Decent movie with a nice balance of meta / references to the original without overdoing it.

Ghostface is my favorite cinematic serial killer and I love the first four films (yes, even _Scream 3_ and Gale’s terrible bangs) despite their flaws and fluctuating factors of entertainment. I’ll see and support any new _Scream_ film or TV series that comes along because of it. I know this new installment was successful ($88.4 million worldwide box office gross as of this writing) and some enjoyed it, but it is honestly my least favorite in the franchise. This new film feels like it’s trying too hard to be one of the original _Scream_ films when it should have just been more of its own thing. This is something the film addresses, but originality should always triumph over retreading familiar territory; especially when it seems like its kills are being plunged into the same stab wounds. Full review: https://hubpages.com/entertainment/Scream-2022-Review-Movies-Make-Psychos-More-Imitative

FULL SPOILER-FREE REVIEW @ https://www.msbreviews.com/movie-reviews/scream-2022-spoiler-free-review "Scream (5) is a brilliant "requel" with cleverly fascinating meta commentary on the horror genre, toxic fandoms, social media, and much more, ultimately becoming a strong contender for this new year's Top10. Boasting a continuously entertaining screenplay filled with exceptionally captivating, relevant dialogue and some of the goriest, bloodiest murders in the famous saga, the directors (Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett) and writers (James Vanderbilt, Guy Busick) pay a beautiful homage to the influential creator Wes Craven. The whole cast - both newcomers and icons - delivers remarkable performances, portraying characters who unapologetically address admittedly cinephile-driven topics that some occasional moviegoers might not fully understand but will still receive pure entertainment on the big screen. As a horror-mystery flick, it keeps the viewers on the edge of their seats, laughing and getting jumpscared for the entire runtime. I couldn't recommend it more." Rating: A-

It is hard to believe it has been 25 years since “Scream” premiered and in doing so; brought new life into the slasher genre which had become stale due to an abundance of direct to DVD and cable releases combined with many uninspired and stale theatrical releases. The movie was a massive success and launched a very successful trilogy and made the Ghostface killer and many moments from the series Pop Culture mainstays. After a hiatus; “Scream 4” arrived and continued the series and in 2022; “Scream” has arrived which continues the story to the eager anticipation of fans. When a young girl named Tara (Jenna Ortega); is brutally attacked in a fashion very similar to the Ghostface Killer; her sister Sam (Melissa Barrera); returns to Woodsboro to be by her side while Tara recuperates. Sam is joined by her boyfriend Richie (Jack Quaid), who has no idea about the history of Woodsboro nor the popular “Stab” film series that is based on the events of the murders that have plagued the town. Sam’s past troubles makes her return difficult and when Ghostface strikes again; she and Richie seek the help of Dewey (David Arquette); who has fallen on hard times and has split from Gayle (Courtney Cox). Despite his reluctance; Dewey gets involved and tells Sam the “rules” which would indicate the killer might be someone she knows and soon everyone in her and Tara’s circle becomes suspect even as the deaths start to increase. This allows for some of the best moments of the film as the characters make references to several other modern and past horror franchises and discuss things from online Trolls, rabid fans, and other Pop Culture references which provides some tongue in cheek humor about the series and also establishes the world of “Scream” as one where people are well-versed in horror films old and new and have modified the rules based on sequel, prequel, and “Requel” rules for films. As tensions and body count mounts; Gayle, Dewey, and Sidney (Neve Campbell) must face their fears to stop Ghostface before it is too late. While the final act of the film is very over the top and at times absurd; it does provide plenty of the elements that fans have come to expect from the series. I was able to accurately see and predict almost all of the twists very early in the film and did not have many surprises as the film unfolded; I think many will still find enough enjoyment watching the tale unfold as after four films I have a pretty good idea of the formula for the series and also have many years of this as I saw the twists in “The Sixth Sense” and “The Village” very early in the films so I just seem to have a knack for this sort of thing. While it does not break much in the way of new ground; the film does deliver what fans have come to expect and I did find in more enjoyable than “Scream 3” and there was more than enough to keep me entertained. There have been rumors that a sixth film has already been planned and if so: I will be more than ready for more. 3.5 out of 5