The Scream franchise has created the “slasher era” of horror we all know and love and the new film fightenly lives up to its originals. Starting off with its stellar cast with Melissa Barerra( In The Heights), Dylan Minnette( 13 Reasons Why), David Quaid(The Hunger Games: Catching Fire), and Jenna Ortega( You & The Fallout). Along with returning Scream stars such as Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox, David Arquette, and Marley Shelton.

The film takes place 25 years after a spree of the woods buro murders when a new Ghostface killer goes on a rampage killing a new group of teens that are related to the killings from the past.

In the trailer, we see Tara (Jenna Ortega) on the phone with Ghostface as it is very similar to the first opening scene of the 1996 Scream with Drew Berrymore on the phone with Ghostface. In the trailer we see Ghostface break into Tara’s house after a terrifying phone call and as they trick us by making it look like she dies in the opening sequence. I personally was upset as I love Jenna Ortega as an actress and was excited to see what new material she would give us in this film. But after seeing the film I was more than happy as her character survived the opening scene and was only “harmed”. Her character really went through it from getting stabbed in the stomach twice, having her ankle shattered, and getting a knife stabbed through her hand its surprising how she survived.

After the opening sequence, we are met with Sam (Melissa Barerra) Tara’s older sister, and her boyfriend Richie (Jack Quaid) as they get a phone call from one of Taras friends Wes (Dylan Minnette) that Tara was attacked and they should come home and see her. We later learn when they come to visit her at the hospital Sam is the daughter of Billie Lumis who was the first Ghostface. I’m not at all mad at this as it is the 5th installment in the franchise I wanted some elements to link back to the original movies and this really did it for me.

We then meet Taras friends Amber( Mikey Madison), Wes, Chad (Mason Goodings), Jasmine, (Jasmin Savoy Brown), and Liv( Sonia Ben Ammar). Wes is the son of Sherrif Judy Hicks who was Dewey’s partner in Scream 4. Mindy and Chad are siblings who are the niece and nephew of Randy Meeks who was also in the 1996 Scream. These are some of the old ties that the characters have to the original films.

Wes and Judy’s death is one that was scary but really stuck with me. Judy (Marley Shelton) leaves the house to pick up some items for dinner as Wes is left alone. On her way to the store she is treated to a phone call from Ghostface saying that he will kill Wes as she tries to rush home to stop him. We as the audience see Wes open many doors and cabinets waiting for Ghostface to pop out as the suspense builds. As soon as Judy gets home Ghostface comes out from a bush and stabs her right by her front porch. As Wes is then stabbed in the neck not long after. To me, one of the scariest things about this is that it was done in broad daylight. It’s not as if it was pitch black and night out. No, it was 4:30 in the afternoon as she was killed while the sun was up. I think in a way it reimagines horror as out of all the scream movies every kill is at night or in the dark. It goes to show that horror can happen during the daytime. It makes it all the more disturbing taking place in the sunshine. I also think it’s quite sad as before Wes opened the door he was killed by Ghostface he thinks his mom will come home and find him dead when she already is. He died thinking that his mom wasn’t dead and Judy died knowing her son would die. It’s one of the emotional elements that horror movies have.

Though Mindy did not die she had a side-by-side almost death-like her Uncle Randy. Where Ghostface is slowly approaching behind her while she is drunk on the couch watching Halloween as she is yelling at the T.V. saying for the character to turn around giving the irony that she’s the one that should turn around. It was the big and small things that paid homage to the old films that made me appreciate this one on its own.

As paying homage to the original this film also brought back the famous trio of characters from the original 4 films. Sydney Prescott (Neve Campbell), Gale Weathers (Courtney Cox), and Dewey Riley (David Arquette). After 25 years Dewey finally meets his demise in this film trying to be a hero Sydney and Gale still come out as the final girls.

At the end of the film, we see that Tara’s friend Amber and Sam’s boyfriend Richie are the killers. This was one of the things I didn’t enjoy was the unmasking of the two killers. It’s the fact that there really was no unmasking. Amber shoots Liv in the head revealing that she is the first Ghostface as Richie then holds a gun to Sam’s head revealing he is the other Ghostface. For me, one of my favorite parts of the Scream movies is when Ghostface takes off the mask and reveals themself. But at the same time in the first Scream Billie does the same thing by suddenly shooting Randy. I’m not sure what felt different about this one. I think that it was a bit too sudden and it happened a bit too fast and wish they could’ve planned it out a bit more.

As Amber is set on fire by Sydney and Gale and shot multiple times it isn’t till Tara shoots her a final time that she finally dies. As Richie is stabbed in the neck by Sam and then is stabbed multiple times by her until he is dead. In the film, we focus on Sam as she is carrying the burden of being the daughter of a serial killer and how it’s all her fault that all of the events are unraveling. As Sam kills her boyfriend who is the killer it goes to show that she is the final girl. But, in my opinion, I believe that Tara is the real final girl. From getting brutally attacked in the beginning and then Ghostface following her to the hospital and her getting attacked while recovering from those injuries in a wheelchair. Then being tied up and locked in a closet only to escape and kill her best friend who is also the killer. So in my opinion Tara is the REAL final girl.

Overall, I really did enjoy this film and enjoyed how they were able to still make it a classic slasher movie while adding in the physiological elements of modern-day horror. Overall I give this movie a 7.5/10.