SCREAM (2022)

Studio:     Paramount Pictures
Director:    Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett
Writer:     James Vanderbilt, Guy Busick
Producer:  William Sherak, James Vanderbilt, Paul Neinstein
Stars:     Melissa Barrera, Kyle Gallner, Mason Gooding, Mikey Madison, Dylan Minnette, Jenna Ortega, Jack Quaid, Marley Shelton, Skeet Ulrich, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Sonia Ammar, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Neve Campbell

Review Score:

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Summary:

A new Ghostface terrorizes Woodsboro by targeting the friends and family of a woman with a secret connection to the original killing spree.

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Synopsis:     Show/Hide Spoilers

Ghostface attacks Woodsboro teenager Tara Carpenter in her family’s home after she fails a game of “Stab” movie trivia over the phone. Wes Hicks, the son of Sheriff Judy Hicks, calls Tara’s estranged older sister Sam to tell her about Tara’s Ghostface attack. Accompanied by her boyfriend Richie Kirsch, Sam leaves Modesto to visit her sister in the hospital.

At Woodsboro High School, Wes discusses the new Ghostface with Tara’s friend Amber Freeman, Mindy Meeks-Martin, Mindy’s twin brother Chad, and Chad’s girlfriend Liv McKenzie. Wes, Mindy, Chad, and Amber then go to the hospital where they meet Sam and Richie in Tara’s recovery room.

Over a game of pool at a bar, Wes, Mindy, Chad, Amber, and Liv recall how Sam used to be their troublesome babysitter before abruptly leaving home when she turned 18. Chad gets into an altercation with Liv’s creepy former fling Vince Schneider. Afterward, Ghostface kills Vince in the bar’s parking lot.

Ghostface calls Sam’s cellphone. Ghostface taunts Sam by revealing he knows her family secret, which is that her birth father is actually the original Ghostface, Billy Loomis, who still haunts Sam in disturbing visions. After revealing that he attacked Tara to lure Sam back to Woodsboro, Ghostface suddenly attacks Sam in the hospital break room, but Sam gets away.

Deputy Vinson finds no sign of Ghostface when he searches the break room. Sheriff Hicks posts Vinson to guard Tara, although she acts dismissively toward Sam due to Sam’s problematic past.

Sam confesses to Tara that they are being attacked because Billy Loomis is Sam’s real father. Upon finding out the truth from an old diary, Sam confronted their mother without realizing their father was in the room. Feeling betrayed by the revelation, which he did not previously know about, their father walked out on the family. Sam’s mother made Sam promise to never tell Tara the truth. As a result, Sam started behaving differently toward Tara and, blaming herself for breaking up their family, left home to avoid further trouble.

Tara angrily kicks her sister out of the room. Sam finds out Richie was listening on the other side of Tara’s door. Despite discovering her connection to Billy Loomis, Richie vows to stay by Sam’s side because he loves her.

Sam and Richie visit retired deputy Dewey Riley for help dealing with the new Ghostface. Dewey immediately suspects Richie because he is Sam’s love interest. Dewey also goes through the “rules” for determining the culprit’s identity in Ghostface murders, and recommends looking closer at Tara’s friends. Sam warns that Dewey’s connection to the killings could put him in danger too, but Dewey refuses to get involved further.

Dewey calls Sidney Prescott to warn her about the new Ghostface. Dewey then texts his ex, newscaster Gale Weathers, with a similar warning.

Deciding to help after all, Dewey joins Sam and Richie in talking to Wes, Mindy, Chad, Amber, and Liv. Martha Meeks hosts everyone at her house since her brother Randy was Mindy and Chad’s uncle. Sam tells everyone the truth about her parentage and how Ghostface used the secret to lure her back to Woodsboro.

Amber finds out victim Vince Schneider’s mother was Leslie Macher, the sister of Billy Loomis’ accomplice Stu Macher. Everyone realizes the first three attacks were on people related to the original Ghostface killers.

Mindy tells everyone it looks like the killer is making a “requel.” Mindy talks about how “Stab” film fandom turned toxic, and she thinks a disgruntled fan is fashioning a new “Stab” story that includes legacy characters like Dewey. Mindy implies that logically, Sam could be the killer, but her suggestion causes Sam to angrily drive off alone.

Ghostface murders Sheriff Hicks and Wes at their home. Sam arrives at the Hicks house to find police and paramedics on the scene. Gale Weathers brings a camera crew to cover the breaking story. After briefly talking to Sam, Gale spots Dewey and the two of them tearfully discuss their broken relationship.

