The rules for surviving a “Scream” film include several things, including a respect for the original, an understanding of your inferiority to the original and being Sidney Prescott.
Debuting 11 years after the previous film, “Scream” 2022 aims to revive the classic meta-slasher franchise with its take on a legacy sequel. The fifth film in the franchise, this sequel is directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, who both directed “Ready or Not.” It was written by James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick.
Picking up 11 years after the previous film, Ghostface is back to terrorize the small town of Woodsboro. After Ghostface attacks a girl named Tara, her sister Sam travels back to her hometown to protect her sister and uncover the mystery of the killer, with some help from her boyfriend Richie and Tara’s friends. But as dark secrets bubble to the surface, the situation becomes all too familiar, almost as if this movie has been made before.
“Scream” provides a fresh look at the classic slasher franchise as it deconstructs its own existence as a legacy sequel to the original films. Along with brilliant meta and film commentary, the film works in some excellent scary sequences with a fast-paced story to leave audiences on the edge of their seat.
The film sees the return of the principal three actors of the franchise: Neve Campbell as Sidney Prescott, Courtney Cox as Gale Weathers and David Arquette as Dewey Riley. They deliver surprisingly heartfelt performances as they dance through the same song for the fifth time. But the only fatigue comes with age, and they play these older characters incredibly well. They carry the right amount of stoicism, cynicism and even humor to keep their characters fresh while building on their decades of character dynamics.
Along with them, the film sees a fresh set of faces that all fit right into the franchise. There’s Melissa Barrera as Sam, Jenna Ortega as Tara, Jack Quaid as Richie, Mason Gooding as Chad and Jasmin Savoy Brown as his twin Mindy, Mikey Madison as Amber, Dylan Minnette as Wes and Sonia Ben Ammar as Liv. They all perform well as high schoolers/early 20-year-old horror movie characters. They bring a healthy dose of terrified performances during the horror sequences along with youth aloofness and weariness. They especially perform well against the legacy characters.
Speaking of legacy, this film is obviously aware of what it is. It consistently plays into that fact, the rules of the film and its placement within the franchise. There are several meta jokes that land — the one with the YouTube film review is my favorite — that use the in-universe “Stab” franchise to mock itself and the horror/slasher genre as a whole. Specifically, it comments on the outdated forms of horror that contrast with the new-found popularity of “elevated horror.”
It sets up the tropes, stakes, rules, characters and plot structure quite brilliantly, matching the same energy as the best two films in the franchise — that being “Scream” 1996 and “Scream 4.” It carries that meta-textual analysis all the way to the bloody end, and it’s incredibly refreshing to see a film like this again. It’s on par with “The Matrix Resurrections” within the realm of meta-commentary on the existence of both films and their franchise status, but this one builds off of the franchise’s foundation to expand it further.
With that in mind, this film is crafted more in line with films like “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” and the countless horror franchise reboots that slap the name of the original film on it to bring in audiences — which they name in the film. To clarify, they essentially remake a popular movie without outright replacing it, therefore making a pseudo remake and sequel hybrid. In this case, the film uses the first “Scream” as the building blocks for the story, all while riffing on that fact the entire time.
It works beautifully within the film, allowing the story, characters and twists to be subversive and fun. It plays with our expectations for a film like this without deviating from what makes these films some of the best within the genre. Its deconstructive nature comes pre-packaged, but it uses it to its advantage without devolving into what it’s making fun of.
But what’s a horror film if it isn’t scary? Well, a bad horror film for one — even though they can be fun. Fortunately, “Scream” 2022 doesn’t have that problem. There are several horror sequences that have rapidly climbing tension that boils over until it becomes suspenseful watching the characters struggle to survive. There’s one sequence in the hospital around the midway point that is nerve-wracking, leaving the audience feeling uneasy in the best way.
Working with the horror, the camera work uses several modern horror techniques to deliver on the scares. The intense closes ups, dynamic lighting and usage of strange angles help the film, and the horror scenes feel new without taking away from the original films and their sequences. It uses those frameworks to show the horror in a different way, which is clear from the new directors and their vision.
There are a few classic examples of horror blocking, like a character opening a door to create a barrier for someone to jump out when they close it, as well as a general recapturing of the older films with the camera. There are also some horror music stings thrown in there to build tension, which can be a little annoying, but the original films did that as well. Speaking of music, the score is pretty good, but it mostly just works in tandem with the film.
Finally, the editing and pacing of this film are top notch. The editing has good tempo that keeps scenes moving without becoming disorienting. On top of that, the pacing is stellar, as the film breezes by with seemingly no fat on the film. It helps that the film is well written and directed, so it’s easy to get absorbed into the story and characters.
“Scream” is another return to form for the franchise. It’s combination of classic slasher elements with some modern horror sensibilities makes it fun, smart and scary. It’s a nice piece of elevated and schlocky horror.
One of the only conflicts with the movie itself rests in the fact that “Scream 4” kind of already did what this film set out to do. That film also came out 11 years after the previous one and was designed to be a remake/sequel for the first movie. It does so incredibly well.
The difference is that “Scream” 2022 specifies its status as a legacy sequel first, denoting the time frame, characters and story as such. It also pokes more fun at franchises that do the same thing — arguably worse — and how the fandoms react to those changes. In that sense, this film simultaneously mocks those rabid fans who have astronomical franchise expectations while catering to them in unexpected ways.
The result is a great slasher film that is extremely meta. There’s a scene near the end of the film that is absolutely perfect in its execution, operating on so many layers of irony and meta-textual symbolism that it’s incredible. And that’s what makes “Scream” such a great series of films.
As for rankings, it’s still not as good as the original 1996 film, but it’s on par with “Scream 4.” They are very similar in their sequel status, but both films are executed well.
Wes Craven would be proud.
4 of 5 Torches
