Wes Craven turned the horror genre on its head back in 1996 with the original Scream. His horror expertise, and a strong meta script by Kevin Williamson helped create one of the most iconic horror films not only of that generation, but of all time. With a strong follow-up sequel, and a less than worthy third — and at the time final – chapter in the series, it would be over a decade before Ghostface returned to Woodsboro in 2011’s Scream 4. The fourth film saw Craven and Williamson reunite (Williamson wasn’t a part of the third film, and Craven was reluctant to make it to begin with) and everyone involved seemed more invested, which showed in the final product. It was a solid conclusion to the Scream franchise, and one that seemed permanent after the death of Craven in 2015.
But horror is a genre where returning to life for one last scare is a part of the rules, and in 2022 Scream did just that. Taking up the mantle behind the camera is the director duo of Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, who are no strangers to horror, with their last film prior to Scream being the insanely fun action, horror comedy Ready or Not. Now there are certain things that the audience expects from a Scream film, and one of those things is for Ghostface to call and torment someone in the opening before killing them and kick-starting the story into motion. The script for the fifth film by James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick continues that tradition, but right away it’s clear that something is different.
Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett have taken Scream to a darker, more vicious place this time out, and it’s beyond refreshing. Now, to say that isn’t a knock on the earlier films at all, but it’s meant more in the way that it’s great to see that we’re not just revisiting the story for the sake of doing so. Nobody here is trying to live up to or simply copy Craven’s style for a quick buck. Instead this crew is looking to honour what Craven helped build, while modernizing the series and doing so in their own way. In the opening scene, Tara Carpenter (Jenna Ortega) is hunted by Ghostface in one of the franchise’s most vicious attacks to date.
What’s different here is that Ghostface isn’t a bumbling killer who chases Tara around while having vases or bicycles thrown at them. They’re not constantly knocked off their feet with a swinging refrigerator door, and they aren’t aimlessly looking for their victim while she hides in a closet. No, this Ghostface moves in intimidating fashion. They’re confident, and methodical in their approach. That’s not to say there aren’t times within the film when they do take a swing and a miss, but this is simply a much more menacing, downright scary Ghostface than we’ve seen before.
The film’s score by Brian Tyler helps greatly with this. It’s dominating when Ghostface attacks and it showcases the killer as masked terror. While there are scenes where Ghostface does run, in many cases this iteration knows exactly where they need to be, or has the upper hand to the point that they can savour the kill, and the music just makes it that much more chilling as it’s going down.
The fact that the film is called Scream and not Scream 5 is self-referenced in classic Scream fashion when the characters are talking about the ongoing Stab franchise that has jumped the shark long ago. It makes sense here, especially when the characters talk about the “rules to survival” this time around and they point out that this is a “requel” – a movie that’s not quite a reboot, but also not quite a sequel. It’s a story that brings new main characters into the mix, but has them supported by, or related to legacy characters from the franchise in order to help ease fans into the upcoming changes.
It’s a fantastic scene that’s perfectly delivered by Mindy (Jasmin Savoy Brown) in classic Randy fashion. Mindy lands on the new side of things, being the friend to our new heroine – and Tara’s sister – Sam Carpenter (Melissa Barrera.) Filling out the new group is Sam’s boyfriend, Richie (Jack Quaid), Mindy’s twin brother, Chad (Mason Gooding), and their friends Wes (Dylan Minnette), Amber (Mikey Madison), and Liv (Sonia Ammar). It’s a solid group of friends, many of whom have ties in some fashion to characters from the original four films, and thus the reason they’re being targeted by Ghostface.
On the legacy side of things we’ve got Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) returning once more, alongside Gale Weathers (Courtney Cox) and my favourite Scream character, Dewey (David Arquette). We also have some characters you may not think would return, but fit in perfectly, such as now Sherriff Judy Hicks (Marley Shelton), who fans may remember was the deputy back in Scream 4. With the killings taking place in Woodsboro, Dewey is the one that Sam goes to after her sister is attacked in an attempt to find some answers. He informs her that it’s always “someone you know,” bringing to the forefront the classic Scream whodunit plotline that the franchise is famous for, which I’m happy to report is as strong as ever.
Honestly, after Scream 4 underperformed at the box office and the passing of Craven I thought the story of Sidney Prescott was complete. I would’ve been fine had that been the case, as I do love those films and the story wrapped up well enough that no more needed to be said. That said, Ghostface is just too iconic for the studio not to want to take another stab at continuing the franchise, and with another film being inevitable, I’m absolutely thrilled that it was put in the hands of such capable, respectful creative minds who understand the world that Craven and Williamson created and only want to see it flourish.
It’s rare that the fifth film in a franchise gets released 26 years after the original and not only jumps to the front of the line when it comes to the sequels, but also stands strong against the one that started it all. I almost feel like we’ve been spoiled with how great this take on the series is and now the pressure is truly on to see if this team can deliver a fresh take once more with the already announced Scream 6. I can’t help but believe in them after what they’ve done here, and if you’ve yet to see the latest Scream, do yourself a favour and pop some popcorn, turn down the lights and get ready to return to Woodsboro in top-tier bloody fashion. Oh, also lock your doors and put your phone on silent while you’re at it…just in case.
4K Blu-ray Video and Audio Review
Scream gets the 2160p/Dolby Vision treatment here, and the film looks fantastic. There are a lot of scenes throughout the movie that take place it atmospheric, dark rooms, hallways or locations in general, and this 4K transfer delivers with rich, deep blacks found within those scenes. There’s an incredible amount of detail found in this picture, both during these darker scenes as well as the ones that happen during the day. It’s just a gorgeous looking transfer and highly recommended as the best version available for home viewing. That’s not to say you’ll be disappointed if you only have access to Blu-ray, but the 4K quality is just so strong that it’ll be worth the upgrade once you do.
On the audio side of things we’ve got a DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 that brings the chills to the forefront in spectacular fashion. Again, the score and sound effects just amplify the terrifying nature of Ghostface this time around, and they shine coming through the speakers with plenty of depth and range. All in all, both sides work wonderfully together, much like Billy and Stu did all those years ago. Granted, the 4K video and audio here will continue to work in harmony and not overzealously stab one another in the final act…but I digress.
Special Features:
Audio Commentary – Here we’ve got the full group of people you’d want to hear from, with Directors Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett, writers Vanderbilt and Busick, as well as Executive Producer Chad Villella. They cover everything and have loads of fun while doing it. A must for fans of the franchise.
New Blood – This is a featurette that’s seven-and-a-half minutes in length and looks back at the original film, the legacy it built and how the new film ties into it. We also take a look at how technology has changed since the original, and how that plays into the series now.
Bloodlines – Here’s an eight-and-a-half minute featurette that takes a look at the connections between the new Scream and the original, especially when it comes to character relationships and the iconic Ghostface mask.
In the Shadow of the Master – Another seven-and-a-half minute featurette that focuses on Wes Craven’s work on the Scream franchise, his legacy, and the cultural impact he had on the genre.
Deleted Scenes – There are three minutes of deleted scenes here, but nothing really of note.
Scream 1996 Trailer – Speaks for itself, as we get a throwback trailer for the original film.
Paramount Pictures Presents Scream. Directed by: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett. Written by: James Vanderbilt, Guy Busick. Starring: Neve Campbell, David Arquette, Courtney Cox, Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Jack Quaid, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Dylan Minnette, Mason Gooding, Mikey Madison, Sonia Ammar. Running time: 114 minutes. Rating: 14A. 4K Blu-ray Released: April 5, 2022.
About Brendan Campbell
