Scream

Why "regrettably"? Because I really wanted to love this movie. I do not dislike this movie but it was not a very memorable movie experience. It was a very entertaining one, but with significantly less re-watch-ability than its predecessors. This is coming from someone who knows every shot of every Scream movie and the entire script of each, word-for-word! I did not enter the theater, expecting this one would outdo the original or be 'as good'. At the very least, I was expecting to be shocked, surprised, and dare I say even a little scared? Let me start by mentioning some of the good aspects of this movie before I briefly mention the not-so-good parts. The original trio have returned - a key ingredient for any Scream movie. The entire cast delivered great performances for the most part. The fact that they are back in Woodsboro also helps make it feel like a Scream movie. Tying the new characters' stories to the original was a great decision. There's a lot that Scream (2022) got right, but equally gets wrong as well.

The establishing shots in this movie lacked a certain cinematic quality (perhaps a shortage of wide-angle lenses?). We were previously treated to an array of wide angles and beautiful crane shots to give the audience a sense of the environment (location and scale). Before we entered Casey Becker's house in Scream (1996), we are shown the front and back yard with a low hanging, creeping mist. We know the house has a pool and a tire swing and that the house is fairly isolated. These kind of shots are sadly missed here. Instead you may ask yourself "where am I?" Showing the audience entries and exits (or lack of) could have added to a sense of dread and suspense. Scream (2022) needed to take a moment to breathe, paint a more complete picture, and allow its audience to absorb some ambience. The third act at the original Scream house felt rushed and each shot was very tightly cropped on the actor's faces. I would have loved to see more of the house in these shots (in the backgrounds) and I feel like the opportunity to do some interesting call-backs to the original set was missed here. This movie thinks it had its audience outsmarted with the 'big reveal', but it truly lacked the element of surprise here - it was more of a "I knew it" than a "I can't believe it".

Marco Beltrami's colourful and beautifully terrifying music cues were sorely missed in this movie. Instead we have to endure a cluster of strings in disarray, bunched up with out-of-place cymbal crashes (from a circus?). The score felt disjointed with no real theme carrying through. Almost as though someone was behind the curtain saying "okay, now give me sad strings".

I really wanted to like this movie more than I do. Would I recommend watching it? Absolutely, yes! In spite of its shortcomings, Scream (2022) is a fun ride. But if you are expecting to be left even a little scared, you will be disappointed. You might not even exceed your normal resting heart rate.

Would I watch it a second time? Yes, I would. A third time? Probably not. And I think that's where this sequel (or "requel") is fundamentally different. It is not the type of movie you would eagerly revisit each year around Halloween. The treats it serves are just not good enough to want a third helping.

This film is a slasher that requires you to turn your brain off. It is silly at times, and the plot is just very unlikely. It may be alright to kill some time with it.

The Scream franchise is my absolute favorite. I have many wonderful memories tied to these films. I knew this fifth entry would be a sort of love letter to us fans. There were many surprising moments I hadn't expected. It dove into the past with great ease and it played beautifully. I was thrilled to hear Red Right Hand once again! And I enjoyed the twisted connection of the new characters to past characters. However, there are a number of things that didn't work well. The killers, at least one of them, were underwhelming and the motive paper thin. The pacing of the movie was too fast and could have benefited emotionally from taking a breather once in a while, allowing some organic connections between characters. They beat the meta talk to death. In an attempt to shift the narrative to a new generation, the original trio are severely underutilized. Let's be honest THEY are the franchise. Without them, it's just a watered-down ripoff moneygrab. I certainly don't want to see a Scream without them. I'd place it between 3 and 4, while 1 and 2 are the best.

Scream 1 set the benchmark for the horror films of today. And the franchise continued reaching its peak in scream 2. The 3rd and 4th films did not disappoint but they weren't as good as the first 2. Watching scream 5, I can definitely state that Wes craven would be proud and that this film does match up to the first film. However, the entire film builds up a lot of momentum only for the fans to be left disappointed with the ending. Maybe I speak for myself, but the ending is the reason why I gave the score that I have. Nonetheless it's still a thrilling film, and I would recommend people go and watch it.

I don't know where the hype is coming from. Its not that i hate the movie or anything, but its just more of the same thing. Its a bloody slasher film, the acting is average, the killings are predictable, and the story is the same. Its a rehash of every other scream movie, its not bad, its just nothing new and frankly that makes it a little on the boring side.