Scream 4 (or Scre4m, if you’re going to be technical about it) had a greater level of anticipation than horror devotees would normally afford the fourth sequel of a masked-killer franchise. By combining Kevin Williamson – the chap who penned the first Scream – and original director and horror royalty Wes Craven (think Nightmare on Elm Street, Last House on the Left and the original Hills Have Eyes) fans were right to expect something more.
With it all in place for a fabulous revisit to everything that made Scream so good, the film makes a gallant effort at revitalizing an otherwise well-slaughtered cash cow. Originally written as a self-aware spoof that just happened to also be a bit scary, Scre4m takes this original premise to the next level: more meta, more gore. The deliciously ironic opening sequence is undoubtedly the high point of the film, taking the audience through a number of clone-like opening sequences to the parallel ‘Stab’ movies until finally arriving at an equally indiscernible opening to Scre4m – unashamedly using the opportunity for audience-pleasing cameos from some of American television’s hottest young things, a satisfying amount of blood and a vintage-Scream analysis of the fact that ‘a film in a film in a film’ doesn’t really make any sense. Fantastic.
Sadly, it does not keep up with the high standard it sets for itself at the beginning. It becomes hard to work out if Emma Roberts is deliberately unconvincing as a poke at the bad acting in slasher flicks; sadly, however, I don’t think Emma is that clever. The other fresh additions do a varied job but are similarly stuck between embracing the intentional crapness of the film and trying to do a good job. It has to be conceded that the comic relief is definitely well carried by the hilarious Deputy Judy. With recurring characters having been brutally whittled down to a ‘Key Three’ of Neve Campbell, David Arquette and Courtney Cox, it was still a pleasure to see their characters return for one last time. Again.
The all-American soundtrack is an equally enjoyable recreation of one of the high points of the first film. Williamson’s writing includes many revisits to the original (having the staple film geek character stating that it is a ‘Screamake, not a Shriekuel’) without making the ending predictable and affording the movie at least some entitlements as a film in its own right.
Like its predecessors, Scre4m is a jumpy romp that makes you laugh, makes you scream and makes you crave an American high school red cup party – even if you do get murdered.
