"Scream" (2022) Review: A Meta Take on "Requels"

🩸🩸 SPOILER WARNING 🩸🩸

Twenty-five years after the original Woodsboro massacre, this fifth installment of the popular slasher franchise finds a new female lead in Samantha “Sam” Carpenter (Melissa Barrera), who returns home after learning of a brutal attack on her younger sister Tara (Jenna Ortega). Accompanied by her boyfriend Richie (Jack Quaid) and enlisting the help of former sheriff Dewey Riley (David Arquette), Sam learns to suspect anyone, especially those close to her and Tara. Sam reveals a dark secret that she believes has opened the door for this new killer: she is the illegitimate daughter of original Ghostface Billy Loomis. As the suspect list grows with those related to the previous massacres, including Chad (Mason Gooding) and his Mindy (Jasmin Savoy Brown; nephew and niece of Randy Meeks), Wes (Dylan Minette; son of the present sheriff, Judy), and with those new to the franchise, Tara's best friend Amber (Mikey Madison) and Chad's girlfriend Liv (Sonia Ben Ammar), Woodsboro is left lost as to who is behind the attacks. As the rules for this movie are set out, the characters quickly learn that this killer may not be keen on following them, leading to unexpected losses and the return of Sydney Prescott (Neve Campbell) and Gal Weathers (Courteney Cox) to end this 25 year long nightmare once and for all. As all the survivors converge on a very familiar location, the killer reveals that this “requel” honors the original in more than one way.

The “Scream” premise was built on being a self-aware slasher that provided a meta-commentary on the horror genre and its many tropes. Whereas most horror films seemed to be set in worlds with character completely devoid of horror knowledge, this film series not only acknowledged that horror movies exist, but spoke about the elements as they played out in their respective films. As Mindy channels her late Uncle Randy and in-depthly explains the plot points of this “requel” (half reboot/remake, half sequel), this film leans into its meta aspects to an extent not seen from other entries. From its critique of the emotional/social depth of modern horror to blatant plot foreshadowings to a conclusion that breaks the barrier of self-awareness, the movie feels more like a Scream-spoof or Ted Talk after the first viewing. Its self-indulgence, however, is also as necessary as it is exhausting, as its a self-aware film that directly homages the original self-aware film. This self-aware-ception is best captured as Mindy is watching the original Stab when the character playing Randy is watching a movie and telling the character to look behind him as the killer is also lurking behind Randy and as the killer is also lurking behind Mindy.

With an opening scene that honors the memorable Drew Barrymore opening to the original “Scream,” this movie makes it a point to resemble the original film in many ways, just as the killer intended, well actually, killers. The reboot/remake aspect of the movie tries to capture the familiarity of the series' roots (the opening, the legacy characters, the return to Stu's house for the bloody conclusion, the twist of having two killers, and that nobody is safe feeling) while injecting a new process for the Ghostface antagonist. Picking up on the increased brutality from the character presented in the fourth film, Ghostface here is much more impulsive in his/her attacks. Less precise and more emotionally driven, including some tactful misleads to lure victims in, the killer felt much more merciless and I thoroughly enjoyed this presentation of the character.

The three main legacy characters (Sidney, Dewey, Gale) all felt as natural in their roles as they did in their first go-around, with Sidney and Gale's interactions being some of the best dialogue in this film. Outside of them, I found Jenna Ortega (Tara) and Jack Quaid (Richie) to be the movie's clear standouts. Having seen and enjoyed them both in other roles, Ortega was able to provide both an emotional range and toughness worthy of any final girl, while Quaid's humored delivery provided the perfect tug-of-war between the is he/isn't he the killer. Where the movie suffers, though, is in Melissa Barrera as its lead, Sam. I found her facial expressions and attempts at conveying fear/sadness very flat and contributing to the spoofy feeling of the film. While the film lends itself as the close of this chapter, and as much as I would like to see some of this cast return for a new "Scream" franchise, her inclusion as the new Sydney Prescott would bring a real sour note.

The movie had a good story, great pacing, and really good implicit/explicit nods to horror tropes, as should be expected. Where I think the movie failed some is in capturing all of those ingredients into an actual horror movie, instead feeling a lot of the time like a movie about a horror movie. Almost as though I was watching cut-scenes of a horror film interwoven with the directory commentary. I understand that this is the foundation of the franchise, but the way some of the past films integrated its commentary into the story is far far superior. I guess that may be a little unfair, since the late Wes Craven had such a hand in making the previous films. Because of the excess of analysis built into the movie's plot, I found it hard to focus on the movie's story, and had to watch it a second time before writing this review. As with any film in the franchise, even the inferior second and third installments, this movie has great rewatchability. Beyond its analysis, the movie continued a strong string of who-dunnits that will keep most people guessing until the big reveal (my prediction throughout the movie ended up being half right).

It is still a fun film and, for the general audience, is a worthwhile popcorn movie for the who-dunnit mystery. As the killers proclaimed, this was a movie for the fans, and those looking to dive back into the town of Woodsboro will have a bit more fun with the callbacks and a more emotional response to some of the film's happenings. As a movie that elevates the franchise or the horror genre, well, if you saw the movie, you know it never wanted to do that anyway.

“Scream” Franchise Ranking

Scream (1996)

Scream: The TV Series (Season 2)

Scream 4

Scream (2022)

Scream: The TV Series (Season 1)

Scream 2

Scream 3

Scream: Resurrection (TV Series)

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RATING: 🔪 🔪 🔪. 75 / 5

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