SCREAM (5) Review

This is a spoiler-free review! To HEAR our thoughts on the newest SCREAM installment, listen to our The Hills Have Eyes Podcast podcast that will be available later this month!

In December of 1996, the world was introduced to one of the most iconic horror film franchises of all time. Penned by Kevin Williamson and directed by horror master Wes Craven, SCREAM is peak meta-horror. cinema. I have been a die-hard SCREAM fan since I was about 10 or 11 years old. My cousins and I were wanting to watch a scary movie and my uncle showed us this cool movie called SCREAM. We are all way too young, except maybe my older sister. But we latched on hard. Became obsessed. Especially me. I recorded SCREAM 2 on TV and watched it over and over again, fast-forwarding through commercials and completely unaware of all the bad words. I had found my franchise.  

I’ve seen all the SCREAM movies countless times. This franchise is, without question, my favorite horror franchise ever and has proven to be my comfort place within the genre. Watching a SCREAM movie will always put me in a better mood.

When I heard another SCREAM movie was being made I was ecstatic. With Neve, Courteney, and David returning I was even more excited. I loved READY OR NOT (2019) and so I felt conformable with Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin directing my favorite franchise.

Because I love all the SCREAM movies (even 3!), I knew going in that I would have a bias. I desperately wanted to love this movie. I wanted it to honor Wes Craven. I wanted it to be truthful to the main trio. I wanted it to be clever, funny, scary, and of course, meta.

But was it? Did I love it? Would Wes be proud? Would Sidney Prescott die? Would I only refer to this movie as SCREAM 5?

The answer to that last question is YES. It’s SCREAM 5. This is the fifth movie. The story continues…I’m not gonna call it SCREAM. Not even SCREAM (2022). It’s SCREAM 5! Be proud of the number of movies in the franchise! Anyway, here is my brief review of the newest SCREAM movie!

The New Kids

I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the new characters. I felt connected to what they were saying and their own emotional journey throughout the film. I believed their performances and I became pretty attached to them along the way. I liked some more than others, for sure. I felt way more connected to these characters than I did to the new kids from SCREAM 4. They felt real enough for Woodsborro and demonstrated a similar sharpness as their iconic predecessors. The deaths hurt and most of one-liners landed. Though this new bunch may not have as many memorable moments now, who knows what lines we will be quoting in 10-15 years.

Favorite Scene: Mindy Meeks-Martin channels her uncle and explains the ins and outs of the horror genre today.

MVP: Tara Carpenter

The Trio

I was just so happy to get all three of them back. I think we take the fact that Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, and David Arquette have been in FIVE movies from a single horror franchise. That never happens. My favorite aspect of SCREAM is that the movies are about the survivors, not the killers. This is Sidney’s story. She is the center of it all. She is the glue that holds this entire story together. And even when new characters are brought in, it always goes back to her. As it should. Did I want them to have more screen time? Of course! Always and forever. But I can’t sit here and complain about it too much. I know how lucky we are that they would even come back and care so much about their characters, the material and, the fans. So thank you TRIO, for returning to Woodsborro.

Favorite Scene: The Dewey and Gale scene outside on the street.

MVP: All three of them! Duh.

Stab

I adore how the STAB movies were used. We got to see even more footage from the first STAB and we even got a brief glance at the cast list, reminding everyone that Tori Spelling was the lead of that movie. Would I watch a full-length feature film of STAB? Absolutely. I love everything about how STAB has been woven into all the sequels.

Favorite STAB moment: The RULES.

MVP: The poster art. I want it on my wall, on a shirt, and on a mug.

Wes

Wes was there. I felt his humor, his personality, his style, and his heart while I was watching this. He would have loved the movie. They did so much more than just name a character after him and call that a tribute. One of the things that made me feel like the movie was in the right hands was hearing Neve talk about Tyler and Matt. They wrote her a letter asking her to be in the movie and revealed that Wes Craven was the reason they become horror directors. He was their horror hero and nd I think it shows.

Favorite Wes Moment: The gentle bird calls when his dedicated title card came up.

MVP: Wes Hicks

Set Pieces

This move has some great set-pieces. None are as good as THAT Gale scene in Scream 2 or the opening scene from the first one. Those are, in my opinion, two of the greatest scenes in horror. But it does have a hell of an opening scene (I would rank it 3rd behind SCREAM and SCREAM 2)! Overall, I thought the kills were pretty good and tension was pretty high.

Favorite Kill: I’m not gonna say.

MVP: The one during the DAY… no spoilers!

And SHOUT OUT to the little things. Like the inclusion of Red Right Hand and the ever so brief Kirby mention….

Was this movie perfect? NO. But that’s okay. I can’t wait to watch it over and over none the less.