Movie Review: Scream 4 (2011)
Putting the nail in the coffin of horror remake mediocrity
Photo: Dimension Films
If you're a fan of the Scream franchise you have to experience the fourth iteration in theaters on opening weekend when you're more likely to be sitting next to like-minded enthusiasts. While I don't expect the auditoriums to be as raucous as those in the opening scene of Scream 2, I can all but assure you fans will be laughing, screaming and cheering as the opening titles come on screen following an opening ten minutes that attempts to outdo all that came before it in what is easily the best Scream since the original.
The cast includes Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox-Arquette, David Arquette, Emma Roberts, Hayden Panettiere, Rory Culkin, Anthony Anderson, Adam Brody, Marley Shelton, Erik Knudsen, Anna Paquin, Kristen Bell and Alison Brie. For more information on this film including pictures, trailers and a detailed synopsis choose from the following menu.
Review
"Scream 4" is a Dimension Films release, directed by Wes Craven and is rated R for strong bloody violence, language and some teen drinking. The running time is 1 hour 51 minutes.
Taking cues from the original, Scream 4 presents itself as a horror remake. As such the rules set forth in the previous three films are twisted into a new set of laws. Set ten years after the events in Scream 3, Woodsboro has managed a semblance of normalcy. One time gossip journalist Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox) and Dewey Riley (David Arquette) are now settled in their new lives together. Gale has gotten out of exploitative journalism and Dewey is now Sheriff of the small town. But Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) is the final element necessary to put this franchise back on the big screen.
Sidney is returning to Woodsboro on the final leg of a book tour as she's promoting her new tome "Out of the Darkness," which serves as something of a cleansing of the palette as she hopes to put the past behind her and get on with life. Unfortunately for Sidney, wherever she goes, death follows and as one character in the film says, the films based on her life shouldn't have been called Stab they should have been called Final Destination.
So just where will the body count come from this time? And who's the killer? Well let me put it this way, Scream 4 delivers an impressive, gory and massive body count. As for the killer, more so than ever, everyone is a suspect as I think I guessed, at a minimum, five different people before the final reveal.
Where Scream 4 gets it right and Scream 2 and 3 got it wrong is in the development of a major portion of the supporting cast. Credit this to better writing or better casting, but either way you almost immediately feel like you know just enough about each character to be at least somewhat invested in their well-being and considering the size of the cast that's saying something.
New characters this time around are played by Emma Roberts, Hayden Panettiere, Rory Culkin, Erik Knudsen, Marielle Jaffe, Nico Tortorella, Alison Brie, Mary McDonnell, Marley Shelton, Anthony Anderson and Adam Brody. All are up to the task and fully invest in their roles no matter the screen time, providing plenty of entertainment and one-liners.
Of the newbies, Roberts impressed me as did Shelton, the latter of which seems tailor-made for these kinds of films following a similarly entertaining performance in Planet Terror. Panettiere is the one performer I had a hard time figuring out as she was sporting a high and tight haircut and attire that made her come off like something of a cougar in a high schooler's body. Nevertheless, I liked her in the role as she delivered Williamson's tongue-in-cheek dialogue just as well as the rest of the bunch, though Ghostface is the one that gets the majority of the one-liners, none of which I will spoil here.
To find a fault, I could say it runs a bit long as has pretty much each film in the franchise, but I didn't notice it the way I did with the last two. There is also a bit of a redundancy factor, but that's simply the nature of the narrative, and pretty much unavoidable.
This is a franchise that has always been self-aware, but this one even more so. These films have parodied themselves as much as they have been inventive along the way, and while the original Scream inspired plenty of films that attempted to mimic its success, Scream 4 looks just as much backwards as it does forwards, calling out all the shoddy horror remakes it leaves in its bloody wake and even takes time to fit in a comical dose of social commentary.
It's only fitting Craven would be at the helm, not only because he's directed all four so far, but because remakes of his The Last House on the Left, The Hills Have Eyes and A Nightmare on Elm Street have already penetrated the landscape. It's now his turn to put a stamp on the movement, or should I say a nail in the coffin of horror remake mediocrity, showing folks how it's done.
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WOAH! I guess I didn't read that article tagline correctly 'cause I was preparing to read a really bad review, but you liked it! Ahh I'm so excited! I cannot wait for SCRE4M. Sounds like they really managed to get it right, and not disappoint!
