*Spoilers for Scream (2022) below. Do not continue if you are not spoiled on Scream yet!*
It’s been nearly a week since Radio Silence’s highly-anticipated film Scream (2022) hit theaters and after 3 viewings (and a fourth tonight) I am thrilled to announce that this film is a true masterpiece. From directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, Scream is a love letter to fans of the franchise that has been lauded by critics and Scream fans alike and has delivered a screaming box office success. With a brisk pace and a tight script, the film manages to mix old and new blood brilliantly as the clock ticks down and the race to discover Ghostface’s identity begins. In some ways, Scream (2022) is almost a direct remake of Scream (1996) while still excelling as being its own film. A wonderful, entertaining, gripping horror film that both long-time fans as well as newcomers can enjoy. The perfect requel.
Quickly I just need to touch on how obsessed I am with the term “requel.” The entire point of this movie is that the killer is creating a requel–not quite a reboot, not quite a sequel. Get a new cast of characters and mix them with the legacy favs. The difficult part is creating a story that feels authentic and makes sense for these characters to engage. This film has that aspect down to a tee. Throw in a killer cast filled with unique and exciting performances and a motive that is unlike anything we’ve ever seen in the franchise and you truly have a perfect film. This movie has truly mastered the requel.
First and foremost, we HAVE to talk about this cast. This cast came in with confidence, knowing exactly what movie they were making and knowing exactly what makes a great Scream film. Standouts for me were Melissa Barrera (somehow a divisive performance in the fandom but she was my personal MVP), iconic modern scream queen Jenna Ortega (who I desperately hope is more involved in the action if we get a Scream 6), Jasmine Savoy Brown (playing a character trope we’ve NEVER seen in a horror film and doing it flawlessly) and Mason Gooding (sorry but the hottest Scream character ever in my opinion). It must be said though that I could truly consider every new character as a highlight–I loved them all that much.
And of course I have to mention the legacy characters, who I thought all had a chance to shine, particularly David Arquette, who gives his best performance in the franchise so far. Neve is stunning and perfect as always expected–I loved how tough she was this time around, a no- nonsense queen! Courteney Cox gives us the most mellowed out version of Gale yet, an ever-evolving character who has had the strongest arc in the franchise’s history. And what needs to be said about Sidney Prescott at this point?? The most iconic final girl of all time, the woman who barely give Ghostface the time of day this go-round because she’s just so over the shenanigans, one of the best movie characters of all time. Sidney is perfectly utilized in this movie. While she may not have the most screen-time (and has a significantly reduced amount of screen-time compared to the other films in the franchise), Neve Campbell makes the most of every second, giving us soccer mom realness and weathered survivor all in the same beat. Campbell’s performance is a highlight of this movie and largely serves as a reason why this film has achieved both critical and commercial success.
I also just want to quickly touch on the motive. I was not so completely sold the first time around but after a rewatch, I’m so excited to announce that I really enjoyed this movie’s motive for the killings. To me, the motive in a Scream film can make or break the entire piece–luckily here the killers’ reasons for happily murdering a slew of innocent people makes complete sense for a 2022 who-done-it slasher. The critique on toxic fandom, along with the film’s statement on how completely gate-keepery and protective movie fans can be of their favorite franchises is something that should resonate with the audience’s fans but will probably not work for everyone (and the majority of those who don’t like it are probably the ones the film is calling out). Personally I find the entire third act quite genius and I truly believe that, much like its predecessor, it will only be more revered with age.
One last newly-added element that must be addressed is the way paranoia infiltrates the friend group and adds a little extra chaos into the mix. The number of great moments sprung from this aspect alone are insurmountable; Chad anxiously telling Liv he thinks she could be the killer, the conversation in the basement between Amber and Mindy where they both have their poker face on, unsure if the other is the killer, but also implying that they could be the killer, Liv’s confrontation with Mindy in the movie room. These are some of my absolute favorite moments in the movie and it’s all because of the rampant paranoia spreading amongst the teens. Not only was this new element super relatable (if I was in the friend group I would not trust ANYONE) but it also gave the franchise’s 5th entry something new and different to play around with and I sincerely hope that if we’re lucky enough to get Scream 6 that this idea of anyone can be the killer so no once can be trusted is utilized and explored more.
After a lot of thought and consideration (and five rewatches at this point) I can confidently say that Scream (2022) is absolutely, completely incredibly without a doubt the best “requel” ever made. The cast and crew came together to give fans old and new something special. They knew how to make a Scream movie and they made a franchise-best (in some opinions) or at the very least, a worthwhile sequel to many people’s favorite film franchise. It’s safe to say that the torch has officially been passed and now we wait with bated breath (I made need to borrow Tara’s inhaler) for a potential Scream 6 announcement. For now, I’ll continue to see this movie in theaters at least once a week until it leaves and then will anxiously await for the DVD & Blu-ray release. It’s Sidney Prescott’s world–we’re just living in it!
The tea is hot and it’s Screaming!!!
Wesley
Wes Watches 