Scream IV takes place after to events of the previous film yada yada yada. If you've been watching scream over the last 26 years you know the basic drill by now. But this ain't no basic sequel.
What radio silence have managed to do is create something that feels very familiar but stands out on its own from under the Sydney Prescott umbrella. Sure she gets a mention, but there is no Neve Campbell coming to save the day so our new heroines Sam and Tera and their crew are on their own in the big apple facing down an unrelenting force closing in on them and making them feel more and more trapped within one of the biggest cities in the world, which is a real credit to the screenwriters.
Gone is the goofy bumbling, falling over chairs Ghostface from previous films. This iteration makes the killer character really mean and really brutal. The killings have this aggression behind them which really does feed into the characters and motivation unmasked in the grand reveal during the third act.
There is a genuine mixed and violent bag of ways people meet their demise and while there has been online backlash for Ghostface using a shotgun while masked (as the killer has never used a firearm until being unmasked) the tension of the cat and mousery this film exudes throughout is what will have you hanging until the final frame. The chases are back baby!
Also, it's worth noting that this film is definitely the most violent and bloody, but it all fits while never moving away from the brand of self-knowing, slasher that scream has perfected over the two plus decades.
It's not a film, that requires a cinema session to appreciate it, though I recommend you get together with your core friend group and make a night of it. You'll appreciate it even more.
My two negatives are fairly minor. My first point I want to lay out is that this film would have benefitted from anamorphic lenses. The scope would have really been brought out of the locations and some of the nail biting chase sequences. Just sometimes the framing left you wanting you see more of the environment in scenes.
My other negative is that sometimes there's a victim who somehow survives their seeming significant injuries and while minor in the grand scheme of a slasher horror movie, just sat funny with me. I think they could have worked a little harder to set up their survival.
But please, don't be worried that scream is running out of steam. This new installment opens up a whole new world of possibilities to keep the story going and hopefully the studio and producers will re-engage with Neve and negotiate a fair deal for her to return.
What radio silence have managed to do is create something that feels very familiar but stands out on its own from under the Sydney Prescott umbrella. Sure she gets a mention, but there is no Neve Campbell coming to save the day so our new heroines Sam and Tera and their crew are on their own in the big apple facing down an unrelenting force closing in on them and making them feel more and more trapped within one of the biggest cities in the world, which is a real credit to the screenwriters.
Gone is the goofy bumbling, falling over chairs Ghostface from previous films. This iteration makes the killer character really mean and really brutal. The killings have this aggression behind them which really does feed into the characters and motivation unmasked in the grand reveal during the third act.
There is a genuine mixed and violent bag of ways people meet their demise and while there has been online backlash for Ghostface using a shotgun while masked (as the killer has never used a firearm until being unmasked) the tension of the cat and mousery this film exudes throughout is what will have you hanging until the final frame. The chases are back baby!
Also, it's worth noting that this film is definitely the most violent and bloody, but it all fits while never moving away from the brand of self-knowing, slasher that scream has perfected over the two plus decades.
It's not a film, that requires a cinema session to appreciate it, though I recommend you get together with your core friend group and make a night of it. You'll appreciate it even more.
My two negatives are fairly minor. My first point I want to lay out is that this film would have benefitted from anamorphic lenses. The scope would have really been brought out of the locations and some of the nail biting chase sequences. Just sometimes the framing left you wanting you see more of the environment in scenes.
My other negative is that sometimes there's a victim who somehow survives their seeming significant injuries and while minor in the grand scheme of a slasher horror movie, just sat funny with me. I think they could have worked a little harder to set up their survival.
But please, don't be worried that scream is running out of steam. This new installment opens up a whole new world of possibilities to keep the story going and hopefully the studio and producers will re-engage with Neve and negotiate a fair deal for her to return.