Movie Breakdown: Scream
Pre-Screening Stance:
A Scream movie not directed by Wes Craven is a bit of a bummer, but I think we all know that a franchise this meta definitely has a place in today’s world. Also, I have to say that I really enjoyed directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett’s last film, 2019’s Ready Or Not. This could work.
Post-Screening Ramble:
Scream is … well, a Scream movie, and that’s not at all a bad thing. This fifth entry has the usual setup – someone has decided to start killing folks while sporting a Ghostface costume. There’s new characters, with Sam (Melissa Barrera) and her sister Tara (Jenna Ortega) at the center of the murder mystery, and some old familiars, such as Dewey (David Arquette), Gale (Courteney Cox), and Sidney (Neve Campbell). And as you’d expect, a bunch of people die, a few live, and a good bit of the fun is trying to figure out who’s behind it all. Again, it’s a Scream movie. This also means there’s a big meta component, and for this entry it covers what it is itself, which is a requel (like the recent Halloween – a new take but one that revisits elements from the original film). I found this to be what really makes Scream a winner – the character breakdowns of requels and the various rules that need to be followed to survive them are entertaining, and directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett’s play around with the theme just enough to keep things feeling fresh. Wes Craven would have approved.
Scream will hit theaters this Friday, January 14. Whether you’re a fan of the franchise or you just want a good slice of horror, seek it out.
One Last Thought:
Everything I want to put here would be fairly spoilery, so instead allow me to wonder whether this entry into the Scream series has the most stabbing. Not necessarily deaths, just stabs. It felt like there was somewhere between 10 and 145 each time it happened. Figure it out, internet.
