SCREAM

We had to wait eleven long years to find the universe of SCREAM in the cinema. We will forget the series which turned out to be disappointing and to be a simple exploitation of this much appreciated cinematographic saga. This film is also dedicated to the memory of one of the masters of horror Wes Craven who directed the four previous films before he died on August 30, 2015 from a brain tumor. 

While one might have expected a simple sequel or reboot of the original film, screenwriters James Vanderbilt, Guy Busick found the perfect approach to continue the SCREAM universe and integrate new important elements making this film no longer a recreation of the 90's but placing the action in our present time. A time in which new technologies have evolved and the three main characters of the previous films have aged along with the audience. 

Far from being mere screen appearances, the characters Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell), Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox), Dewey Riley (David Arquette) have a real importance and bring to this film a dose of nostalgia much more successful than that of the original Ghostbusters team in Ghostbusters Afterlife released in theaters recently. In the same way the duo of directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett (Ready or not) (2019)) deliver here simply their best film and especially confirm all the good we think of them. If SCREAM easily surpasses the two previous parts and finds all the strength and efficiency of the first two parts, it is especially by its scenario and its dialogues and its casting that the final result easily surpasses our expectations

The story of SCREAM is a direct continuation of the first movie and so Twenty-five years after a series of brutal murders has shaken the peaceful town of Woodsboro, California, a new killer puts on the mask of Ghostface and attacks a group of teenagers to resurrect the secrets of the murderous past of the town and more precisely related to the characters of the original movie. More cleverly, the screenwriters James Vanderbilt, Guy Busick pay homage to the screenwriter Kevin Williamson, creator of the SCREAM universe in the movies and start the movie by revisiting the scene of the original movie but with real differences making sure to simply reinvent this universe and bring it up to date. 

As in SCREAM 2 (1997), this new part intelligently criticizes the Hollywood industry and the too often lack of imagination of the sequels. The numerous quotations from films like Friday the 13th, Halloween, Star Wars, but also from Jordan Peele's films and even The Babadook (2014) by Jennifer Kent easily reinforce the efficiency of this film and the numerous killings of some of the characters in the film are as inventive as effective and never fall into gory effects like those of the SAW saga. We will also appreciate the criticism made to the director Rian Johnson especially for Knives out but for being the director of the film Stab 8 cited in the film as a failed sequel. By criticizing the lack of imagination and risk-taking of the current Hollywood industry capable of making endless sequels to bring in a maximum of money (the film saga SAW is the perfect example), SCREAM reveals a real maturity compared to the numerous slashers and especially succeeds in surprising us until the final denouement that we don't see coming.

The cinematographic saga SCREAM has never hidden its will to have been created for the true fans of genre cinema and to show the numerous rules that its films follow to avoid being killed by a psychopathic killer who haunts your nights or spoils your vacation at Crystal Lake or your Halloween party. By succeeding in creating with Ghostface an emblematic and cult killer of the cinema in the same way as Michael Myers, Freddy Krueger or Jason Voorhees, this new chapter of the cinematographic saga SCREAM proves to be an undeniable success and brings a new approach to this universe. In this society in which many people are fed to social networks and give their life in fodder to the eyes of the world to become famous at any price, SCREAM questions us on the failings of our current society in which are created real monsters with human face which feed permanently the information broadcasted on television.

The scriptwriters James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick have understood that to really capture the attention of the public, it is not necessary to give them the same genre movies to watch. You have to break their rules, take risks and constantly play with the audience's nerves (one of the scenes in the film turns out to be a real model of the genre).  In the same way as the previous films, the new characters are interpreted by young actors and actresses perfectly invested and the presence on screen of Jenna Ortega, Jack Quaid and Melissa Barrera bring to this film an undeniable added value. We leave the movie happy to finally have a successful sequel in theaters that surpasses our expectations and we want to see it again to have a different approach and to scrutinize the many small details that we have surely missed so much we were totally immersed in this film so expected.

SCREAM
Directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett
Written by James Vanderbilt, Guy Busick
Based on Characters by Kevin Williamson
Produced by William Sherak, James Vanderbilt, Paul Neinstein
Starring Melissa Barrera, Mason Gooding, Jenna Ortega, Jack Quaid, Marley Shelton, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Neve Campbell
Cinematography : Brett Jutkiewicz
Edited by Michel Aller
Music by Brian Tyler
Production : companies: Spyglass Media Group, Radio Silence Productions, Project X Entertainment, Outerbanks Entertainment
Distributed by Paramount Pictures
Release date : January 1, 2022 (France), January 14, 2022 (United States)
Running time : 114 minutes

Seen on January 12, 2021 at Gaumont Disney Village, Room 2 seat A19

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