solid, definitive end, we know Hollywood can never leave well enough alone, and there could and probably will be more.

The rest of the new characters aren’t really fleshed out well enough for me to form much of an opinion. Having two of Tara’s closest friends be the twin niece and nephew of Randy Meeks was great. Mindy takes right after her uncle, though she has far better luck with the ladies. Her brother, Chad, is more of a doofus jock, but he seems sweet. Liv is rather forgettable, unfortunately being exactly as Mindy describes her, “too boring.” Amber seems like a nod to Tatum in her having the “super protective best friend” role, but lacks the charm of Rose McGowan, and almost comes off as possessive of Tara. I thought it was cute that they named a character Wes as a tribute to Wes Craven, and Dylan Minnette is adorable, but I would have liked more time with his character. Lastly, we have Ritchie, Samantha’s supportive, somewhat naïve and hapless boyfriend of six months that accompanies her back to Woodsboro when her sister is attacked.

This version of Ghostface is particularly brutal and far less restrained than previous renditions. The deaths are cringe-inducing and one specific kill will rip the heart out of any Scream fan. (I legitimately cried in the theater. No, I am not ashamed.) This Ghostface does not hold back and no one is off limits to them. The deaths are bloodier than in some of the previous entries. Ghostface opts for more vicious attacks with multiple rapid-fire stabs and I love the lack of obvious CGI gore effects. Ghostface also plays heavily with the heads of the victims in this entry which amps up the tension far more than the run-of-the-mill “hey, I’m going to kill you,” calls in earlier sequels. This killer really enjoys toying with good-hearted people and knows how to hit them where it counts, but also severely underestimates the lengths good people will go to to take down evil. The reveal of who is behind the mask is a bit underwhelming, but the commentary on the toxic side of fandom and the lust for infamy that mass murderers have is the true unmasking.

Overall, this is a solid, well-done entry to the franchise that has me questioning my original ranking of the previous films. (It may be time to revisit and revise my prior ratings.) The original will always be untouchable to me, however, this sequel is superior to most, if not all of the preceding ones. It is a love letter to the source material rather than a cash grab, holding true to the roots of the franchise and what made it so great in the first place. Assuming Hollywood doesn’t push to continue the series, this feels like a satisfying ending for the characters and the story.

8/10