I was only 14 years old when Scream was released. It seems like forever ago since this slasher flick has been spoofed thousand times over. It is quite a shame since this movie is credited with saving the horror genre as we knew it.
By the mid-1990s, horror movies were running on fumes. Famous slashers like Michael Myers, Jason Voorhees, and Freddy Kruger had all been killed several times over, and most fans were craving something new. That’s when Ghost Face stepped in.
For his character to be successful, he needed a great backstory. This particular one is filled with a deep-seated hatred for a woman who slept around. Since her murder remains unsolved, the killers up their game to find their patsy. To clean the slate and have everything fall into place, the biggest domino has to fall, her daughter, Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell).
I will admit that story is so simple and straight to the point, except there’s a lot of drama and extra circular stuff to keep viewers engaged. People love to see less fortunate people get killed, so the higher the body count, the better. Another great selling point for the story is the references to horror movie rules and so many classic films, like Halloween. Most movies follow the same pattern, yet none of them ever discussed the pattern, that was until Scream came along.
There is a lot to enjoy in this horror movie. As mentioned before, I hate how this particular story has been the punch line of so many jokes because Ghost Face is one of the most reckless and fun killers to hit the genre. If memory serves right, the franchise takes a nosedive from here, so remember how original it was the first time you watch it. 7/10
Ten Stars or Less 