:)
same here – I thought that the tagline suggested differently. but now that i have read it a few times over i guess brad is suggesting that the Scream 4 is the end to horror remake medocirty – but as such should this be the first nail in that proverbial coffin? because i am not sure i know of any real "good" remake in the past history.
however – i am very interested in seeing this movie ! the original scream was and is still one of the most memorable movie experiences!
Dawn of the Dead, The Crazies etc
Nice to hear it's a good movie, I'll be there on opening night!
I've been going back and forth on whether or not I should see it. I'm not really a horror fan, but can get into it if it's done well. I was unsure about this one, but with a lot of people in it that I know, entertaining commercials, and now with this positive score, I'm getting more interested. The only problem is I haven't seen any of the previous films. Brad, is this a movie that someone could enjoy with only slight knowledge of the series, or should I at least try to watch the original before seeing it?
I was expecting a C+ at most, but a B+? I may have to reconsider now. Great review Brad.
I was just thinking that. I may have to reconsider this too now.
C+? Eh, I'll wait for it on DVD.
no, B+
I use a special formula with Brad's grades to see whether I will like it. If he likes it, I look at the letter grade, then drop it by 3-5 letter grades. If he doesn't like it, than I increase it by 3-5 letter grades.
Brad if you get scared easily- is this movie really scary?? Will I get nightmares??
AHAHA, I never get scared of psychos or sociopaths, it's only the supernatural, spirits, and ghost type of things that scare me, eg. The Exorcist.
I didn't find it to be all that scary, more fun than scary, but that's just me.
Had a feeling this would be awesome… and it's going to sell so many tickets this weekend.. hate it or love it-it's going to be huge, many will see it first weekend who have seen any of the last 3 so not to have the opening and ending spoiled by sites or friends.. I know I'll be there first showing.
Please ad your review to rotten tomatoes!
If this movie is as good as you say. us fans will appreciate you giving it good light in the most widely used critic site.
That tagline confuzzled me greatly. Looks like its between this and Hanna this week, I think I'll go for Hanna
Please make Scream 4 number 1 movie this weekend.
I'm so geed up now………….I've been watching the Scream trilogy this week, I only have the third left to rewatch tonight and then if everything goes as planned I should be seeing it Friday night.
If I really enjoy it I may even try and see it twice over the weekend. This is a franchise I have a huge fondness for so I will be prepared to spend money on multiple views if it approaches the quality of the first film.
Guessing it's a good sign that they let people/critics see the movie early.
can't wait for the movie thanks to this excellent review
Brad, I'm sure you don't want to give away too much of your box-office prognostications yet but I've been looking online and there are more than a few comments online that Scream 4 could be tracking towards a $50 million opening weekend.
Having seen it, does it strike you as something that COULD be feasable for it?
Though I understand if you would rather wait until you make this weeks full predictions. I was just curious.
Yeah I was wondering the same thing,I just can't see Rio taking the top spot this weekend.
Wow, look Hollywood! A Part IV of a series was good!
Will this inspire Coppola to add another chapter to the Corleone saga? Hopefully not.
Just screened this movie at work and Brad was on point in his review. Audiences are going to love this movie and it will definitely give Rio a run for its money this weekend. I can say I was honestly shocked by whom the killer ended up being and I hope to see more meaty roles for this person in the future. Bravo, Scream 4.
As you can tell no comments from after opening weekend. So what does that mean? Well I can't speak for everyone but for myself Scream 4 was a bore and not even scary. No originallity!!!!!!!!! The first Scream was hip and original and this one was suppose to be a reboot. It didn't do anything original or different. I really wanted to like it! I love the Wes Craven and the returning cast. But if you reboot or reimagine the original you have to up the anty. Next kill anyone and everyone so it knocks people off their feet and makes the get more invovled in the movie. And to the reviewer of movies on this site your are an IDIOT. A B grade on Scream 4 is insulting and the fact that Suckerpunch which is an original film gets a lower grade. That tells me you don't know jack..
I thought it was a decent movie. I wished there was more suspense though. I hope part 5 would happen. Maybe focus on a new cast with sidney making a cameo because i don't see why anyone would want to kill her anymore.