Scream

Doesn’t matter how many times I see this movie, it is literally the perfect slasher. I’ve thought for a while now that a successful genre deconstruction has to actually love the genre it’s critiquing. Like you truly have to be aware of the genre conventions up and down, but still appreciate them enough to not come at them from a place of hate. This film is the proof. Knowing the twist fundamentally changes how you interpret so much of this film in positive ways. It’s definitely reliant on its twist but not in a way that ruins the watch experience once you know it; instead, it seems deeply satisfying on rewatch. Being able to catch subtle give-aways, pointing out obvious red herrings, and seeing moments that were once suspenseful become comedic is just incredibly gratifying. Expertly paced, unnecessarily well shot for a slasher at the time; Scream really is the best the slasher genre has to offer in the form of a love letter.