Sam calls Richie to tell him about the new murders. Sam spots Deputy Vinson outside the Hicks house. Realizing no one is protecting her sister, Sam asks Richie to help Tara while she and Dewey race to the hospital.

After killing a deputy, Ghostface attacks Tara and Richie in the hospital. Sam and Dewey join the commotion. Dewey shoots Ghostface in the chest several times, but then stays behind to shoot him in the head while everyone else escapes in an elevator. Having worn a bulletproof vest however, Ghostface gets the jump on Dewey and stabs him to death.

Sidney comes to Woodsboro and comforts Gale over Dewey’s death. Meanwhile, Sam and Tara reconcile their relationship.

Sam, Tara, and Richie decide to leave Woodsboro. Sidney and Gale ask Sam to help them hunt the killer, but Sam insists that she doesn’t want to be involved anymore. Sidney still plants a GPS tracker on Sam’s car.

Tara realizes her asthma inhaler is missing. Despite concerns about staying in Woodsboro, Richie, Sam, and Tara reluctantly agree to retrieve Tara’s spare inhaler from Amber.

Amber hosts a memorial party for Wes with all of her friends in attendance. Chad angers Liv by admitting he thinks she could be the killer. Liv storms outside alone. Chad chases after Liv and ends up attacked by Ghostface.

Sam, Tara, and Richie arrive and break up the party due to the danger. Liv returns and gets into a confrontation with Mindy when Mindy asks what happened to her brother.

Monitoring her whereabouts via the tracker, Sidney calls Sam to warn her that she was lured inside Stu Macher’s old house where the original killing spree concluded. Ghostface attacks Mindy. Sam comes to Mindy’s defense. Ghostface runs away.

Amber, Tara, Richie, and Liv join Sam and Mindy. Accusations fly about who the killer among them might be. Amber reveals she is the killer by pulling out a gun and shooting Liv in her head.

Richie and Sam flee to the basement while Tara wrestles over the gun with Amber. Sam moves to go back for her sister, but Richie warns that there are always two killers in “Stab” stories and Tara could be Amber’s accomplice. Sam considers that possibility, but also becomes wary of how well she knows Richie.

Sidney and Gale arrive at the house. Amber shoots Gale in her stomach on the front lawn. Gale implores Sidney to avenge Dewey by going after Amber without her.

Sam finds Tara bound and gagged inside a closet. Sam seemingly hesitates over freeing her sister.

Sidney fires her gun into a closet where Richie was hiding. Richie takes a bullet in his leg. Ghostface suddenly attacks Sidney and they tumble over a banister.

Sam recovers Sidney’s gun. However, before she can shoot, Richie unexpectedly stabs Sam. Amber removes her Ghostface mask and takes Sidney at gunpoint. Richie takes out Tara’s missing asthma inhaler to confirm he orchestrated everything with Amber.

Richie and Amber hold Sam, Sidney, and Gale hostage in the kitchen. Upset that their fandom was called toxic, Richie reveals he and Amber, who met on a “Stab” subreddit, took it upon themselves to save the franchise because there hadn’t been a great installment since the first movie. Wanting a sequel based on actual events, Richie further reveals his plan to frame Sam as the killer while he and Amber pretend to be heroes.

Amber stabs Sidney when Sidney tries to grab a weapon. Amber then goes to get Tara from the closet, but discovers she is missing because Sam freed her after all.

Tara attacks Amber while Sam fights Richie for his gun. Gale and Sidney take over the attack on Amber. Gale recovers a gun she uses to shoot Amber several times. Amber falls onto a lit stove, causing her body to go up in flames.

Richie overpowers Sam. Guided by visions of Billy Loomis, Sam crawls to a dropped knife she subsequently uses to stab Richie and slash his throat. At Sidney’s urging, Sam ensures Richie’s death by shooting him several times too.

Amber unexpectedly rises and runs toward Sidney, Gale, and Sam with a knife. Before Amber can attack, Tara guns her down.

Mindy and Chad are taken away in ambulances. Sam talks with Sidney and Gale before joining Tara for an ambulance ride.

