Scream Film Review (No Spoilers)

'Scream' Paramount Pictures Studios

The 5th installment of the "Scream" franchise has been released, over 11 years since its previous film. With the return of Neve Campbell (Scream, Scream 2, Wild Things), David Arquette (Scream, Scream 2, Never Been Kissed), and Courteney Cox (Friends, Scream, Scream 2) this horror franchise has now experienced four decades of the infamous "Ghostface" and will go down as one of the most popular slasher movie franchises of all time.

Synopsis:

"Twenty-five years after a streak of brutal murders shocked the quiet town of Woodsboro, Calif., a new killer dons the Ghostface mask and begins targeting a group of teenagers to resurrect secrets from the town's deadly past."

What You See, Feel, and Hear

The Scream franchise feels different than other popular horror franchises for one reason; continuity. Though other films bring back popular characters or reboot them, Scream has kept the same core of actors and actresses to portray their characters for 25 years and that alone will hold viewer investment. The story is very much a classic Scream story, however, from the beginning of the film this depiction took a different route from what the audience is used to seeing and that one change deemed as a major positive throughout the story. One major difficulty with all horror films is the use of music and sound effects to interact with the viewer. In Scream the emphasis was dedicated to sound effects and the use of them, or the strategic way of not using them, in surprising ways. I felt like this was an innovative approach as certain moments are left a bit unpredictable because of the use of sound.

Predictable or non-predictable, this franchise tends to always keep viewers on the hook for the simple curiosity of murder mystery. One down side to that constant "hook" is that you're often left with an anticlimactic feeling as you discover who the killer is in each film. Unfortunately, that's the main feeling that stuck with me from my experience. In a story as captivating as this one, the result felt a bit half-assed and I couldn't help but draw up a better conclusion than what was given to us.

You know how continuity allows this franchise to stand out among the rest? Sometimes, that can be a bad thing. Out of the five Scream films the first three were released in 1996, 1997, and 2000. The last two were released in 2011, and 2022. With two films within a franchise in 22 years you're asking a lot of these actors to keep the same energy, demeanor, and portrayal of their characters, and it showed. Out of the three core actors, David Arquette seemed to fall back into his role like he never left bringing a bit more emotion to his character than ever before. However, with minimal lines from Courteney Cox and an underwhelming performance from Neve Campbell I didn't feel the nostalgic element that was readily available.

My Take

The CGI and special effects have only gotten better since 1996, however I feel quite opposite for the storyline. I admire this franchise and thoroughly enjoy the instant gratification that comes from each film, but I can't help but be disappointed from the result of this depiction. With a weak outcome to an enticing plot and a rushed character arch I think this film underperformed on a perfect 11 year opportunity that could have wrapped up the franchise. Though I don't see an authentic opportunity for Scream 6, I didn't receive closure to the franchise in a way that I thought I was going to. This franchise may be built as an open-ended plot for decades to come for more adaptations, however unlike its competition, closure would be ideal for these characters who have gone through a LOT.

Grade: 5.4/10