Scream

6

ThisGuy1Jan 31, 2022

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This movie was very close to a 7, but ultimately had one too many flaws so I'll stick with a 6 out of 10. Ultimately, I enjoyed the movie. It was essentially what Jurassic World was to the Jurassic Park franchise or The Force Awakens to the Star Wars franchise. A sequel that had just enough similar beats to the first movie to where you could confuse it for a reboot - which is exactly what it wanted to be, hence the "requel" discussion. Pros: Tight script resulting in good pacing, solid performance by the main and supporting cast, enough tongue-in-cheek moments to feel like a Scream film, and one kill that was perfectly executed and haunting. If I were to rank the Scream franchise, this movie would be right in the middle behind Scream and Scream 2 and just ahead of Scream 4, while they all drive away "accidentally" leaving Scream 3 on a trip to the grand canyon. Using toxic fandom and subreddit echo-chambers as the motive for the killers is hilarious and makes the motives of the killers mirror frustrations of present day movie makers, also mirroring and modernizing the motives of the killers in the first Scream film.

Cons: This was probably the weakest of the Scream series as far as the "whodunit" is concerned. The opening of the movie gives away the identity of one of the killers. Initially, you figured the movie was sticking to the formula and about to kill off two people in the opening. But, nope. The main victim survives and the second "victim" doesn't even get attacked. Pretty obvious at that point that the second "victim" was likely in on the attack and one of the killers, using their relationship with the main victim as a control mechanism. And, although it's close to the ending, as soon as one character randomly goes "to get a beer" while people are dying and they are trying to leave the city, it's pretty clear who the second killer is.

On that note - and this may seem pretty petty but - Mikey Madison is 5'2" and David Arquette is 5'10". However, they appeared similarly tall and framed when they faced off in the hospital. Even if she was wearing platform shoes - which actually would have been a funny way to make fun of how fans freaked out about Claire wearing heels in Jurassic World - ghostface's frame was not Mikey's. Additionally, it's a valid complaint in this scene that a teenage girl somehow overpowers and outfights a grown man who is trained (at least mildly) in hand-to-hand combat based on his time in the police force. Other small things: - Sydney and Gale felt forced and were ultimately unnecessary to the plot. Dewey is the only original character to propel the plot. - The hospital scene was fun but the lack of personnel, patients, etc. was ridiculous (but a more common movie trope than people may realize, so it's not a huge deal for me).
- Although this would have wasted Jenna Ortega's talents, why would the killers leave her alive? Based on the end, they planned to kill her eventually anyways. Killing her would have likely brought her sister back in town, as well. And it's far too big of a risk that she may have seen, heard, or retroactively realized something that could identify who one of the killers were (her friend, who 100% would have been investigated and probably been under surveillance by the cops after she somehow survived the opening without being attacked).… Expand