Scream has recently hit the box office, a creative sequel to the successful slasher franchise that brings in both old legacy characters and introduces new characters to once again face the threatening killer, Ghostface. 

Scream spoilers ahead…

After more than 11 years have passed since the last sequel, SCRE4M, Paramount released a sequel with a different take on the connections between the killer and the main characters.

The film introduces the main character, Sam Carpenter, a character who has had a troubled childhood, returns to her hometown to visit her sister, Tara, at the hospital because she was attacked by Ghostface. 

After realizing the attacks will not stop, Sam reveals to her sister and those connected to her a dark secret she learned before returning home: she is the daughter of Billy Loomis, the killer in the original Scream. This element of the plot was very satisfying to fans because the movie was able to bring in new characters without completely getting rid of the past. 

However, you cannot do a sequel without some legacy characters. Scream brought back characters from the original film and its sequels to help Sam in her battle against Ghostface. This would mean the return of Dwight Riley (Dewey), Gale Weathers, and of course, Sidney Prescott. 

These characters would reunite in the town of Woodsboro and share their knowledge on how to survive the game of a slasher film the killer is mimicking.  

Scream’s cinematography was one of the best elements of the movie. The close-up shots of victims looking for Ghostface added heightened suspense to the film and kept the audience at the edge of their seats. The visuals added to the suspense by leaving the audience unaware of the characters’ surroundings. Viewers did not know when Ghostface would pop out. 

The character development and resolution reside mostly in Sam. Her weakness throughout the film was trying to avoid any vision of her father and run from her true family roots. In the climax of the film, the killer is revealed to be her boyfriend, Jack, and her sister’s friend, Amber. In the heat of the moment, Sam accepts her roots and uses them to her advantage to win the fight against her boyfriend while Sidney and Gale take care of Amber. 

The resolution of having Sam use what she ran from her whole life to help her, in the end, was very satisfying because now we see a character who is true to herself and no longer living a lie that will always haunt her. 

In terms of gore, Scream definitely utilizes it to the full extent. Each kill is very bloody and does not hide any element of injury. Therefore, this movie is not recommended for those who get disturbed by blood and gore. 

The only minor issue with this film is that there are many references to the older films that go unexplained. Unless viewers are well-versed in the Scream franchise, and even in other slasher films, they will miss a lot of the film’s references. This makes the plot harder for newer fans to understand.

If you are a fan of horror and slasher films, Scream will definitely satisfy and deliver. 

Scream is now playing in theatres.