Despite the 1990s nostalgia and a screenplay well filled with “easter eggs” and moments of suspense, the film does not come close to the original
S cream 5 or just Scream , like the original from 1996, is top secret. The film starts worldwide today Thursday, until then no information was allowed to leak out. And that, although the rules of the horror game have long been written: 1. Never trust your loved one, 2. The murderer(s) are part of the circle of friends, 3. If you think someone is dead, you are wrong and please never say so : “I’ll be right back”.
But we’re back in Woodsboro. 25 years after the late Wes Craven began the franchise and ten years after Scream 4 , this time it’s about sisters Sam and Tara Carpenter (the last name is just the first in a never-ending series of genre references). Tara (Jenna Ortega) is home alone, gets a call, has to solve horror film puzzles and, like Drew Barrymore, defends herself very bravely against the murderer in carnival costume.
Sequel parody and rewrite
Sam (Melissa Barrera) is her estranged sister who left Woodsboro after a difficult discovery growing up, but is now coming back with her boyfriend Richie (Jack Quaid). She enlists the help of Dewey (David Arquette), who lives in a rather shabby trailer home, but then brings his old buddies Sidney (Neve Campbell) and Gale (Courteney Cox) back on board. So young and old are together and the murderous game picks up speed.
Is Scream (5) by director duo Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett a requel, a sequel or even the end of the Scream series? The question is dealt with in detail in the script, which is well filled with “easter eggs” and moments of tension. Despite the 1990s nostalgia, this falls short of the original, but the fifth installment does its best to walk the fine line between sequel parody and reimagining. (1/13/2022)