Scream is back – and put the malicious fandom on duty

There aren’t many horror series but one of the biggest questions you have when you get into a new installment is what it will have to say about the genre. But that’s the case for Screaming, the super-horror series that began with Wes Craven’s 1996 masterpiece same name, and this revived the old-fashioned slasher genre while simultaneously deconstructing it, breaking its tropes and subverting them in a way audiences had never seen before.

Of course, the horror genre has changed radically – not just since the original 1996’s Craven, but since the last one. Screaming sequel in 2011. Perhaps more importantly, the culture surrounding the film has also changed quite a bit. We now live in a world where fans have every right to build entire identities around hating new franchises that don’t live up to their childhood fantasies or are perceived to be” too sane” because there’s a minority of them – to the point where they’ll even harassing the cast and request to remove movie from canon and redo to their liking. 2022 Screaming happy to call that kind of malicious online fandom in a way that’s completely in keeping with the spirit of Craven’s original series, even if some unnecessary repetition of the franchise’s past makes it great. really great.

In Screaming – first film in a series about a killer not directed by Craven after his death in 2015 – a new killer wears the iconic Ghostface mask and begins to single out victims over two The decade after the massacre in the first installment spawned countless imitators. Sam Carpenter (Melissa Barrera) and her boyfriend, Richie (Jack Quaid), are caught up in the mystery surrounding this new Ghostface following an attack on Sam’s older sister, Tara (Jenna Ortega), and soon, a Some of those with experience in the field will be joined by: four-time Ghostface survivors Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell), Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox) and Dewey Riley (David Arquette). A modern follow-up story”request“that recipe Star Wars: The Force Awakens popularized by introducing new characters who were mentored by the original heroes in a story that went back to the basics by drawing heavily on the first film – a combination of the sequel and reboot.

But this is Screaming, so decoding that formula is important. If the first film offers mixed reviews about the killers, the second about the sequels, the third about the trilogy, and the fourth about the remakes, the new Screaming is a comment on “request”. In addition to pointing out the gimmicks associated with this trend as seen in movies like 2015 Jurassic World and 2018 Halloween, Screaming wowed die-hard fans who became outraged when the new franchise tried something different, and in so doing, broke the fiction of their individual fans. . (Look no further for a more practical example than countless YouTube videos lamenting about Star Wars: The Last Jedi after director Rian Johnson took the story in a bold new direction.) An early scene in Screaming see our characters break the surge in demand, leading them to speculate the new Ghostface killer might be a diehard fan of Stab – the movie in the movie plays a supporting role for Screaming Franchising – hoping to bring their fan fiction to life because they hate recent sequels. Bold Cherry on the Head: New Director Stab The movie that fans hate is… The Last Jediby Rian Johnson.

Whether franchise discontent is the killer’s real motive will be revealed as the series goes on, but suffice it to say, the pretentiousness makes the commentary funny. and when you want it. Screaming entrance. Toxic fandom has really become a huge problem in the entertainment industry, to the point where it actually stands in the way of sequels that can challenge audiences, like when Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker reverses some of the plot revealed from its predecessor after YouTube users complained. In fact Screaming coming out in two months Ghostbusters: Afterlife – carries with it an overwhelming nostalgia and homage to the original film while erasing the Paul Feig-starred reboot that fans have found uncomfortable – it couldn’t be sharper and more perfect.

Granted, Screaming This idea could have been explored more thoroughly, and the concept would have become more difficult if it were really to be the kind of bold original reproduction that the fans it satirize with might reject. While the story includes at least one potentially controversial twist, it rarely breaks a killer’s expectations the way the original did, such as when “the last girl” died. virgin but still alive, destroyed age-old genre convention that sex leads to death.

The movie not only follows many beats from the original Screaming – to the extent that its climax takes place in the same house – but it’s also sometimes too reminiscent of its most recent sequel, Screaming 4. That 2011 film, the last film Craven directed before his death, is technically a remake, but has some notable “prerequisites” as it also offers a new generation of characters alongside the original cast. Therefore, parts of the “request” deconstruction in Screaming feels like territory the series has covered when it accidentally predicts the trend a couple of years early and is a bit two consecutive seasons based on a review of the 1996 film.

However, the addition of a poisonous fan angle is at least somewhat different from the previous films, and Screaming also intelligently acknowledging how the genre has evolved since then Screaming 4, complete with discussions of the so-called “advanced horror“movies like The Babadook and It tracks. And thankfully, though ScreamingIts scare scenes tend not to be overly memorable, it’s understandable that this franchise is essentially a murder mystery. The movie goes to great lengths to make the unraveling of Ghostface’s identity a fun one with tons of red herring.

The first Screaming was such a breath of original fresh air that there’s no way any sequel will ever get that feeling back again. But it has created what could be the most exciting series of murders, thanks to the pretense of having a new killer, a new set of dynamics, and a fresh take on the entertainment industry. growing every time. While the fifth round does not reach the climax of the first Craven, its poignant meta commentary provides enough reason to bring the franchise back from the dead once again.