Ticket or Miss It: Scream 5 (2022) Review

Before high-brow horror took over in the 2010s and 2020s, the Scream franchise terrorized its way to four movies between 1996 and 2011: becoming a staple among slasher flicks.

Always self-aware and gory, the Scream movies built their legacy on their meta-commentary of horror trends, an iconic killer in Ghostface and a clever writer-director duo. 

The late Wes Craven, who created Nightmare on Elm Street, and writer Kevin Williamson knew that their movies had to be savvy before they started to critique fellow horror titles and classics.

Did the new movie (Scream a.k.a. Scream 5) handle this assignment and deliver?

Featuring a new creative team behind the production, Scream (2022) became an undue sequel-reboot too caught up in its attempts for self-awareness and roasting of annoying modern horror to be a smooth ride. But it was fun and full of blood … which is the most these slasher movies have to offer.

The young cast of no-names was nothing special beyond bodies waiting to get added to a kill count by the anonymous killer. 

However, the legacy figures from the first four movies — Neve Campbell, David Arquette, Courteney Cox and others — brought refreshing humanity to the story as characters that were haunted by Ghostface nearly three decades ago — coming together to find and kill the latest maniac in a black cloak and white mask … for what they assume will be the final time. 

In the end, Scream 5 was a fun trip to the theater, delivering entertaining moments of tension as surround sound brought heightened tension to each kill’s set-up. 

Most viewers will probably guess the killer(s)’s identity by the third act, but admitting the dialogue brought hesitation to a once-confident guess is worth giving the creative team credit … bumping the movie to a solid 7/10. 

The story and twists are not as strong as they assume. Still, the popularized Ghostface butchery and substantial character moments by the Woodsboro veterans will be worth the price of admission for those that grew up with the esteemed horror franchise.

Keep theaters alive; watch Scream 5.

Follow along on Twitter: @AlejandroAveela