“What’s your favourite scary movie?”. Ghostface is back, and this time things are different. Scream has officially hit theatres and has become an instant hit with critics and audiences alike. This franchise has had five movie installments as well as a TV series, and has continued to grow since 1996. If you have not seen the Scream movies, there are spoilers ahead.
Scream 3
The final instalment in the original trilogy may have garnered $161 million at the box office but fell flat with the fans. Scream 3 takes place three years after Scream 2 and follows Sidney has locked herself away, working for a women’s helpline and refuses to return to Woodsboro. Scream 3 is not a bad film in any way but is pretty forgettable and often times far fetched. The duo of Courtney Cox and Parker Posey makes for great comedic relief however the new characters are poorly written. They have no significance to the plot and they’re forgettable. The killer reveal of Scott Foley’s Roman mixed with twist of being Sidney’s brother is interesting but pokes holes in the plot of the original movie. Overall, Scream 3 is not a bad movie but adds nothing more the franchise.
Scre4m
For eleven years fans wondered if they would they ever get a fourth Scream movie? In 2011, they got their wish. Despite her trauma, Sidney returns to Woodsboro to promote her book Out of Darkness. However history seems to be repeating itself when a new killer is terrorizing the citizens of Woodsboro. Scre4m is a nice reintroduction into the franchise. Neve Campbell brings everything in reprising Sidney for this movie. The new characters such as Jill and Kirby are great additions to the story. The killer reveal was evident of the times. The kills were motivated by an obsession with fame and reality tv which feels a little too MTV. Scre4m is a great addition to the franchise but feels more like a direct to DVD movie than a Horror blockbuster.
Scream 2
The first Scream movie was so successful there was no way they couldn’t make a sequel. Scream 2 follows Sidney at college living in the wake of the release of Stab and starring in her own sequel. Although it doesn’t live up to the original, Scream 2 is a strong sequel that moves the story forward instead of subscribing to the same old clichés. Randy’s death was a surprise truly showing that no one was safe. The killer reveal of Mrs. Loomis and Mickey Alteri was similar to the original but not identical. Timothy Olyphant mimics everything Matthew Lillard did in the original and Laurie Metcalfe leads the charge. Scream 2 takes the franchise further but not exactly to the next level.
Scream (2022)
It’s rare for a film to have such a legacy that it can return twenty-six years later. The latest instalment in the Scream franchise sees Ghostface return but this time nothing is off limits. This movie reboots the franchise and does an amazing job in doing so. The new characters are so perfectly written and crafted, they don’t feel like copy cats of the originals. The movie pays tribute to the late Wes Craven who passed away in 2015. The legacy cast all return and seeing them on screen is a similar feeling to seeing three Spider-Mans in one movie. Scream feels the closest to the original with many call outs but is in no way a remake.
Scream (1996)
To quote Sidney in Scre4m, “Don’t f**k with the original”. Scream follows Sidney Prescott mourning the loss of her mother after a year and being terrorised by a serial killer in a ghost mask. Scream defies the rules of a slasher film. It takes the clichés of a horror movie and uses them to its advantage, to make a commentary. The movie is terrifying whilst also being self aware. The performances from Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox & David Arquette are unforgettable and provide some of the most iconic moments in cinema. The film used its marketing to trick its audience by killing off Casey Becker (Drew Barrymore) in the first scene after insinuating she was the main character. Scream had iconic death scenes and the incredible reveal of Billy and Stu as the killers. Scream changed horror and cinema and that is why it’s the best of the franchise.
Through five film instalments Ghostface has proven he is a horror icon and Sidney is a legendary final girl. Scream continues to shock audiences and rule the box office, twenty six years after it’s debut. Fans will truly die for this instalment and won’t answer their phones for days.
Scream is in theatres now.
