Review: Scream

Image courtesy of Paramount Pictures.

"Somebody's got to save the franchise!" a character blurts out at one point in Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett's "Scream" requel - which is explained by one of the film's horror movie literate characters as a sequel-cum-reboot that utilizes a series' legacy characters while also bringing in new characters. This line might have backfired if this fifth "Scream" film, the first without director Wes Craven, had been a disaster, but this latest installment is arguably the second best installment in the 25-year horror series.

Many of the details in this new "Scream" seem eerily familiar. In the opening sequence, a young woman is terrorized via phone by a psychopath who is curious about her knowledge of horror movies. But some elements are different. For starters - and I don't think this qualifies as a spoiler - she survives the attack, and secondly the killer is mostly interested in trivia surrounding "Stab," the in-universe movie franchise that is based on the events of the "Scream" films. But Tara (Jenny Ortega) tells the taunting voice on the phone that she's not interested in the "Stab" movies, but rather "elevated horror," and begs to be quizzed on films such as "The Babadook," "It Follows" or "The Witch."

Yes, we are once again in a "Scream" movie, which every handful of years acts as a state of the nation for horror movies and popular culture. In Craven's iconic 1996 film, its characters were self aware about being in a horror movie and, therefore, knew the rules about how to survive one, although they often went against their best judgments by wandering alone into dark basements or telling their friends, "I'll be right back," which is a no-no in slasher films.

The second and third entries, naturally, parodied sequels, while the fourth - and, in my opinion, weakest - "Scream" film focused on social media stardom. The target in the new film is toxic fandom, and it's a timely and smart choice. In recent years - whether we're talking about "Star Wars" films, "Ghostbusters" reboots or "Halloween" relaunches - online fan communities have become increasingly hostile, threatening critics who pan their favorite franchises (especially Marvel movies, on the rare occasion that one gets anything less than a glowing review).

Studios have been given ultimatums by fans who didn't like the way the recent installment of their favorite franchise turned out, while actors who played characters not appreciated by the fanbase have been harassed on Twitter. There's a running joke in the latest "Scream" that the eighth "Stab" film - merely titled "Stab," which allows the new "Scream" film, which drops the number "5" from its title, to even lampoon itself - was a flop and that fans were angry that it didn't give them exactly what they wanted, as superfans tend to do. One character complains that it ruined their childhood. The blame falls on the director of the "Stab" film - who, of course, is Rian Johnson, who "Star Wars" fans attacked for "The Last Jedi," which dared to take a different approach to that franchise.

A twist in the film is that the killer - or killers, as it tends to be in these movies - is targeting young people who have some sort of connection to characters from the original "Scream" (or "Stab"). As usual, everyone is a suspect, from Tara's sister, Sam Carpenter (Melissa Barrera), who harbors a dark secret involving a character from a previous "Scream" movie who makes a shocking appearance; to deceased horror movie extraordinaire Randy Meeks' nephew, Chad (Mason Gooding), and niece, Mindy (Jasmin Savoy Brown), who steps in as the resident horror movie buff.

There's also friend Amber (Mikey Madison), who's overprotective of Tara; Richie, Sam's cheery boyfriend (Jack Quaid); and several others. After Tara is stabbed, Sam - who is estranged from her sister - and Richie travel to Woodsboro to help out, although they are met with suspicion by Tara's inner circle. Sam had fled years before and had drug and mental health issues, so she quickly becomes a prime suspect. 

Sam and Richie seek out Dewey Riley (David Arquette, giving a soulful performance) for assistance, and he grudgingly gets involved. Dewey has since divorced Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox), who is now a news anchor in New York City, and spends much of his time drinking in the trailer in which he lives. He is now retired from the police force, and that appears to be a decision that was made for him. He calls up Sidney (Neve Campbell), who now is married with children and warns her to keep away from Woodsboro. Sidney and Gale don't have much of a presence in the film until they show up in Woodsboro during the film's third act.

This latest "Scream" is more violent than previous entries, and many of the murders are pretty grisly. There are a few genuine shocks as well regarding the fates of some of the characters, and while the unmasking of the killers isn't particularly surprising - honestly, any single one of the characters seemingly could have been the new Ghostface(s) - their motive is particularly interesting this time around. Far fetched, yes, but intriguing in how the filmmakers incorporate the theme of toxic fandom into the big reveal.

If the "Scream" franchise ended here - there's a reference to a "passing of the torch" near the film's end, and a joke accompanying that concept moments later that made me laugh out loud - it would be a fitting conclusion. I'm sure there will be room for more pop culture critiques and horror movie tropes to satirize as the years go by, and therefore a reason for a sixth "Scream" film to exist, but this fifth film in the series comes full circle - even ending in the exact same location as the original - so if this is the "Scream" franchise's final bow, it comes out on top. 

The original "Scream" was lightning in a bottle, so no sequel will likely ever compare, but "Scream" 2022 is probably the best of the four sequels to Craven's 1996 film, which revitalized the genre when it became a surprise hit 25 years ago. The franchise has indeed been saved.