<Review by: Sailesh Ghelani>

Directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett. Starring Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Jack Quaid, Mikey Madison, Marley Shelton, Dylan Minnette 

Just as they say in this movie, fans of the films will always be upset when they don’t handle the source material properly and don’t pay homage to the originals. While the ‘legacy’ cast are all here, SCREAM doesn’t really work as a film that explains its own genre and sometimes makes fun of it.

Jenna Ortega in SCREAM

What do we go to watch? The chemistry between those characters that thrilled us in films that didn’t need ghosts or monsters to scare the living daylights out of us. We are warmed by the site of Sydney Prescott (Neve Campbell) and Gale Weathers (Courtney Cox) standing next to each other again. We can’t help but want to hug Dewey Riley (David Arquette) and shed a tear for him…

We want the old days back, especially considering, as the characters in SCREAM say, there are no new ideas left in Hollywood, which is why they keep going back to their IP films from the 80s and 90s that they know people will go to watch because of nostalgia. But very few get these ‘re-quels’ right.

Trying to be clever, this new SCREAM film feels similar but so far different from the original. There’s no real suspense – you pretty much know who at least one of the killers is halfway through if not before. The formula for kills is the same – you can use the original template but at least improve upon it and show us something new and interesting.

Neve Campbell and Courtney Cox in SCREAM

Not going to get into the plot of the film suffice it to say that the young ones are all out to get some notoriety in this new social media age of 15-seconds of fame. Couldn’t really care much for the new protagonist played by Melissa Barrera as she’s not really given much to do. Would rather have seen more of Neve Campbell who has aged wonderfully; the same can’t be said for dear Courtney Cox, but we love her anyway.

What you want from these films is heart and soul. SCREAM doesn’t have that even though it’s fun at point and makes you jump now and then. But really in this day and age of super heroes and CGI, it’s hard to make a guy/girl in a black robe and silicone Halloween mask scary or believable. Speaking of which, people being stabbed seven times or shot and not having to go to the hospital or not dying is far from believable. It’s just convenient for the story. Or lazy.

Watch the Trailer