SCREAM (18)
★★★II
The fifth outing of Ghostface, is described as a ‘requel’ – a polished new generation of horror such as the 2018 Halloween, which unites legacy characters and fresh faces in a storyline that harks back to the original, but with contemporary flourishes.
Twenty-five years after the sleepy California town of Woodsboro first cowered at the mention of Ghostface, a maniac in the distinctive mask attacks high school student Tara Carpenter (Jenna Ortega) in the family home. Older sister Sam (Melissa Barrera) races to her sibling’s hospital bedside with boyfriend Richie (Jack Quaid) in tow.
Tara’s circle of shocked friends
Amber (Mikey Madison), Liv
(Sonia Ammar),
Wes (Dylan Minnette) and the twins Chad
(Mason Gooding)
and Mindy (Jasmin Savoy Brown) are potential suspects – and victims – as the town’s mortuary swiftly fills up. Deputy Judy Hicks (Marley Shelton), from Scream 4, investigates and against their better judgment, seasoned survivor Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell), reporter Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox) and former sheriff Dewey Riley (David Arquette) are drawn into the community’s new nightmare.
Scream is derivative but well executed by co-directors Tyler Gillet and Matt Bettinelli-olpin, the diabolical duo responsible for 2019’s lip-smackingly sadistic game of hide and seek, Ready Or Not.
In-jokes abound, Cox and Arquette accomplish impressive emotional heavy lifting in limited screen time, while Ortega goes through the wringer in the hope she might survive until the credits roll. “Something about this one just feels different,” cryptically mutters Dewey to Sidney.
Not really, I’m afraid.