SCREAM is only in Theaters January 14th, 2022.
Scream is the fifth film installment of the horror franchise by the same title. It brings the 25-year-old story of Ghostface attacking residents in a small town in California to modern-day, where people rarely answer the phone. Can Scream resurrect the slasher film franchise or is Ghostface a figure left in the past?
One of the draws of Scream is how it takes portions of classic horror movies and pokes fun at them while remaining a horror of its own merit. This film is no different and I found myself chuckling and jumping throughout the 114-minute runtime. It is not overly gory but there are plenty of kill scenes to qualify as a slasher (as Scream movies should be).
It is important to watch at least the first movie from 1996 to understand the connections. Scream takes quite a few scenes to tie in references to earlier films. The cast is a key signifier for this because several members of the original cast make an appearance, as well as others throughout the series. It is possible to watch without knowing who is who but many moments had fans audibly reactive because of their significance.
The film loses some of its momentum in the final act. Without giving away spoilers, the cast and the odes to the predecessors make up for the slight plummet that happens. The jump scares, murder mystery and nearly broken fourth wall are enough to patch the direction it took.
Scream was a fun slasher film to watch and did what other horror franchises have tried to do by making a modern continuation. While the final act may have been lacking, the majority of the movie is a treat for Scream fans. It’s rare to see a movie provide the same, if not better, feels of the original.
3 out of 5 stars
Ashley Bell (Contributing Editor) is an Orlando native who loves watching movies. Her favorite genres include comedies, thrillers and sci-fi.Click Here to check out Ashley's Articles.