Scream

The latest Scream movie arrives over 25 years after Wes Craven’s original of the same title, an odd choice. I hope future movies in the series aren’t also called Scream because it would be like we’re getting yet another self-titled Weezer album. This movie may have been given its title to seem like a reboot instead of another sequel (which it is) in an old series. Through one of its characters, the flick calls itself a “requel,” part of an ongoing franchise that includes new faces and is given support by legacy characters, like the Star Wars sequel trilogy.

The action takes place in Woodsboro, California, more than a quarter century after the killing spree that left many dead in the first film. Ghostface pops up again, plunging his knife into a fresh crop of teens related to the town’s homicidal past. After Sara (Jenna Ortega) is brutally assaulted, her older sister Sam (Melissa Barrera), who left years earlier, returns to Woodsboro with boyfriend Richie (Jack Quaid) to search for the suspects. They travel to the home of weary ex-cop Dewey (David Arquette), the former husband of Gale Weathers (Courtney Cox), and he gives them tips on the previous killers’ tendencies. He also contacts Gale and Sidney (Neve Campbell) to tell them Ghostface is back. The new and older characters hope to stop Ghostface before he strikes again.

For those who want to discover the Easter eggs themselves, kindly jump to the next paragraph. Here are some: new character Liv’s (Sonia Ben Ammar’s) ex-boyfriend Vince (Kyle Gallner) is the nephew of Stu (Matthew Lillard) from the first Scream; there’s a street in Woodsboro called Elm Street, a nod Wes Craven, who directed the first four movies in the series; Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich) appears as a halluciantion to his daughter Sam; Wes Hicks (Dylan Minnette) is the son of Judy Hicks (Marley Shelton) from Scream 4; there’s a recreation of the famous “Turn around” scene from Scream (1996), which I enjoyed; new characters Chad (Mason Gooding) and Mindy (Jasmin Savoy Brown), brother-sister twins, are the niece and nephew of Randy Meeks (Jamie Kennedy). There are others as well.

In some areas, Scream is a mix of good entertainment and disappointments. Take the new generation of teenagers, for instance. Tara is a solid character who has a story worth caring about, as does Sam, though of the two, I prefer Tara’s. Personality-oozing Chad and amiable Mindy, who loves the Stab movies-within-the-Scream-movies, are a pleasure to see. Richie has some spirit to him too. Some of the others, however, don’t stand out as they should. Amber (Mikey Madison) certainly isn’t shy, but she isn’t given the screen time to make much out of her. Wes is nice, decent guy, but compared to some of the others, he’s human wallpaper. Liv is neither dull nor dynamic; she’s mostly just there.

The script by James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick tries to keep the action lively through humor and poking fun at horror movie tropes. Unfortunately, it only succeeds on occasion. When a door closes and the music strongly hints someone a jump scare is coming, it’s humorous because expectations are thwarted. While there’s some pleasure to be had, they stop being amusing after a while. Certain lines that are intended to be diverting are all right, but they’re not direct hits, as when Richie calls Dewey “shitty Sam Elliott.” Also, Richie, referring again to Dewey, tells Sam, “Look, just because that guy showered doesn’t mean he should have a gun.” That punchline needs more punch or wit.

The screenplay also takes aim at toxic fandom. There have been eight Stab movies, and apparently admirers of it hated the latest effort. Rian Johnson is said to have directed it. That’s a reference to the backlash against The Last Jedi, which some fans despised. It also led to online abuse of Kelly Marie Tran, who played Rose Tico in the Johnson-helmed film, who left social media. Scream gives the sense that Stab was a bad movie very much like The Last Jedi. Yet it’s not truly a parallel case. A lot of fans really like that Star Wars entry, and it was critically acclaimed. Stab is viewed as simply awful, and although Liv likes it, her view is dismissed because she’s got rotten taste. Still, the toxic fandom that simmers and explodes in Scream gives necessary motivation and is welcome.

What about the vintage characters? Dewey comes off best, giving the movie some of its heart. He seems emotionally invested in killing Ghostface, and he’s more natural interacting with the teens. Gale and Sidney are less a part of the action (until the final half hour) and aren’t as needed as Dewey. They want Ghostface out of Woodsboro too (or dead in Woodsboro), though it’s a little strange to see a reporter and a mother who lives in a different city inject themselves into killing drama as they do. They’re there because the movie wants them there. At least Dewey was a cop.

The performances too are a mixed bag. Jenna Ortega gives the performance I like most. Her growing terror as she speaks on the phone to Ghostface is convincingly acted, as is her later anger at Sam for leaving Woodsboro. In the lead role, Melissa Barrera is far less expressive than Ortega, though she’s better when she explains to Tara why she left Woodsboro. Jack Quaid, Mason Gooding, and Jasmin Savoy Brown are all good. David Arquette instills enough emotion to make Dewey an empathetic character, which isn’t easy because he’s a burnt-out case. The scene with Dewey and Gale talking about how the relationship fizzled is believably played on both sides. Since Arquette and Cox were divorced, I wonder if they chanelled their real feelings of yesteryear for it. Aside from that, Cox is average, and so is Neve Campbell, who lacks emotion. And Bryan Tyler’s score no better than fair. When Sam and Richie talk to Dewey the first time, the music accompanying their discussion is utterly ordinary.

I’ll admit I’ve waffled between the pros and cons of Scream, but was it worth my time? Before I answer, I should say I was surprised by the reviews that said the movie was funny but not as scary as it should have been. For me, it was the opposite: more laughs would have helped, but there are plenty of chilling scenes. Directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillet speed the action at a clip and never let a slower scene bog down the movie. Mindy’s monologue about requels, for instance, is an expo dump. It’s still reasonably entertaining and shows Mindy’s insights into the killer and knowledge of sequels. After that, though, there’s a good sequence involving Judy Hicks and Ghostface. It’s followed by an even better scene with Wes and Ghostface. Psycho is referenced and Wes is in the shower. The suspense the directors create is delicious—Hitchcock would have loved it. I also enjoyed the hospital part with Dewey, a few teens, and Ghostface. And while the climax is a bit too talky, it’s surely frightening at times.

So, yes, Scream is worth watching. Whatever its struggles, it does what a slasher movie must do: it delivers the scares.

February 17, 2022