Scream (also informally known as Scream 5) is a 2022 horror slasher that serves as the fifth installment of the Scream franchise. It is directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, and written by James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick. The film is produced by Vanderbilt, Paul Neinstein, and William Sherak, with original screenwriter Kevin Williamson serving as an executive producer.

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

Though billed as a relaunch of the franchise, the film is a direct sequel to 2011's Scream 4, and the first in the series not to be directed by Wes Craven, who died in 2015. David Arquette, Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, and Roger L. Jackson return to reprise their original roles, while Marley Shelton also reprises her role from the previous film. They are joined by franchise newcomers Melissa Barrera, Mason Gooding, Dylan Minnette, Jenna Ortega, and Jack Quaid.

Scream released in theaters on January 14th, 2022, courtesy of Paramount Pictures.

THE GOOD

First of all, the fact that the last Scream movie came out over a decade ago is pretty crazy in my opinion. The first movie made its debut in the mid-90’s, and it quickly became an iconic franchise. What’s unique about the Scream movies when it comes to slashers is that unlike Friday the 13th or Halloween, the killer is interchangeable. The investment from the audience focuses on the victims and the survivors, as the franchise shifts across generations, which brings us to the 2022 version of Scream.

I could easily get a phone call from one of these fame craving psychos because I am absolutely a horror fanatic. Another interesting element of the Scream franchise is it has always had this quirky trademark feel about it, where it never takes itself too seriously. I mean sure, people are getting murdered left in right in the most gruesome ways, but you can almost always count on a victim using their last breath to crack a joke or unnecessary shout an obscenity. But before I get too far off track all the matters here is whether or not they did things right with this new movie, and don’t worry we get into that next so keep on reading.

I’ll cut to the chase, Scream was fantastic. I walked in to the theater only to see someone sitting alone wearing all black and donning the Ghostface mask, and at that point I knew I was in for quite an experience. The nostalgia hit me like a freight train, and I honestly enjoyed this movie from start to finish. When a franchise brings a 5th movie to the table, it usually screams (pun intended) desperation and cash grab, but to be honest the slasher genre is damn near immune to that happening. I mean just like Friday the 13th or Halloween, fans flock to the theaters for the abundance of blood, idiotic decision making almost always leading to death, and just something that reminds them of the good ol’ days. I mean, I’m no spring chicken and Ghostface has been pulling the murderous prank call move on beautiful babysitters since back when I was in the 5th grade. And before you even ask, you can bet your lunch money that I was at the movie theater seeing the original in all of its big-screen glory. I am fairly certain my parents brought my brother and I to the theater, purchased our tickets, and sent us on our way. They likely picked us up an hour late as well. Things were just different back then.

I was sucked in from the start, and everyone in the theater damn near started clapping when Gail Weathers and Sidney Prescott appeared on-screen. It was just so much fun seeing all of the original characters back together again. Everything with the movie seemed to come together organically, and even though much of what the Scream franchise does is a bit predictable, it still works. The movie also refers back to the previous films quite a bit, so it will be helpful if you can find a way to re-watch those in advance. I was able to watch Scream 4 at least, which still helped quite a bit. I am thrilled with this unique “Scream Universe” they have been able to create. As a horror lover I just can’t get enough of the talk about what makes a great horror movie, and I also liked how this time around they touched on what is considered to be the next generation of horror, or what they call “elevated horror”. Movies like The Witch, It Follows, The Babadook, The Night House (review and trailer here) and one of my personal favorites, Hereditary (review and trailer here). Horror movies that are often much more rooted in reality, and I mean lets be honest, what is scarier than real life especially these days. Just go to the gas station or the grocery store and look at the prices, you will be scarred for life.

One of the biggest reasons why the latest Scream film works so well and avoids the usual sequel pitfalls is the quality of the overall storyline. Considering this is officially the 5th film in the franchise and a direct sequel to the 2011 film Scream 4, they found a way to make it feel fresh and inventive which is a real credit to writers James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick. I am a horror fan through and through, and have seen all of the Scream movies several times, and this movie has earned its place in the iconic franchise.

Both Vanderbilt and Busick are newcomers to the franchise, expanding on the characters brought to life by Kevin Williamson. Vanderbilt has quite the resume, with writing credits ranging from the hit crime thriller Zodiac, to the Amazing Spider-Man 1 & 2, right on to the hit Netflix comedy Murder Mystery. Busick is a bit wet behind the ears in comparison, but he did deliver us the underrated horror comedy Ready or Not, and is currently in pre-production for the next Final Destination movie. Bottom line, this was an extremely fruitful collaboration and I hope to see these two work together again in the near future.

I have to touch on the acting of course, and if you watched the trailers you know that the majority of the core cast returns for the latest entry. The big three of course consists of Neve Campbell in her role as Sidney Prescott, Courteney Cox as Gale Weathers-Riley, and David Arquette as Dewey Riley. As folk heroes to the small town of Woodsboro in many ways, all three were nothing short of fantastic. They built this franchise from the ground up, and you could tell from the beginning they take pride in making sure they did right by the fans. This is far from a few cameos to collect a paycheck. All of the franchise mainstays are exceptional in their roles.

Now Scream manages to bring on some new additions with some acting talent, most notably 13 Reason Why star Dylan Minnette, and The Boys star Jack Quaid. I like Minnette a lot and he is great here even though he has a more limited role, but Quaid steps in to a lead role and is absolutely deserving of the limelight. I didn’t realize how important it was to bring on someone like Quaid, but it for sure paid off. I thought the entire supporting cast was great from top to bottom, most notably Melissa Barrera, Marley Shelton reprising her role from Scream 4, Jenny Ortega, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Sonia Ammar, Mikey Madison, and Mason Gooding. That is essentially the core of the supporting cast for the film, and they should all be very proud of their collective performances.

On the technical side of things, Scream packs a punch. I would have to say I was most impressed with the cinematography as they made it a point to get some really great shots during some of the more pivotal scenes. This franchise has always felt quirky and borderline goofy, which is fine in the sense that it is an established identity, but they raised the bar a bit here for film fans. A few of the kills had that much needed wow factor and left me satisfied. I also really liked the style points that were earned for the creative kills throughout the film. As expected the soundtrack/score is fantastic and helps to raise the energy level for the film.

THE BAD

Alright so my issues with this 2022 version of Scream are few and far between, believe it or not. I mean this is fan service through and through, and it is so damn good in so many ways for that reason. Some people may complain that it’s not super creative with the storyline, but that’s not really what this franchise does. They stuck with the tried and true formula while still breathing new life into this franchise after a decade long hiatus. I mean lets be honest, few of us expected another movie but I for one am very happy they decided to make one.

THE VERDICT

A fresh and creative approach rooted in a tried-and-true formula, Scream and the iconic Ghostface mask are back with a vengeance giving horror fans everything they didn’t even realize they needed. This is a nostalgic heavy reason to return to the movie theater, and I promise you will be glad you did. Scream does a fantastic job tying in to the previous films, so if you have the time to binge them before heading to the theater, I definitely recommend it. The energy of the opening day crowd was infectious, adding that little extra that you just can’t get from watching a movie at home, and I personally cannot wait to see it again. If fans get their way, we will get yet another sequel and I say bring it on.