For all of its commentary on the genre and self-deprecating humour about its place within it, the Scream franchise is undoubtedly one of the titans of horror; a consistently entertaining whodunnit slasher series that has always managed to keep its finger on the pulse thanks to clever writing and fantastic direction from horror icon Wes Craven. Now, six years after Craven’s unfortunate passing, the task of continuing the franchise falls to the directing team of Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin (the team behind 2019’s expectation subverting Ready or Not) and for the most part their reboot/sequel continues Craven’s legacy in fine form; a well-paced mystery with plenty of inventive kills, pop-culture commentary and red herrings to keep you guessing. It may lose itself at times in the need to hit franchise beats and the return of franchise mainstays Neve Campbell, David Arquette and Courtney Cox aren’t exactly necessary, but Scream is nevertheless a damn fine addition to the franchise and an entertaining revitalisation for this decade.
When her sister Tara (Jenna Ortega) is brutally attacked by a killer in a Ghostface outfit, Sam Carpenter (Melissa Barrera) is forced to return to the town of Woodsboro to be by her side, with boyfriend Richie (Jack Quaid) along for the ride. As the bodycount increases Sam learns that the killings could be connected to her secretive history, prompting her to enlist the aid of survivor Dewey Riley (Arquette) in order to track down the killer and stop his rampage through Tara’s group of friends. As Dewey and Sam’s investigation inevitably crosses paths with the killer and the list of suspects begins to thin, they must call upon original Ghostface survivor Sydney Prescott (Campbell) and Dewey’s now ex-wife Gale Weathers (Cox) to help them once and for all put the killer down and leave their legacy of violence in the past.
The strength of a Scream film falls down to the commentary it makes on the current state of the horror genre and, in this case, the entertainment industry as a whole; firmly setting its sights on the toxic fandoms that have arisen alongside the concept of the “requel” – essentially reboots of franchises that include legacy characters to appease long-time fans (think Star Wars: The Force Awakens or 2018’s Halloween). It’s a smart pivot away from the now somewhat dated “webcasting” and internet-age angle of 2011’s fourth instalment, with less to say about the methods and forms in which movies and television are delivered to the audience and more about the possessiveness of fans which is unfortunately often radicalised and turned violent.
Sharply written, even if it doesn’t present any actual solutions to solving the problems of these clusters of toxic fandoms, the biggest issue with the commentary is that there isn’t more of it. Sure you have your usual movie nerd character (played in an overly snarky fashion here by Jasmin Savoy Brown) spouting film theory and summarising the latest genre trends in a typically condescending way, but it doesn’t feel particularly potent; the digs at these requels particularly weak when you consider the audience is watching one play out in front of them. The hallmark of those films – the returning characters – feel out of place here, with the holy trinity of Craven’s opus largely back for fan service rather than any essential plot reason. Sure Arquette’s Dewey gets something to do, genuinely essential to the plot for a brief period, but Cox and Campbell are wholly unnecessary, their presence welcome because of our attachment to the characters as fans more than anything else.
New face of the franchise Melissa Barrera gives a somewhat stilted performance as Sam, rarely registering anything other than a direct stab as noteworthy but thankfully the supporting cast around her imbue life into the proceedings, particularly Jenna Ortega and Jack Quaid. Ortega gives a lively, incredibly sympathetic performance as Tara, a young girl whose world has been turned upside down by violent attacks and familial revelations, forcing her to shut herself off from those around her in an attempt to protect herself. Quaid dials the quirky, nerdy schtick he so perfected in The Boys up to eleven; a charming if somewhat dim third wheel to the sisters who you can’t help but love for his loyalty. And even if they aren’t completely necessary to the plot, it’s a welcome sight to see Campbell, Cox and Arquette back in character, never slouching in their ever-evolving performances as three friends who have dealt with their traumatic pasts in vastly different ways.
For the first film in the franchise not to be directed by the sadly departed Craven, Gillett and Bettinelli-Olpin do a great job matching the intensity of his earlier films, crafting a whodunnit that steadily increases in tension before culminating in a gleefully unhinged finale. Scenes feel obligated as part of a Scream film at times, the sideways glances and sinister expressions required to make the audience believe everyone is a suspect are often the only characterisation given to member’s of Tara’s friend group. As such, it robs the kills of a lot of their impact, with no emotional bond tying you to the victims, and you can’t help but wonder how differently the film may have panned out had the time been spent expanding these characters’ roles rather than the returning players. That’s not to say the film lacks an immense sense of fun, with the pacing of the moment-to-moment action always keeping the audience on their toes as a character heads towards their often brutally violent end.
With the fifth instalment of Scream, Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin prove that there is still plenty of gas left in the franchise’s tank to adapt and skewer the ever-evolving sensibilities of movie fans and pop-culture at large in 2022. The familiar meta commentary and gory kills make for an experience that feels both true to Craven’s vision but also one unafraid to surge forward and try new things within the framework of Scream, for better or for worse. If the franchise does move forward then it can safely do so without Campbell, Cox and Arquette; a whole new generation ready to answer that killer question: what’s your favourite scary movie?
Scream stars Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox, David Arquette, Melissa Barrera, Tara Ortega, Jack Quaid, Dylan Minnette, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Sonia Ammar, Mikey Madison, Mason Gooding, Kyle Gallner, Heather Matarazzo & Marley Shelton – In cinemas now.