This Scream review contains no SPOILERS at all .
Finally guys . After yesterday we listened to the retro review of the first 4 Scream films , now we will also review the fifth film from this 90s hit slasher horror franchise .
And yes, I personally am a fan since childhood, really anticipating Scream or we can also call it Scream 5 . Moreover, this is the first Scream film without the intervention of the director of the 4th film, the mestro slasher , (late) Wes Craven ( A Nightmare on Elm Street ).
Oh yes, one more factor is the new director, Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett ( Ready or Not ). Apart from being a fan of Ready or Not (2019), of course, I, like you, are also a fan of Scream , wanting to see the results of their work.
Specifically, have the two succeeded in satisfying us who are "veterans" fans ? And are they also successful in honoring one of the franchises that has always been iconic with the figure and name of Wes Craven? Well , let's just take a look at the following Screm review .
Veteran Character Has Move-On
Scream or Scream 5 , is set 25 years after the events of the original film which was released in 1996. Now after the ghostface serial murders in Scream 4 (2011) , the city of Woodsboro can be said to have returned to safety and peace.
Maybe because it's been 11 years since there has been no ghostface terror , that's what finally made all the main characters, veterans who are still alive, decide to move from their hometown. Yes, the point is that they want to move on and start a new life.
Sydney Prescott (Neve Campbell) is now married and has 2 or 3 daughters. Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox) is now the host of a very popular morning news program.
Meanwhile, the Sheriff of Woodsboro Police, Dewey Riley (David Arquette), has now retired as police chief and has decided to live alone. This is also because he in this film has divorced Weathers.
Must Again Deal With Ghostface Terror
However, the peace of life for the residents of Woodsboro and the three veteran characters that had lasted for the last 11 years, was suddenly disturbed again. Because all of its citizens were terrorized by ghostface again .
Yes, if we think about it in an era that is all sophisticated, digital , and all online , it seems crazy that the terror of ghostface serial killers still exists. But yes again, this does happen. And this terror begins when Tara Carpenter (Jenna Ortega) is attacked at her home.
But fortunately he survived the attack. However, this attack on Tara is only the beginning of the serial death "game" from ghostface . He also then also targets Tara's sister, Samantha (Melissa Barerra).
Even when Tara and Samantha are in the hospital, ghostface is still after them. Seeing this increasingly crazy threat, Samantha asked Dewey for help. Yes, unlike Gale and Sidney, Dewey still lives faithfully in his hometown.
Having an Attachment to the Past
At first, Dewey was reluctant to help the brothers. However, after being reminded by Samantha that the current ghostface killer also has the potential to take his life, Dewey finally agrees.
Well, Samantha's statement was not wrong at all. The ghostface actors in this film are not only targeting Samantha and her friends. But he is also after Dewey and all the characters who have something to do with the events of his first murder 25 years ago.
Yes, that's right, this means, the killer is also after Sidney and Gale. Now in the midst of this chaos, it turns out that Samantha and Tara also have a strong connection with the events of 25 years ago.
Hmm, what kind of strong connection do you think? Then can the new characters and veteran characters work together in harmony to stop the terror of the ghost masked killer once and for all?
When it's OK, we don't have to do anything anymore
Okay, after we discuss the plot of the story, let's continue this review by answering the two questions in the opening paragraph of this Scream review .
Is this film successful in satisfying its franchise fans ? The answer is yes, very successful. Then, is this film successful in honoring Wes Craven's legacy of this film series? The answer is double or even triple success too.
Yes guys . As a fanboy of the Scream franchise since childhood, I was really surprised and amazed by what Olpin and Gillett did with this fifth film. The two of them kept their promise a few years ago.
Specifically, the two have promised fans and even Campbell, that they will not modify or drastically change or even show this fifth film with their fresh vision.
And yep. They really kept their promise. Both of them only had to do a "semi copy-paste" of the first film. Both just need to modernize and also give a little ornament of this and that to beautify it.
Anyway, once again, if we're a fanboy of the Scream franchise , I guarantee you all won't protest.
