Spoilers!
I did not have the pleasure of watching the latest Scream film in theaters, but I was able to watch it on Paramount Plus recently. Scream (2022) also referred to as Scream 5 is overall a huge triumph. Directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett and written by James Vanderbilt, Guy Busick and based on the characters created by Kevin Williamson.
The film introduces Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega and Jack Quaid to the franchise (among others). And we see Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox and David Arquette return to their iconic roles.
To me, it’s the ultimate gift to the fans. It’s incredibly self-aware, even poking fun at its own slasher formulas. And fresh with the introduction of new talent, but also a tribute to the original characters and energy of the original. I’d be absolutely thrilled if they stopped here. It feels like the perfect place to end the franchise, but somehow I doubt they will.
Staying true to the original four films, in Scream 5, Roger L. Jackson is on the phone with the characters as Ghostface during production, according to IMDB.
The first time I saw the original Scream film, it was airing on TBS. I was sitting in my childhood kitchen
watching it on a 12 inch TV. I loved it. It scared me in the best way. Fun jump scares and psychotic teenagers. And it had such a rhythm to it. It’s energetic and exciting. It reminds me in a lot of ways of Halloween H20. I felt that same excitement watching the latest installment in the franchise. The balance of gore and fear seem perfectly weighted against the humor and action.
While this film definitely feels like a tribute to the loyal fans, and I would definitely suggest watching the original before you do anything else, I think in some ways Scream 5 can stand alone.
As the genre of horror evolves away from the formulaic slasher film, filmmakers have been using different mechanics to keep audiences interested. In this case, they presented an almost who-done-it style meta version of a slasher film. Reminiscent of Knives Out from 2019.
If you haven’t seen it, please do! Plus we love some badass femmes.
Comments