This franchise has survived far longer than its pitch warranted, and to no small degree is responsible for the deluge of meta-commentary and fourth-wall breaking in films of the genre. While the individual movies varied wildly in terms of quality and commentary, the franchise remains true to the core principle of skewering the genre tropes and trends. At bat: the industry trend towards ‘re-quels’ (sequels that serve as reboots) that confusingly rename themselves identically to the original, ape the original plot, and resurrect the original characters for either extended cameos or ‘closure’. So, the film is a reskin on the original Scream while continuing threads that might have still been relevant. What this also means is fan-service galore, which will tickle fans of the franchise. The ongoing joke about the in-universe franchise adaptation of the original events called Stab allows the writers to gleefully mock social media trends and fan backlash. Is it great? No. But it is actually pretty fun. Some of the kills are amusing, the film toys with its predictability and obvious red-herrings, and the cast of both returning and new characters are enthusiastic which feels reflected in the performances. Jenny Ortega appears to be in half the productions coming out this year, and she easily demonstrates why the actress is in such demand. Some of the characters are vapid and narcissistic idiots, but this appears by design and intended to both mock contemporary society and online fanbases. Whether the joke still appeals to you, and how you emphasize or react to the commentary the filmmakers are trying to make will likely color and overshadow the content of the film itself, but for a franchise that should rightfully be exhausted, this entry reinvigorates and entertains far better than it has any right to.
Scream (2022)