Eleven years following the release of “Scream 4”, the newest installment in the famous horror series had a giant mountain to climb and succeeded thanks to the vision of filmmakers Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett. Wes Craven, who directed the first four films in the franchise, passed away in 2015, and Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett honor the legacy of Craven by giving this version of “Scream” a style that feels new and intense, much like how David Gordon Green revived the Halloween franchise back in 2018. Ghostface returns to cause more chaos and destruction in the town of Woodsboro, and from the moment we first see him, we get a Ghostface that is intense, gritty, and scary, making this the best incarnation of Ghostface since the original Scream back in 1996. What makes Ghostface scary is that he doesn’t have supernatural abilities. Still, unlike Michael Meyers, a soulless evil person, Ghostface is an ordinary person who becomes evil due to an influence on scary movies and, to quote The Joker, “All it takes is a little push.” Neve Campbell, David Arquette, and Courteney Cox reprise their respective roles of Sidney Prescott, Dewey Riley, and Gale Weathers to great success. This time however they are part of the supporting cast so that the new characters can have their opportunity to shine and be the main focus in this movie. Seeing Campbell, Arquette, and Cox be the mentor actors in this film gives off a vibe similar to when Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, and Carrie Fisher returned for “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega give fantastic performances as the two new lead characters who assist the big three in figuring out who is behind the Ghostface killings. The supporting cast, or the suspects consisting of Kyle Gallner, Mason Gooding, Mikey Madison, Dylan Minnette, Jack Quaid, Jasmin Savoy Brown, and Sonia Ben Ammar, all deliver outstanding performances in the film. “Scream” is not only the best Scream sequel but is also one of the best horror sequels since 2018’s “Halloween.” Thanks to Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett’s fantastic direction, unpredictable twist and turns, great kills by Ghostface, and excellent performances by Campbell, Arquette, Cox, Barrera, and Ortega, “Scream” is an outstanding return to the world of Woodsboro. It also opens the door for potential sequels within the series and manages to honor the legacy of horror icon Wes Craven with great respect.
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