Scream (2021)- Maggy's Movie Reviews

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Scream (2021)- Maggy's Movie Reviews

Post by Ultra Magnus »

I thought I had submitted this three days ago, but I guess I refreshed the page or something. Sorry so late.

So, first of all, this is a sequel. Not a remake. Not a reboot that erases some of the previous films. Just a straight up sequel. It is titled this way to have the meta joke of people trying to figure that out going in. There is even a scene in the film that goes into this topic, as is the norm for this series.

Just to ensure I could rate this one fairly in my own experience, I went back and watched all of the prior films, the MTV show, and another show named Scream Queens in between episodes of the MTV show as that was the only thing that could keep me going during the MTV series. There have been highs in this franchise, and there has been unwatchable dumpster fires. And then there has been the equivalent of that bit of grease that will build up underneath the front end of a foreman grill of you only ever wipe down the cook surface.... utterly unappealing, not as watchable as a dumpster fire, and makes you second think having ever consumed the thing that was the original source, thus leading you to having to deal with this. Come to find out, the grease build up that is the tv series is not only completely unwatchable, but it was also unrelated in any way. Thus the TV show was a waste of time and effort, even though there was a perfect chance to have roasted it.

Suffice it to say, I did not want to miss a single reference, in joke, throwback, nor hint in this film. The best part of the original was the total treasure trove of references, deconstruction of the genre, and full embrace of the genre. The sequels have added to the lore with the in universe movie series called Stab in order to help with the tropes, as well as a way to make fun of itself. It is a series that both takes itself seriously and takes the piss out of itself at the same time. Sometimes that has worked. Sometimes it has caused massive tonal issues. The first was simply groundbreaking. The second was definitely taking itself too seriously while trying to land far less funny jokes (especially the guy the named the movies the scene rip off was from). The third was almost completely unwatchable (though this is partially due to last minute rewrites to avoid comparisons to the recent Columbine killings). The fourth was a bit angsty, but otherwise a return to grace. So, where does the new on stack up?

Second best in the series thus far. The entire premise is that the 8th Stab film went completely off the rails a la the cult era of the Halloween series, Jason X, etc. They should have gone with the Stab TV series (looking at you, MTV!!), but that is my nitpick. So, if the 2011 film was the take on the remake glut of that prior decade, the new set of murders is about what they call the "requel." They straight up call out The Force Awakens, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, yet another set of Halloweens, and a few others (they didn't mention it... but I want to remind everyone that the new Jackass hits theaters in about two weeks). They list out new rules, and they are pretty damn sensible. All of this while shamelessly daring you to call out the film for being exactly that. So, the premise is sound. Also, the kills in this one are far more brutal and less cartoonish, while avoiding torture porn. This is in line with more modern styles and tones.

How about the actual "Who dunnit?" aspect of the series? Possibly the best of the series so far. The red herrings are actually convincing, and everyone in the film is accused at least once, so that is not a spoiler. However, they do also give you enough to piece it together if you pay attention. Even the first one did not manage that combination in the proper proportions. In the original, my best friend at the time and I figured out both the two killers thing, and each of us had one of the killers right (we both incorrectly guessed Randy, but he pegged the Billy while I got Stu).

So, it earns its place as second best in the series for a few simple factors. Though extremely well done, it is a sequel that cannot survive in a vacuum. It requires at least passing knowledge of the prior films (save for 3). And, you do have to deal with "this is the the formula, this is the pretense, you get what you get, don't throw a fit.... at least this isn't 3." While it can be done far worse, and has been, it is what it is. At the end of the day, I love me some slashers, and kinda needed this film at this time. Also, there were two editing/continuity issues that stood out to me, but could have also been references to similar issues in other films as of late. Still on the fence about whether those were easter eggs or not.

If you have seen most of the others, and did not feel dumber for having watched them (save for 3), by all means you should have a good time with this one. If you have not.... this one is going to need some homework. At bare minimum you will need to watch the first.

Thoughts? Questions? This essay too damn long? Tell me about it in the comments below.
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