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Review:

Like any horror film franchise that touches at least two different decades, “Scream” has a sizable segment of “superfans.” To others, “Scream” simply seems like a slick series of self-aware slashers that are easy to enjoy on a quick night of frightful fun. To the superfans, “Scream” serves up astute commentary on the state of scary movie cinema, and should be studied as intently as “Citizen Kane” and revisited often. Those people are as passionate about Sidney, Dewey, and Ghostface as “Star Wars” fans are about Luke, Leia, and Baby Yoda. They eagerly await rumors on new projects, put Kevin Williamson on par with Ernest Hemingway, and hold Wes Craven in such sacrosanct regard that he’s virtually deified.

“Scream” 2022, or “Scream 5” if you prefer, doesn’t set out to skewer its devoted diehards specifically, although in light of how slavish its supporters can be, it’s amusing that the topical theme this time around is toxic fandom. Where “Scream 2” satirized sequels and “Scream 3” swiped at exploitative “based on a true story” terror, “Scream” 2022 makes its meta-message about how dangerous fervent fans can be when they think they know better than the creators, and try to carve out their own story by carving up bodies.

“Scream” opens on a familiar scene as Woodsboro teenager Tara answers a menacing phone call, fails a game of “Stab” (the fictional films based on the Woodsboro murders within the films) trivia, and takes Ghostface’s blade in her body as a result. Tara doesn’t die though. Instead, the attack draws Tara’s estranged sister Sam back to town, as it’s Sam’s secret connection to Billy and Stu’s original killing spree that kicks the new Ghostface’s nefarious plan into gear.

After two more attacks take place, Sam seeks help from retired deputy Dewey and gathers Tara’s social circle together to get to the bottom of what’s going on. Mindy, the niece of nerdy know-it-all Randy Meeks, thinks she’s sussed out the scheme. Based on Ghostface’s pattern, he seems to be writing a “requel.” Not a remake or a reboot, but a fashionable refresh that’s popular with Hollywood nowadays. Since inferior “Stab” sequels are now ruining childhoods, someone seems hellbent on creating a chapter that can proudly reclaim the franchise’s sagging legacy.

Having experienced a slow yet steady quality dip in its own series, righting the listing ship is exactly what “Scream” sets out to do too. And “Scream” succeeds by being closer in tone to the 1996 classic than any of the other sequels. Gone are overt fourth wall winks too goofy for their own good. Back is an appropriately tuned sense of humor that’s smart, snarky, and subtle, not silly, slapstick-y, or trying too hard to be clever. Heavy horror and light levity mix together for a mood that’s energetically entertaining without sacrificing substance or becoming too bonkers to suspend disbelief.

Of all the big fright franchises doings these so-called “requels” in the 2020s, with “Halloween” (review here) and “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” (review here) leading that list, “Scream” weaves what’s new with what came before more seamlessly and more satisfyingly than anyone else. Neve Campbell returns as Sidney, Courteney Cox returns as Gale, and David Arquette returns as Dewey, but all three walk a balance beam that lifts everyone above the pit of unnecessary cameos without unfairly overshadowing newcomers. Their inclusions are organic. Their interactions are enjoyable. Compared to how little those aforementioned properties did with Lindsey Wallace or Sally Hardesty, “Scream” figures out where its legacy characters realistically fit, and finds reasonable roles for them in the story.

“Scream” also creates compelling new characters that are endearing enough for us to not be disproportionately focused on the familiar faces anyway. Some resonate better than others, of course. Even with half as many minutes, Kyle Gallner’s creepy burnout leaves more of an impression than Dylan Minette’s monotone mope. One of the girls registers so faintly, I repeatedly forgot she existed whenever she wasn’t onscreen. Considering “Scream” requires an ensemble well stocked with red herrings as well as victims, a few fizzles are acceptable casualties among a roster that’s otherwise packed with personality evenly spread between everybody.

Not unlike how Craven and Williamson reinvigorated the entire slasher subgenre with the first film, this fifth one arrives at a perfect time, with a near-perfect plan, to revitalize “Scream” itself. That plan seems straightforward: stays as true to the “Scream” spirit as possible. That means a movie populated by pretty people quipping about hot horror trends like “elevated” A24 joints, zipping around a pristinely picturesque suburbia where there’s never a weed in sight, and several savage stabbings bleeding out of a meaty mystery that jabs at obsessive movie lovers radicalized by Reddit into weaponizing their fandom. Its cinematic sleekness also means plentiful product placement (Have a Racer 5 IPA with your Pizza Hut!) and a clean mainstream sheen, but “Scream” still has sharpness in categories like kills, scripting, and style too.

Review Score: 75

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