It’s been a while since horror fans have had a good old meta slasher. With “Halloween Kills” not living up to expectations and most modern horror going supernatural, the days of the late Wes Craven’s iconic “Scream” franchise seemed to have gone by the wayside. When a new “Scream” film was announced, many were wondering if the legendary series could deliver.
Turns out, “Scream,” the curiously titled fifth installment, was the shot in the arm horror cinema needed. Returning to Woodsboro with a new crop of victims and suspects, bringing back the horror trinity of Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, and David Arquette and bringing in “Ready or Not” directing duo Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett AKA Radio Silence, this new film not only lives up to the original, it could be the best film the franchise has given us to date.
After a brutal attack on her sister Tara (Jenna Ortega), Sam Carpenter (Melissa Barrera, “In the Heights”) is drawn back to her hometown of Woodsboro, the sight of a 25-year-old killing spree that people keep trying to copy. With a new Ghostface picking people off like crazy, Sam and her boyfriend Richie (Jack Quaid, “The Boys”) turn to the experts, Dewey (Arquette), Gale (Cox), and legendary final girl Sidney Prescott (Campbell) to narrow the suspect list and catch the killer.
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Just like its predecessors, “Scream” takes the expectations of the horror savvy fans and has some fun with the rules of the genre. Being the fifth film in the series, obviously, comparisons are going to be made to films that try to bring fresh faces to the playing field with famous legends. Mindy (Jasmin Savoy Brown), this generation’s Randy, calls it a “requel,” not quite a sequel, not quite a reboot, and compares this new series to “Star Wars” and “Jurassic World” among others. So, it’s fitting that this new film will do just what those films did and try to splice together characters we know and new faces.
Thing is, this time, it works, mainly because fans have seen the formula tried with “Scream 4” back in 2011 with success and the new cast brings more depth to the proceedings than before. Barrera and Ortega in particular are highlights with a realistic sister bond and much more emotional material to work with to emphasize just what Ghostface can do to people. While fans may be disappointed in the size of the roles given to Sidney, Dewey, and Gale, make no mistake, they’re not wasted.
The new crop of characters, including Dylan Minnette as the son of a returning character, and Mikey Madison as Tara’s friend, are unlike past victims and reflect the times much more, and Radio Silence and the script by James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick more than any past entry makes it clear that everyone is a suspect and nobody is safe. Plenty of gasps were exchanged once Ghostface was unmasked in my packed theater, the best way to see the movie BTW, not to mention a few laughs at one of the funniest films in the series.
“Scream” is somehow a breath of fresh air and a feel-good return to old times at the same time. Easily the strongest entry in the franchise since the first and arguably even better than that classic. If you’re worried that the series was dead without Wes Craven, worry no longer. “Scream” is back and better than ever.
“Scream” is now playing in theaters.
