SCREAM

US, 2022, 114 minutes, Colour.

Melissa Barrera, Jenny Ortega, Jack Quaid, Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox, David Arquette, Marley Shelton, Dylan Minette, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Sonis Ammar, Mikey Madison, Mason Gooding, Heather Matarazzo.

Directed by Matte Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett.

Back again! And Ghostface is back! And the oldies, Sidney, Dewey and Gale (Neve, David and Courtney) are also back – welcome. And all those clever tangles, enunciated and elaborated in the original Scream, rules for horror films, phrases that should never be added, then, as in the later films, relatives of the victims and perpetrators inheriting the situation yet again – as well as watching the previous films and their relatives! For Scream fans, who could ask for anything more!

Actually, it is 25 years or so since the first Scream saga, from characters and ideas by Kevin Williamson (who produces here) and directed by the talented Wes Craven (to whom this film is dedicated) made such an impression. Two sequels came in more rapid succession and a fourth film in 2011 with mixed, and many negative, reviews and responses.

In the discussions there is reference to a redo, a reboot and, best of all, a “requel”.

So, now seems to be the time to resurrect the original, play with variations on the styles and themes, the young adult characters all under threat, the mysterious Ghostface and the slashings, how to discover whether there is one Ghostface or two (as in the previous film) and what are the police going to do – as well as Dewey, memories of so many stabbings in the past films, giving advice and deciding to help, is one Weathers (who eventually wrote about the events) coming home also bringing a TV team, and the recruitment of the original victim, Sidney Prescott.

And the film opens in the familiar way, a young woman, a mysterious phone call, sinister threats, the playing of deadly games and a slashing.

But, and this will be appreciated by Scream and film fans but, maybe, lost on any non—horror fans coming upon Scream, the two screenwriters are obviously film buffs, horror buffs, always ready with a film reference (and some praise for Australia’s The Babadook), making the characters enunciate all the principles required for this kind of horror film, what should be said and done, what definitely should not be said and not done, indicating that the Ghostface killer has to be one of the young people. So, the characters trying to work it out after the various slashings. The audience trying to work out who are the most likely – and mostly, they would not be wrong!

So, a motley group of friends, the sheriff from the past reappearing, memories of the old days, even some of the characters actually watching the Scream films, and mutual fears and suspicions.

There is enough plot developments to keep audiences attentive, and of clues to keep the mind busy, suspicions alert.

Judging by the immediate box office success of Scream in the US, it looks as though there are more Scream fans then we might have estimated, but, the fans of the original, maybe 25 at the time, are now 50 – so, multi-generational fans!  

1. The popularity of the initial Scream film? The end of the 20^th century? Sequels? 2011? Time for the sequel?
2. The references to the previous films, paralleling of sequences, the opening with the young woman terrorised and the slashing, the issue of how many Ghostfaces there were, the characters reappearing from film to film, relationships in the town?
3. The film as self-referential, but also to so many horror films and their being specifically named, memories of Michael Myers, Jason, and the various conventions, the rules for horror films being named, followed and not followed?
4. The serious aspects of the screenplay, the traditions of the Scream franchise, characters, situations, violence, knives and stabbings? Characters and personal dilemmas? The contrast with the humorous aspects, parody, satire, joking about conventions?
5. Older audiences from the early films and enjoying the re-do, the reboot and, especially, the requel? And the return of Dewey, Sidney and Gale?
6. The opening, Tara, the phone call, the game, Ghostface arriving, the struggle, the alleged texting from Amber, stabbing, her going to hospital? Calling her sister?
7. Sam, at work, the phone call, her relationship with Richie, going to the hospital, Richie accompanying her? The story of the past, the revelation that Billy Loomis was her father, her discovering it from her mother, not telling her sister, leaving home, Tara feeling abandoned, Sam and her mixed up life, getting it in order? Supporting Tara?
8. The group of friends, their noting that this was required for a Stab film, Amber and her friendship with Tara, the twins, Mindy and Chad, Wes, and Liv, seeming the outsider to the group? The meetings, discussions, theorising about the rules for this kind of film, that the killer has to be from the group, that there could possibly be too, Mindy watching the film is again? Relationships? Liv and Chad?
9. Wes, his mother being the sheriff, her role in the previous films, her antagonism towards Sam and her behaviour in the past, Wes going home, the buildup to the shower and expectations of the Psycho repeat, his death, his mother and her being attacked and dying?
10. Sam and Richie going to see Dewey, Dewey and his past and the other films, sheriff, being stabbed, relationship with Gale, watching her on television, his reluctance, change of heart, helping with the investigations? His death?
11. Gale, coming to the town, her past, writing up the stories, TV reporting, meeting Dewey again, her dismay at Dewey’s death, her being taken, the threats? Sidney, relationship with Dewey, her arrival, the atmosphere of the initial film and the sequel is, her surviving?
12. The buildup to the terrorising of the group, live and the relationship with Chad, the dispute, the attack on him? Mindy watching the film and the attack? And the later surviving, the ambulance?
13. The attack in the hospital, Richie attacked, surviving, the escape from the hospital, the help from Sidney and Gale? Richie and Sam driving Tara away from the town?
14. Sidney and Gale, following, knowing where Sam and Richie were, following?
15. The revelation, Richie and Amber, the relationship, trying to emulate the previous stories? Malicious? The various fights, the threats to say, tying her up, Tara in the room, yet her becoming free, killing Richie? The confrontation with Amber, the fire, her death?
16. The role of Sidney and Gale, getting free, supporting Sam and Tara? The ending – and all things quiet for the time being?