Scream

All the way back in 1996, a new horror film hit screens starring Hollywood sweetheart Drew Barrymore. The shocking twist of the opening kill scene firmly cemented Ghostface in the zeitgeist of the 90’s and our hearts. 25 years later and Ghostface is back to terrorise Woodsboro, much to the delight of slasher fans everywhere. 

Given that the newest instalment is number 5 in the series, you would be forgiven for thinking that the movie is a tired cash grab entry in a franchise that should have died long ago, but the hotly anticipated horror is so much more. 

Scream 5 stands out as a carefully penned love letter to the genre and its fans, managing to elevate without taking itself too seriously. For many fans, especially those 90’s kids like me, Scream was one of the first horror movies we watched. We grew up with Ghostface. I remember the school discos where every kid seemed to have that mask with the hidden pump that made it bleed. For us, we return to Woodsboro with the anticipation of reuniting with an old friend. 

If you haven’t yet managed to catch Scream 5 – there will be spoilers ahead – so proceed with caution..

When a franchise is as loved as Scream, there is always the fear that it will be spoiled in some way. I tried to go in with an open mind and no expectations, and was happily rewarded with the first 5* film I’ve caught so far this year.

I know there is criticism that the film is too ‘meta’, but for me, that’s what we love about Scream. From its playful slashes at genre tropes to the all out film within a film of the ‘Stab’ series, Scream has always been intensely self aware. The torch has passed from film buff Randy Meeks with the next generation of Scream Queen Mindy (Jasmin Savoy Brown – Sound of Violence) detailing the rules of survival. 

Fans will see elements of themselves in the newly introduced characters – with Tara (Jenna Ortega) making a wry observation on the Babadook that left me feeling SEEN. 

The familiar faces we know and love are thrown together to take down Ghostface once more with a new group of teens, led by the daughter of Billy Loomis – Sam Carpenter (Melissa Barrera). Genre isn’t new to all of the cast, with Wes (Dylan Minnette) recognisable from his role in Don’t Breathe and Kyle Gallner starring in Jennifers Body and Haunting in Connecticut previously. And I absolutely have to mention the incredible performance from Mikey Madison as the unhinged Amber. As a big Tarantino fan I practically squealed at the Once Upon A Time In Hollywood reference.

Scream 5 is full of little easter eggs for the eagle eyed to find. From the YouTube advert confirming Kirby Reed’s (Hayden Panettiere) survival to the party ‘For Wes’ (RIP Wes Craven), there are definitely a number of blink and you’ll miss it moments that make it worth a rewatch. 

The kills in the latest instalment are definitely more shocking and there is perhaps more gore than we’re strictly used to with the series, but with the not so subtle digs at ‘elevated’ horror, Scream 5 managed to step up whilst remaining a classic slasher at its core.