[Film Review] Scream 5 (2022)

25 years after the hit classic slasher film, Ghostface returns to torment the town of Woodsboro once again in a gruesome, gory bloodbath. Throwing all the rules out of the window, nobody is safe from the masked murderer’s blade. 

When it was announced that Scream 5 was in the works I had so many different emotions. Mainly happy, ecstatic ones but also ones of worry. In my opinion, Scream is the only horror franchise not to have a bad film, even its weakest ones are still good and I, like many other fans, were apprehensive that bringing out a fifth instalment was pushing its luck. Without Wes Craven, how could Scream 5 live up to expectations and carry on the legacy? 

In the opening scene, we meet Tara played by Jenna Ortega. Home alone, cooking and exchanging in conversation with a stranger who “called the wrong number” we have seen this before in the very opening scene of  Scream (1996). She is radiating young Drew Barrymore as Casey Becker, leading the audience to believe she’s going to be the opening kill. Immediately a rush of nostalgia comes rushing back to the audience as Ghostface plays his favourite guessing game of “What’s your favourite scary movie?” 

With the internet and modern technology being so sophisticated in this day and age, Tara is quickly able to combat any questions the mysterious caller is sending her way but as we learned from Kirby in Scream 4, it doesn’t matter how many questions you get right- Ghostface doesn’t care. He will slice and dice you and turn you into a human mincemeat however he sees fit. Tara gives a good fight, and we even hear the sirens of police nearby and as  we cling on to the sides of our seats, hoping they’ll get to her in time. She uses her automatic door locks to keep Ghostface at bay. Only little does she know, while her intention was to lock him out but instead, she locks him in. 

With hysterical screams, blood spewing and guts flying about, the scene cuts and the title appears.

‘SCREAM’

What a return.

Instantly the audience is hooked. Who is the new Ghostface? Why did he target Tara? It’s clear that whoever is behind the creepy mask is taking no prisoners and they are as unhinged and brutal as the original Ghostface killers. They’re ready to shake Woodsboro to its very core.

We are then introduced to Sam, Tara’s estranged older sister and the secret love child of Billy Loomis (I know right? Not only did he go on a mass murdering spree, killing Sidney’s mum, friends and even trying to kill Sidney herself but he also was cheating on her in the process? What a sh*thead!) After getting a call from one of Tara’s friend’s learning about Tara’s attack and attempted murder, Sam races back to Woodsboro to be at Tara’s side and to find out who would want to hurt her sister.  

Scream 5 really exceeded my expectations in every way. All the Scream sequels are great in their own way but none of them quite really live up the intensity of the original. But this one? Wes Craven would have been proud. It really captured the sinister feel of Ghostface. How anyone could just snap and kill. Your best friend, your boyfriend, the nosy neighbour across the street. Anyone. 

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The previous sequel: Scream 4 gets a lot of hate from fans which I have never really understood. I thought it did a great job in trying to bring Scream into the modern age and the twist of Jill being the killer when the audience are led to believe she’s the next gen Sidney was unbelievable but when comparing Scream 4 and Scream 5, for me, it really is no contest. It's gory, spine chillingly hilarious, and has audiences sitting on the edge of their seats as the tension builds. The way it connects to the first film is so cleverly insane and even the chemistry of the cast is reminiscent of the original. The movie really goes back to its roots with a script that has you scared for your life one minute and laughing hysterically the next. That’s what makes the Scream franchise one of the best in Slasher movie history. It can be brutal but fun at the same time and that’s something that wasn’t quite there in the fourth installment. I honestly cannot stop praising this film enough.

The cast of the fifth installment are perhaps the best cast since the first film. Not only do we get to see the original trio back on the screen together again, but we also have a sleuth of talented new actors joining the franchise. These fresh faces do an excellent job at bringing the newer generation into the films but there is also something about them that keeps the nostalgia of the original gang. As an audience, we care for all the characters, we are invested in them and their stories- how they’re connected to the originals, how are they going to survive, who’s going to be next etc. Having this connection with the characters makes it even more nail biting to watch and that’s something a lot of horror movies don’t do these days. They don’t invest time in their characters, only gore. As a result, no one cares when Stacey who has had all of 3 lines gets her head blown to pieces because there is no emotional connection between her and the audience. The characters in Scream 5 not only get more of a backstory but more character development meaning that we want to root for them. 

One thing Scream has always been known for and what it is best at is how self-aware it is. In each film the characters discuss all the classic horror tropes and how they would do something completely opposite to survive, only to do those exact same predictable tropes they were just making fun of. Every Scream movie is meta and this one is no exception. The characters discuss the modern horror genre and the discourse with reboots. The film is clearly making fun of the fact that it’s a reboot/sequel and fans will be judgey about it but them being so self-aware is what makes it amazing They are aware that in depicting modern horror fans in this way, some people are going to be unhappy and t they don’t try to please everyone. They’re not trying to outdo the original and they’re not also being just another cash grab run of the mill sequel.  Instead, they are bringing Ghostface into the next generation, rebooting it maybe, but reviving it, definitely. Let’s face it baby, in the paraphrasing words of Stu Macher “you gotta make a requel”. 

I’m not going to say the movie is perfect, but what movie is? Scream 5 did an excellent job at carrying the torch into the new era and Wes would be proud. It’s gory, it’s funny and it’s self-aware. What more could you possibly want from a Scream movie? Scream 5 is a love letter to the fans. Before this review ends, I just have one question…

What’s your favourite scary movie?

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