Released on Jan. 14, just two weeks into the new year, the long awaited “Scream” is luring back both old fans of the franchise and introducing new fans to the infamous town of Woodsboro, California. Directed and produced by the filmmaking trio Radio Silence, whose other credits include “Southbound” (2016) and “Ready or Not” (2019), the newest addition to the 26-year-old franchise is proving to be a killer way to start the year. The film earned almost $39 million in its first week of release.
The fifth installment of the franchise, and the first not directed by original writer and director Wes Craven, returns to Woodsboro as we’re introduced to the film’s protagonist, Tara Carpenter (Jenna Ortega). Following tradition, the film begins with a phone call from an unknown number. As a seemingly harmless conversation about horror movies turns sinister, Tara is attacked at her home by a masked murderer, referred to as Ghostface. After finding out that Tara is in the hospital after her attempted murder, Tara’s estranged older sister Sam (Melissa Barrera) ventures back to Woodsboro believing she may know why Tara was targeted.
With the last Scream movie released in 2011, 2022’s release effectively brings the iconic Ghostface to a new generation. The audience this time around is introduced to Tara’s friend group, made up of relatable characters and played by a diverse cast. Looking back on the rest of the franchise, it is not difficult to notice just how white the series has been. 1997’s “Scream 2” opens with a Black couple and has a Black main character named Hallie (Elise Neal), but none of them survive to the end of the movie. There are other very minor Black side characters throughout the rest of the series and virtually no representation for other POC, but overall the main cast of characters throughout the franchise is glaringly white. Fortunately, that changes in the fifth installment. Jenna Ortega, who plays the protagonist, is Mexican and Puerto Rican; Melissa Barrerra, who plays her sister Sam, is a Mexican actress as well. Tara’s friend group has two siblings, Chad (Mason Gooding) and Mindy (Jasmin Savoy Brown), who are both Black and play integral roles in the film. Mindy also brings some LGBTQ+ representation to the franchise in contrast to“Scream 4” (2011), which reveals a gay character’s sexuality seconds before his death.
Modernizing this meta-slasher-who-dunnit franchise for a new contemporary audience doesn’t mean it forgets its roots, however. This movie continues to recognize its cult status and will not fail to please long-time, die-hard fans. Contrary to the current trend of remaking old classics, “Scream” is actually a sequel that more or less follows the general format of the first film. In the film, Mindy explains it as a requel: not a direct sequel but not quite a remake. A requel introduces a new band of characters to follow, but also brings back ‘legacy characters’ to tie the new film to the previous entries. And this movie definitely does, because you can’t have a Scream movie without Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell), the original protagonist of the first four films. Other essential characters of the franchise, Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox) and Dwight ‘Dewey’ Riley (David Arquette), also return to assist the new characters in figuring out who might be the killer; several other side characters from the previous films make brief appearances as well, like Judy Hicks (Marley Shelton) and Martha Meeks (Heather Matarazzo).
Callbacks and references to the previous films are bountiful throughout, either shown directly or rewarding attentive viewers with small background details and subtle nods. At no point does the film feel like it caters to a nostalgic audience or bathes in its own cleverness — it simply and genuinely honors its origins, making it a point to respect its fanbase and the franchise’s legacy.
In an interview with BoxOfficePro, the Radio Silence trio — Tyler Gillett, Chad Villella and Matthew Bettinelli-Olpin — discussed their connection to the franchise and how it affected their filmmaking experience.
“We’re lifelong fans of Scream. It’s a movie that is near and dear to our hearts in terms of [our] coming up in the horror space,” Villella said.
When asked about the late original director and what it was like to make a film based on his work, they wanted to create something that would honor Craven.
“In a lot of ways, the movie is a love letter to Wes that also pushes the franchise forward,” Bettinelli-Olpin said.
The film also includes a cameo from engaged duo Dead Meat, composed of content creators Chelsea Rebecca and James A. Janisse. They specialize in horror movie content on Youtube and a popular podcast. The duo have recently been invited to premiers and were involved with marketing for big horror films. They even conducted an interview with the cast of the latest Scream.
Very often, sequels, remakes or adaptations are created and brought to life by people who have no previous connection to the original, which can often lead to a palpable feeling of detachment. To see filmmakers and fans become involved in projects like these allows for a more sincere approach, with an authentic desire to create something for those who love the source material. “Scream” accomplishes this without indulging in itself.
Jenna Ortega has pretty big shoes to fill, following Neve Campbell as one of the protagonists of the film; but she certainly does not disappoint. Ortega is no stranger to horror, with roles in “Insidious: Chapter 2” (2013), “The Babysitter: Killer Queen” (2020), and a role in an upcoming feature from horror director Ti West titled “X” (2022). Having previously worked in TV, her transition to film has been successful, and she continuously proves herself to be an extremely skilled actor — specifically standing out as a potential breakout scream queen.
A film of many firsts — with different directors and protagonists — “Scream” (2022) is also the first of the franchise with a different composer. Instead of Marco Beltrami, a long time collaborator with Craven, the film was scored by composer Brian Tyler, who has also created music for several Marvel and Fast and Furious films, as well as Radio Silence’s other film “Ready or Not”.
Scream (2022) is both loyal to its history and serves as a refreshing new addition to the series — a hard task to accomplish when following in the footsteps of such an influential and master filmmaker like Wes Craven. It is indisputably a film made by fans, for fans, with sincerity and ingenuity; staying faithful to everything that makes a Scream movie a Scream movie. Whether you have seen the previous four films or not, the fifth installment balances humor and horror to create a memorable and thrilling theater experience for a wide audience. Just remember, if you need to go grab some more popcorn or refill your drink, DO NOT say “I’ll be right back” – you do know the rules to surviving a horror movie, right?
Hilary Gil is an Entertainment Staff Writer. She can be reached at hsgil@uci.edu.