Incorporating Ready or Not Film Elements
Well, apart from not changing Craven's classic formula for this film series, Olpin and Gillett are cool, they also give a little element / feel from their Ready or Not film .
Of course, I won't tell you the details. The point is, if you've watched Ready or Not, you 'll understand. But if you haven't watched it, it's a good idea to watch the film first. If you have, surely you will later understand what the meaning of this statement is,
Anyway, what is clear is that the addition of Ready or Not elements does not necessarily weaken the film. In fact, this addition makes this film even more exciting and gripping the game of paint & mouse between Ghostaface and its potential victims.
Excellent Management of Old and New Characters
This is probably the aspect I like the most about Olpin and Gillett in Scream . Yes, with the film featuring old and new characters, it's not an easy task to manage these two characters.
Of course, they are like us, they don't want veteran characters to just appear as a nostalgic attraction. Besides that, we also don't want the old characters to appear in inappropriate scenes/scenarios or interfere with the scenes of the new characters?
So once again, Olpin and Gillett were very successful in managing the appearance and interaction of these different generations of characters. So, everyone can get a very fair spotlight and also make the whole scene have a really good plot.
Charming Old and New Star Acting Competition
Now, all of the positive aspects that have been mentioned through this Scream review , are only strengthened by super qualified acting quality. Whether it's the trio of veterans (Campbell, Cox, Arquette) or all the new players, all of them put on their A-class performances.
And what's even more ridiculous is that the A-class performances displayed by this trio of veterans, they can show in not too much screen duration (except for Arquette). Now speaking of Arquette, finally through this film he succeeded in giving his coolest appearance as Dewey.
Not that in the previous 4 Scream films he wasn't good. But if we compare again, yes, in Scream 5 , this is indeed the best performance. Anyway his appearance makes us very impressed and also super emotional.
As for the cast of the current generation, for me it is Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Jack Quaid, and Sonia Ben Ammar. Yes, these names are very cool appearances for me in this film. Especially Ortega and Barrera who incidentally, are the two main character actors.
Slightly Less Biting Motives and Death Scenes
Unfortunately despite all the positive aspects that have been mentioned, Scream still has some drawbacks.
What stands out the most for me is the scene where the ghostface victims die, which is less bite-sized. Yes overall, mediocre. It's very different from Scream 1996 and Scream 2 , whose methods of death are much more "creative".
However, if we think about it, since Scream 4 , the death scenes of ghostface victims have become more and more "common". And Scream 5 is getting generic and corny . So for those of you who like me expect a unique and unusual death scene, well , just lower your expectations.
Besides that, the soosk motif behind the ghostface masks and costumes in this film may be unreasonable or strange for some of you. But for me, the ghostface 's motive is still very relatable to the condition of the world we live in today.
Specifically, now there are more and more people who commit murder for reasons that don't make sense or are weird? Yes, that's roughly the motive for ghostace in this film. So yes, there will be 50-50 people who like and don't like this motif.
Oh yeah, maybe one more drawback, which is also 50-50 in nature, is the ghostface identity , which I personally smelled from the start. This is exactly like when I watched Scream 4 .
Anyway, from the beginning when I saw Jill Roberts (Emma Roberts)'s character and background story, I already suspected that she was the ghostface . And that's right, isn't it? So once again, when I watched Scream 5 , I also managed to feel the same way.
The Perfect Tribute To Scream and Wes Craven
But despite some of these shortcomings. We can conclude through this Scream review that the film is still very good. Whether you are a fan since the first film was released (like me) or are a recent fan , or have just watched this film, I guarantee you will like it.
Anyway really entertaining from start to finish. For those of us who are fanboys , this film is not the best Scream film . The first or original Scream is still the best of all time.
However, we cannot deny that Scream 2022 is a beautiful and perfect tribute not only to this franchise , but also to the original director, Wes Craven. Guaranteed, Craven is now smiling to see what Olpin and Gillett have done to this franchise .
I really hope this film is the last film in this franchise . But if there is a sequel later, Olpin and Gillett are a duo of figures who have to deal with it again.
