SCREAM (2022) INITIAL REVIEW!!!

*** THIS IS THE INITIAL REVEAL OF THE 2022 SCREAM SEQUEL THAT I WORKED ON FOR THE EXAMINER LAST JANUARY!!! CATCH MY FULL REVIEW OF SCREAM VI TOMORROW!!!***

A little more than 25 years ago, a horror satire called ‘Scream’ hit theaters just a few days before Christmas. Even though it opened to only $6.5 million, no one had any idea that it would ultimately become a huge hit and a new horror franchise would be born.

Over the years, three sequels were released: ‘Scream 2’ (1997 — a little less than a year after the first movie’s release), ‘Scream 3’ (2000) and ‘Scream 4’ (2011). Now, after a few setbacks, the series is back in a big way that serves as both a fresh take on the series and a direct sequel, kind of like 2018’s ‘Halloween.’ Ghostface is back on the big screen in the long-awaited installment of ‘Scream.’ Twenty-five years after a streak of brutal murders shocked the quiet town of Woodsboro, Calif., a new killer dons the infamous Ghostface mask and begins targeting a group of teenagers to resurrect secrets from the town’s deadly past.

The new take on ‘Scream’ really does a great job keeping the viewer entertained and scared at the same time. The new movie delivers quite a few tense moments and the traditional meta humor that the franchise is known for is still there.

‘Scream’ also features quite a few surprises that work really well and the movie does an amazing job keeping the viewer off-guard. Everyone at the showing I attended really enjoyed the movie and were still talking about it after the credits began rolling.

As a fan of the series, it was good to see the original characters back. Granted, they’re not in the movie as much since the new cast is the main focus. The new characters/cast really are interesting and seem like new versions of the original characters. I wouldn’t mind seeing them come back for another installment (well, the ones who survived this movie).

So, if you have enjoyed the previous movies or just wanted to get some thrills, check out the new ‘Scream’ at the Dietrich. It delivers the thrills, the humor and loads of surprises that connect to the original, along with a return of a surprise character.

The cast: Melissa Barrera (In the Heights) as Sam Carpenter; Jenna Ortega (Netflix’s The Babysitter: Killer Queen) as Tara Carpenter; Dylan Minnette (Netflix’s 13 Reasons Why; Don’t Breathe) as Wes Hicks; Jack Quaid (Rampage) as Richie Kirsch; Jasmin Savoy Brown as Mindy Meeks-Martin; Sonia Ammar as Liv McKenzie; Mikey Madison (Once Upon A Time in Hollywood) as Amber Freeman; Mason Gooding (Booksmart) as Chad Meeks-Martin and Kyle Gallner as Vince Schneider, along with returning actors Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette and Marley Shelton (Scream 4). ‘Scream’ is written by Guy Busick (Ready or Not) and James Vanderbilt (Netflix’s Murder Mystery; Zodiac) and directed by filmmaking duo Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, who last directed the 2019 horror ‘Ready or Not’ (an underrated horror gem that’s recommended).

Before the release of ‘Scream 4,’ it was revealed that there were plans gearing up for two more sequels. Due to lower box office numbers, and followed on by Wes Craven’s death in 2015, the plans were scrapped.

In November 2019, Spyglass Media Group acquired the rights after the original distributor/production company, Weinstein Company/Dimension Films, went bankrupt. Not long after the rights were acquired, development of a fifth movie began.

‘Scream’ is rated R for strong bloody violence, language throughout and some sexual references and has a running time of 114 minutes.