Scream 4 [2011]

I was a kid growing up when the first “Scream” movie hit theaters back in 1996. The suspense became bigger than ever before, and the new age horror began with a clever mix of humor, suspense, blood and gore. Since then, so many movies have been made as a parody to the notorious killer, but only one film will come to mind when we speak of the “Ghostface”: The Scream franchise. But did we really need another sequel? Not really. But we got one anyway, and for fans of the series, you’ll know exactly what to expect from this 4th installment, the first since 2000 (damn has it been that long?). To be honest, I was a bit disappointed. There I said it. Don’t get me wrong though, I still had one hell of a time watching it, but I guess I realised halfway through how tired this franchise must look by now. Between a clever start and a shocking climax, the movie offers nothing new to the table. Can’t blame the writers, since the film’s sole idea was explored to its fullest in the first three movies.

Neve Campbell reprises her role as hometown girl Sidney Prescott, who is back in Woodsboro for a book signing. But Sidney has barely signed one autograph when Ghostface strikes again. Calling in Sheriff Dewey (David Arquette) is no help, since the dude always shows up late to the scene of the crime. His wife and former TV reporter Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox) wants a piece of the action, and boy does she get it. There are plenty of new targets this time around, mostly Highschoolers; Emma Roberts as Sidney’s cousin, Hayden Panettiere, and Marielle Jaffe. But leave it to Rory Culkin and Erik Kudson to deliver the goods as high school movie geeks. Their motto: “The unexpected is the new cliché”. Sadly, there’s nothing truly unexpected here, except of course the revelation of the killer. The rest we’ve seen so many times before, and better. But as a long time fan of the series, I won’t dismiss this sequel easily. Afterall, the cast is ace, and the horror fan in me that craves blood and gore was totally satisfied. But for God’s sake, enough already.

Rating: 2.5/4