The fifth installment of Scream released just at the start of this year, and gave myself and many others hope for the future of horror-slasher films. As someone who was newly introduced to the Scream franchise with their latest release, my opinion may be of less value, however I thought this movie was brilliant for a slasher movie (comparatively). 

There are plenty of cheesy horror moments, but contrary to the usual horror movie corny, Scream’s were much better timed and executed in a way that fit. The plot itself hooks you from the get-go, and keeps you on the edge of your seat the whole way through. While typically with movies like these I would find myself cringing at the next expected gory death scene, with Scream I was actively intrigued to see what would come next and many times I even forgot I was watching a slasher at all. I would quickly be reminded of that by a sudden brutal death, however the effects were so unique and well done I felt I couldn’t turn away. The gore was seldom unnecessary, and the movie savored each moment of violence rather than oversaturate them and expend my tolerance for it. 

Scream’s conclusion certainly left me confused, mostly due to my lack of knowledge surrounding the franchise, however what I could make out of it I found to be an interesting and unique spin, and I did not leave the theater disappointed. With respect to its mainstream slasher franchise counterparts, Scream has pulled far ahead of its competition and I would recommend this movie to anyone, regardless of their relationship to the previous movies.