Scream 4 (2011)
By thisguyoverhere | April 15, 2011
Cast: Neve Campbell, David Arquette, Emma Roberts
Directed by: Wes Craven
Written by: Kevin Williamson
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
It is the anniversary of the Woodsboro Murders once again, and Sidney Prescott has returned to her home town to promote her new book. The town has embraced its bloodied past and now almost cherishes it as a myth – no doubt churned by the numerous “Stab” movies that have been based upon the numerous homicidal incidents. This is to the dismay of the town’s sherif and his wife – Dewey and Gail – who lived through all three incarnations of Ghostface, the pet name given to the killer. It goes without saying that, yet again, the bodies begin to hit the floor.
Was a new addition of the Scream series necessary? It seems like eleven years after the lackluster third installment, audiences weren’t exactly -ahem- screaming for one. But given that duration, there were only two possibilities to milk this cash cow: a fourth film, or a remake of the original. And I suppose between the two evils, a sequel is more preferable.
The cast of Scream 4 (2011)
It fits in rather well with the rest of the series, however that isn’t really paying it much of a compliment considering the quality of Scream diminished after the first film and has merely sustained an enjoyable existence. Unfortunately, Scream 4 fails to reinvent the dormant series, or even breathe new life into it. It lacks the courage to really stir things up the way that Scream 2 killed off Randy, or Scream 3 killed off Cotton. This is particularly disappointing considering how often the characters speak of horror film clichés and how no one is sacred and “all bets are off”. It is obvious that, in fact, characters are sacred and that while they can be hurt, they can never die.
It’s also a staple of the series to provide commentary of teenage society, particularly through the lens of how horror films affect their psychological make-up; however, the analysis here is clunky and feels detached as if someone out of touch with teenage lifestyle wrote it. The script tries to skewer one too many things, and for a film that references other scary movies and talks of “clichés”, it ultimately shoots – er, stabs – itself in the foot by presenting us with archetypal, stereotypical, and otherwise uninteresting characters. There are moments when Scream 4 seems like it might head in a new direction – it hits briefly on how technology has made us become more voyeuristic – but then abandons it for more generic and uninteresting character motivation. As the film wraps up, it finds its way into the same realm as Scream 2 and Scream 3; an entertaining but forgettable mystery thriller that lacks the savagery to be scary or shocking.
USA. 111 minutes. Rated R.
