Scream 4 - Movie review

Scream 4
A; Thriller
Dir: Wes Craven
Cast: Courteney Cox, Neve Campbell, David Arquette, Anna Paquin, Emma Roberts, Hayden Panettiere, Lucy Hale, Shenae Grimes
Rating: ''1/2


Don't look back now: But there's a ghostfaced killer behind you,
Courteney Cox! In a still from Scream 4

What's it about: When Wes Craven came out with Scream over a decade ago, little did he know his work would spawn a series of follow-ups and create a cult 'slasher' genre of its own. Till date, Scream stands out as the most viewer-friendly blood-curdling thriller of its time. No other film has had the ability to take you deep within its psyche familiarise you with the setting and then let loose a ghost-faced killer who isn't so scary in his ensemble yet breeds terror in a different form. In its fourth installment, the regular gang (Courtney Cox, Neve Campbell, David Arquette) returns with a bunch of new faces (Hayden Panettiere, Emma Roberts) to take the story forward. Sidney Prescott (Campbell) is back in familiar territoryu00a0-- Woodsboro as she promotes her self-help book written based on her previous experiences.u00a0 Her return is marked by a series of teen murders that involve a killer wearing a Ghostface mask. However, this time Gale Weathers (Cox) gets the help of two other girls Jill (Emma Roberts) and Kirby (Panettiere) who are self-proclaimed horror geeks.

What's hot: Fans of the series wont be disappointed. Scream 4 is the updated version of the original. In the age of YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, etc a murder is splashed across a series of platforms. Using pop culture references and drawing daggers at other horror films was a smart thing to incorporate. Performances are inspired particularly from the new cast membersu00a0-- Panettiere and Roberts who seem to be having loads of fun. Campbell's character is much evolved and interesting than the first three. Along with her heightened senses, she has also developed a wicked sense of humour which gives her an edge. Cox and Arquette help bring nostalgia to the premise. There are plenty of scares, some genuine others contrived. On the plus side, there's always something happening in the film. Craven doesn't let his guard down and comes up with one subplot after the other.

What's not: Even though it works on building up drama based on the enormous success the trilogy has enjoyed, Craven falls into the trap of trying to live up to the audience's expectation. There are moments you see where the attempt isn't veiled. Also the supposed thrills and secrets come undone too early in the storyline. Scream stands out from the rest because it not only plays on the subconscious but has a good time while doing so. The climax and end is a bit over-produced and there's a sense of not knowing which direction to go in.

What to do: Neither a wipeout or a standout, Scream 4 sparkles in moments but fails to recreate the chills the first one brought.