Scream

🏆91% When creating a slasher movie, you have to look for every clue you can pick up, and every little subtlety that is visible. Not exactly to give away your answers or reveals, but to keep the audience guessing. Wes Craven did exactly that in Scream, and it paid off perfectly. I think this movie works best if you think of it as a spoof gone wrong. Obviously it’s self aware, and the meta humor is absolutely hilarious. The absurd slasher movies and the things that the victims do are constantly torn apart by the one thing keeping this world together, and that’s common sense. Do the characters in this movie have more of that? No. But was that intentional? I can guarantee it. Another thing is does great is balance these tones where it can be a raunchy high school movie, a meta comedy, but also a slasher movie that is quite scary. All the references to multiple horror movies are so funny and it really makes you think about how much effort was put into making this movie what it is, as Craven probably watched all the movies he referenced in this movie. Neve Campbell gives an iconic performance as Sydney Prescott, probably the most keen horror movie victim ever. She has been through a lot in her life, and she plays very scared and very good. Jamie Kennedy, Courtney Cox, David Arquette, Matthew Lillard, and Skeet Ulrich all give great performances here, whether they’re friend or foe to Sydney. Ulrich and Lillard’s final scenes are insane, and the final reveal is amazing. The brutal moments, like the opening scene and the murder of the principle, are actually super scary, but not in any way off putting. If I was to point out my flaws, I’d say there are a few plotholes that could’ve been avoided, abc some conveniences that really don’t make sense, even when you integrate the films self awareness. Also, the acting here m, besides the people I mentioned above, is very hit or miss, however that was somewhat expected. Another slight thing is that it felt kind of stretched out in between the reveal and the murder of the murderers. Even though these flaws are present, that does not change the fact that Scream is an absolute stand out when it comes to horror, and a film that works in everything it’s trying to do. 🔙*The Thing 🔜The Conjuring *