Scream (2022) Review

Horror reboots and revamps always tend to go off the wall crazy. Scream 2022 is no different and takes the franchise to a new direction.

We begin in almost the same way we did in the 90s and of course the writers capitalize on this aspect of the story. Jenna Ortega is the perfect choice to have in this scene. She is believable, she is likable and completely recreates this scene and becomes the next generation Sidney Prescott.

From there for the next little bit it becomes a fairly generic horror film where the small town realizes they are being ravaged by the same crime that plagued them years ago. My one complaint about this movie is aside from Ortega the new cast is mostly forgettable which hurts the film. There are very little actual death sequences as it progresses which is kind of odd. For a horror film to have 90 percent of the young cast survive the events felt genuinely like an odd choice.

Seeing original casts return is always a delight and it is here once again. Sidney, Gale and Dewey all return to where it all began and have prominent roles in the action playing out. They don't feel forced which is a common complaint about returning casts. It has the same vibe as Halloween 2018. That is a direct sequel to the original events which recreates everything. Having the three mains back helped solidify this as probably the best entry in the series since the original back in the 90s. It hits every major story beat with perfection. Annoying kid. Characters you care about. Character harboring secrets. Characters holding onto past regret. All packed into a clean crisp horror film.

Now it is time to dive into the spoilery side of the film. Horror films would not be complete without stabbings and tension. If you have not watched this movie, turn away here or learn who may or may not have survived the film. David Arquette reprising his role to be killed off was a shocker and the films best kill. It made you realize that anything was possible and made you feel something most horror films neglect. Sadness. There was no other real emotional connection to any moment in the film other than with Tara. Once they established her as having survived the original attack you felt somewhat connected. With everyone else you didn't feel that but when they killed Dewey it reestablished that all cards were on the table.

The end reveal was honestly kind of meh and the killers were just surface level reveals. It could have been better explained or could have easily been a different set of characters and could have much more impact. It felt flat after the build up with Dewey and reenactment they put into Tara's sequence. I don't know what avenue would have been better for the story but this didn't feel like it was it either.

Scream is a franchise that has been long running now. It does appear like the 6th installment will inject a fresh perspective into the franchise but in all fairness that is what this one should have been. Tara being attacked in Woodsboro at the start and the second half taking place in NYC. Ortega will likely shine again in the sequel but I wish they could have done a little more with the next generation here. Plus knowing Neve Campbell is not returning is a bit of a bummer for this franchise. She is the star that made the franchise and deserved to get what she is worth. I eagerly anticipate the sequel but also approach it with hesitation. Reinventions can be fun but we also know in horror they often fall flat.