Have you watched "The Matrix: The Resurrection" and "The Demon Mowers: The Life After" and been left hungry for another dusty film series that tries to reboot itself many years after it has already lost its cohesion?
Oh, no?
Well, not bad.
Still, get "Scream" - a half-reboot-half-sequel (or Requel, as it is called in the film itself) that writes another chapter and is not really necessary in the successful and self-aware horror franchise.
The first film in the series, released in 1996, brought a refreshing breeze to the horror genre and turned its novice screenwriter, Kevin Williamson, into a superstar.
Under the direction of veteran director Wes Craven, the film introduced the world to "Ghostface" - a serial killer who loves "scary movies" who dissects a group of high school students with a long knife - and performed a witty deconstruction of the "Slasher" genre, including countless references to classics Like "Friday the 13th," "Halloween," and "A Nightmare on Elm Street" (created by Craven himself).
The critics praised, the audience flocked to watch in droves, and the huge success gave new life to the genre and spawned three sequels (the last one came out in 2011).
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So now Ghostface is back for the fifth time.
Williamson and Craven (who passed away in 2015) may be absent this time around, but their replacements (Matt in Tinley-Ulpin and Tyler Gillette who directed, and James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick who wrote) did a good enough job not to really notice a difference.
The new group of young people gathered to be slaughtered for you this time is led by Melissa Barra and Jenna Ortega, as two sisters whose family pedigree binds them to Ghostface's murderous legacy.
Of course, the three main characters from the previous films - played by Nev Campbell, Courtney Cox and David Arquette - also emerge at some point to help and contribute from their experience.
There are some successful moments in "Scream", but I'm not sure there are enough of them to recommend you get out of the house for it.
The iconic opening scene of the first film gets an updated and relatively creative version, and the script is full of amusing references to notable horror films from recent years (and additional reboots).
Highlights also include a surprising discussion of the "Toxic Fandom" phenomenon, which attacks movies online because of these or other progressive characteristics.
However, the film is too long, the story itself is not particularly interesting, the murders are by no means unusual, and the very fact that the characters keep saying sentences like "Hollywood has run out of ideas!"
Or "Welcome to the third act!"
Does not really manage to cover up the fact that "shouting" is exactly the thing he ostensibly criticizes.
Microwave-heated leftover meal.
The creators can continue to wink at the audience until tomorrow.
Bottom line their recycled film is not part of the solution.
Is part of the problem.
Score: 5
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