SCREAM 4

When the original Scream hit theaters in 1996, it was a huge hit – mostly due to its satirical biting nature of the entire horror genre. It was funny. It was scary. It was original and it worked. Two sequels were released in quick succession over the next four years – Scream 2 (which remains the strongest entry of the franchise) and Scream 3 – an enjoyable, yet underwhelming, trilogy-ender.

Now, 11 years after the last sequel was released, Scream 4 arrives to reboot the seminal 90s horror series. With so many years having elapsed (in both screen time and “real” time), many people may be wondering – does it succeed? Well, yes and no…

Once again, original Scream creators Wes Craven (director) and  Kevin Williamson (writer) are in charge - along with returning veteran franchise favorites Neve Campbell, David Arquette and Courteney Cox. While it’s an amazing feat to have everyone back on board both behind and in front of the camera, Scream 4 suffers from the “been-there-done-that” syndrome and (aside from a clever opening with great cameos and a great conclusion) comes across as mediocre and even bland. The film contains more blood and violence than the first three installments COMBINED, but never manages to reach the sheer genius of the first two films.

There are, however, a few strong positive elements working in Scream 4’s favor: 1) it is better than Scream 3, 2) its self-awareness is still dead-on (the film even manages to get in quite a few jabs at the Saw franchise!) and, most importantly, 3) the returning characters from the original trilogy are front and center once again. With all of the “younger generation” actors on board, the original three are still the stars – no passing the torch or supporting roles. They were the ones who made the series a success and the creators behind Scream 4 understand and respect this.

Surprisingly, where Scream 4 falters mostly is in its storyline. The film has practically no character development, no logic, and feels disjointed and sloppily thrown together at times. Even worse, the characteristics and mannerisms of the main leads make them seem completely different people than what were originally portrayed in the earlier films. Obviously, some changes are expected since many years have passed. However, these characters seem cold, detached from one another, and all-around different. Very odd.

Plans have been announced to kick off another trilogy of Scream films. While Scream 4 certainly won’t change the direction of horror like the original did in 1996, it’s still better than most of the crap out there. Worth a watch, but don’t expect a nostalgic trip down horror memory lane.

My Rating - 6 out of 10