Quite possibly the most openly meta horror film that I’ve ever seen, Scre4m functions as not just an effective sequel to the horror franchise, it’s also one of the best horror sequels I’ve seen in general. Both the third sequel to Scream and a pseudo reboot to the franchise, director Wes Craven and writer Kevin Williamson (with a harmless assist from Scream 3 writer Ehren Krugen) have crafted something that’s both homage and unique. I’m incredibly impressed with what they came up with here. Not only is it the most entertaining movie since the original, it’s also the funniest installment in the franchise. I must confess to expecting something mediocre when I sat down to view the flick. Boy was I wrong, as this is something rather great. Insidious may be the scariest horror movie of 2011 so far, but Scre4m takes its self-referential nature and runs with it right by that fright flick to grab top genre honors for this point in the year from me. Fans of the original film should enjoy this one a great deal, especially the opening scene (for my money, it’s even better than the one with Drew Barrymore that started it all).
A decade after the last events in the franchise, heroine Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) has returned home to Woodsboro on a book tour. She’s put her tale of overcoming the anguish of the Ghostface killings on paper, and this is the last leg of the tour. No sooner has she returned, than people begin dying again. Meeting up again with Deputy Dewey Riley (now Sheriff, and still played by David Arquette) and Gale Weathers (now Gail Weathers-Riley, and still played by Courtney Cox), things seem to be following a familiar path.
This time, the killer wants to torture Sidney by going after a new generation of kids, including her cousin Jill (Emma Roberts). The story is, as previously mentioned, something that can be looked at as both reboot and sequel, and somehow it works as both. As usual, the characters all know they’re in a horror movie, but this time they know just what type of horror movie and what franchise they’re in.
Neve Campbell is relegated to the sidelines a bit this time around, and the same can be said for David Arquette and Courtney Cox as well. Campbell, Arquette, and Cox are all good, slipping right back into their familiar roles, but it’s clear that the purpose here is to pass things along to a new group (or is it? I’m being coy on purpose). As for the new group, the closest thing to a lead belongs to Emma Roberts as the cousin who seems to be the new target. Roberts is good as well, and this is a running theme. No one in the cast is bad, but no one in the cast is really asked too much of them. Other members of the group include Jill’s best friend and closet film geek Kirby (Hayden Panettiere), Jill’s ex-boyfriend Trevor (Nico Tortorella), her other close friend Olivia (Marielle Jaffe), along with film nerds Charlie (Rory Culkin) and Robbie (Erik Knudson). The highlight of that group is the spunky performance of Panettiere, who actually gives the best performance in the movie, for my money. The bit parts and cameos are filled by the likes of Anna Paquin, Kristin Bell, Adam Brody, Anthony Anderson, Allison Brie, Mary McDonnell, and Marley Shelton.
Staying on again as director is Wes Craven, and this is the most energized he’s been behind the camera since the original Scream. He’s confident and smooth in his direction, showing no signs of the laziness he exhibited last year with My Soul to Take.
He’s upped the gore quotient as a comment to the rise of the Saw franchise, and it fits the movie well. He continues to work well with scribe Kevin Williamson, who saw the aforementioned Kruger come on to this film at some point and take over writing duties, but it still feels more like the scripts that Williamson wrote for Scream and Scream 2 as opposed to the pale imitation that Kruger put forth when he wrote Scream 3. The comedy is more apparent here, but so is the film knowledge. The group is making up for lost time, and openly talks about many of the popular horror movies of the last decade in the brilliant opening scene (I won’t spoil what happens, but this is where you see the first hint that this is going to be an incredibly meta movie). They also have one character spout off pretty much every horror remake to come out in that time as well in another scene. As for the third act twist/reveal/climax, it’s pretty silly, but it really does take the meta element of the film and run with it. I can’t get into it without diving into spoiler territory, but you’ll understand it when you see it.
Scre4m is supremely entertaining, something that I was shocked to find. This is the rare film that looks like obvious money grab but turns out to be more. If you can handle some gore and don’t mind horror that doesn’t take itself very seriously, there are pleasures to be found here. I had prepared for the worst here, but ended up with almost the best. I can’t tell you how happy I am to see this turn out so well. Go figure that the first film to really try to re-invent the slasher movie genre would be a sequel to the last movie to re-invent the genre. If this is what Craven and Williamson are going to be up to now, then I say bring on films 5 and 6!
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