DVD Review: “Scream 4”

Eleven years after the third installment, director Wes Craven returns to the horror franchise that brought him success in the ’90s with “Scream 4.” In this film, Sidney, Dewey and Gale reunite when they find themselves back in Woodsboro, only to discover the style of murders with which they are all too familiar have returned as well, and the murderer may be targeting Sidney’s cousin Jill. The body count rises as they theorize that the killer is committing these acts in the style of a remake of the original “Scream.”

This factor nicely implements the franchise’s attempts to take shape as a series of movies within movies. At the same time, by having the killer’s motive being based on remakes of slasher films, the flick does a good job at darkly lampooning the current state of horror in cinema. “Scream 4” is made for fans of the genre. Anyone going into this film looking for more than a film that both falls prey to and remarks on the common horror clichés will most likely be left unsatisfied.

The screenplay by Kevin Williamson is adequate and fairly well developed, which is very much welcomed given his absence in “Scream 3,” the biggest misfire of the series. The script, though not perfect, enables the film to sufficiently progress forward as an entertaining sequel in a long played-out franchise. It also succeeds in being the most coherent film Craven has made in a while, considering his last effort, “My Soul to Take,” proved to be a disaster with critics and audiences alike.

“Scream 4” is a film made for enthusiasts of the franchise and of the horror genre in general; it is formulaic, yet self-referential. Craven has made a nice complementary slasher movie that acknowledges the trend of remakes that has befallen the genre.

Film: “Scream 4”
Director: Wes Craven
DVD Release: Oct. 4, 2011
Rating: ★★★ & 1/2 out of ★★★★★