Twenty-five years after the original series of murders in Woodsboro, a new Ghostface emerges, and Sidney Prescott must return to uncover the truth.

Scream (2022) is the latest sequel (not a reboot) to Wes Craven’s famous slasher franchise. The film stars Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox, David Arquette, Melissa Barrera, Marley Shelton, Jenna Ortega, Dylan Minnette, Jack Quaid, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Sonia Ammar, Mikey Madison, Mason Gooding, Kyle Gallner, Reggie Conquest, James A. Janisse, Heather Matarazzo, Chelsea Rebecca, and Christopher Speed and is directed by Matt Bettinelli and Tyler Gillett.

It’s important to mention before going into this review that the film is the first one in the entire franchise not to be directed by Wes Craven. That fact alone is controversial enough. Does the film have enough wit and power to be compared to previous Scream films?

This review is coming from someone who has not seen the previous Scream films, that may cause a problem to most people however I see it as a strength. So many movie directors try to recreate the magic of their previous films for a quick buck, it’s time to face the facts and realize that no matter how hard they try, they can’t perfectly recreate the magic of watching the first film. Scream 2022 isn’t here to do anything innovative, it knows who the fanbase is and is simply aiming for a damn good time.

The film starts out with a completely new cast. Some people might roll their eyes, saying, “Oh great, just fresh meat for the killer to kill off.” This however is not exactly the case. Each and every death serves a purpose for the main narrative of the story. Instead of the deaths being just about violence and blood, each one unravels more and more about who the mystery killer actually is.

The deaths in the film are pretty gruesome, all things considered. However, the deaths aren’t TOO gruesome.  Each death has its own reasoning behind it and the mild gore provides some entertainment for long-time horror movie fans.

Just like the other Scream films, this movie really lets the audience know that this isn’t your average horror movie. The fact that Scream 5 takes its time to acknowledge recently added horror movies like “It Follows” and “The Witch” gives it an extra touch that makes the Scream franchise a gold mine for horror movie fanatics.

In some cases you could say that the Scream franchise is a comedy  mainly because it takes the time to understand and make fun of common horror movie tropes. Some of the most common horror movie clichés are parodied here. No trope is safe.

There is never a boring moment in this film. Each moment, each kill is individually wrapped like a delicate Christmas present. I never felt like a plotline or death was stuffed down my throat.

When the ghost-face killer appears on screen, the movie becomes very intense and will have the audience squirming in their seats.

One drawback of the film was the true killer was constantly being built up through the movie; however when the time comes to unmask the killer, the reveal is a little underwhelming.

In conclusion, Scream 2022 is a fantastic entry in the scream franchise. After watching the first Scream film I can say it might be even better than the first one. The characters in the film feel like real people and this might be one of the most grounded and surreal horror movies yet. If you want a good time filled with mystery killings and memorable characters, then Scream 2022 is worth the watch.

Scream 2022 (Scream 5) is playing exclusively in theaters.

Score: 9/10