Summary
A ghost faced killer preys on a small town.
My Thoughts:
In 1996, horror master Wes Craven decided to to turn the slasher sub genre on its head, creating one of the funniest horror films, while still being a wholly terrifying film. He seamlessly blends terror and humor in one of the most unique scary movies I've had the pleasure of seeing, with fantastic tongue in cheek dialogue, plenty of gore, and a serious knack for breaking the fourth wall. The story is simple, a small town is being ravaged by a ruthless serial killer who wears a (now iconic) scary ghost mask. This ‘ghost face’ killer calls unsuspecting high schoolers, first seemingly harmless but grows more sinister as the dialogue progresses. The opener is a perfect way to set the tone, showing a young woman (Drew Barrymore, “E.T. The Extraterrestrial” ) at home alone when the call comes, it starts off a bit humorous then it turns to dread, one moment the viewer is laughing, the next their eyes are in their hands as the killer chases her through the home, knife at the ready. It's a genuine horror film with some obvious flaws, but this is an iconic film, one that spawned many sequels and copycats, and it still holds up against the test of time.
Reinventing a genre isn't something that happens very often, but Wes Craven was able to so brilliantly with Scream, and while not everything hits the mark, more often than not it does. The teen slasher has been around for a long time, so to make it feel completely fresh and original is no short feat. From the self parody of making fun of horror cliches (nudity, virgins, etc.) to the actual terror of being chased by a knife wielding masked maniac, Craven is able to make this journey his own, without clogging it down with the cliches he so readily mocks, this film oozes confidence from a director whose been in the game for quite some time. It's nice to see a slasher film about high schoolers where the characters actually have a brain, and don't rely on stupid decisions to get a bloody kill, and there's plenty of blood as the body count racks up.
While it may it hard to believe this cast are high schoolers with most of them in their mid twenties it's easy to forgive as each character is given their own room to breathe, the ensemble each plays a pivotal part until the last twisty minutes, Matthew Lillard plays the crazy slacker almost too well (it's a tad much at times), it's like an early premonition for his Shaggy role. Nev Campbell (Skyscraper) is the central protagonist who is the main target of the killer, she is constantly in fear even though those around her aren't. David Arquette is wonderfully awkward as the nerd turned police officer, Dewey who is constantly hit on by news reporter Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox) who is at almost every crime scene is hilarious fashion. With such a strong cast of genuine characters, it makes the terror that much more intense and enjoyable, it's paced well enough that when the Carnage comes, the audience is more than ready for it.
On top of being a solid teen slasher, Scream is also a great 'whodunit' constantly making the audience wonder who the killer is, I found myself making multiple guesses and changing who I though the killer was up until the big reveal, and while the twist isn't jaw on the floor crazy, and for some a bit predictable, it makes sense, and all the answers were right under the viewers noses the whole time. Wes Craven distracts us enough to miss little details to keep us guessing the whole time.
Overall Scream is an absolute blast of a horror movie and one that deserves an annual viewing this time of the year, it's a perfect Halloween teen slasher with brains. Wes Craven reinvents this genre, turning cliches on their heads and becoming a self parody at times. And while that does take away some of the tension, it still brings in a new element to this kind of slasher, blending humor and terror in a tight concise fashion. While some may find the humor and breaking the fourth wall a bit much, it's still a refreshing take on a familiar tale. The characters are written with care, and while some of the performances are a bit over the top, the moments of bloody horror can help forget some of Scream's shortcomings.
I give Scream 3.5 stars out of 5.
Review Written By: