Review of Scream 3 (2000) by Adam F — 13 Aug 2013

As of 2013 there are 4 "Scream" movies and while "Scream 3" has its moments, it is the most disappointing of all of them. If you're a fan of the franchise you'll still enjoy it solely because the characters you've come to love are back once again but this chapter in the series feels contrived at times. The film is set three years after the events of the previous film and begins with Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox) learning that a friend of hers closely tied to the Westborough murders has been stabbed to death. Soon one of the actors in the cast of the "Stab 3" film (long story short, inside the "Scream" universe, there is a series of horror films "based on true events" and they've finally starting just making up the plot) is also killed, pointing towards another serial killer. She meets with Dewey Riley (David Arquette) and soon Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) joins them when the killer starts taunting her through her phone line. Now both the actors in the fictional film and the real-life victims on which "Stab 3" is based have to work together and discover who this new killer is and what he/she wants.

In this film the "Scream" franchise often becomes what it was originally set to spoof. The elements added to the franchise to fit the "trilogy" formula feel very artificial because there were no hints of them whatsoever until this film and yet they "tie back to the beginning" to create the illusion that this was a planned trilogy when it wasn't. Several of the deaths are done in a way that is plausible but would have required the killer to wait for hours in a room and cross his/her fingers hoping the intended victim would walk in, not spot anyone so he/she could sneak up behind them. While the mystery element is entertaining, the fact that the film makers know that audiences will have become more familiar with the series and will know to look out for hints means that there are so many red herrings in this story that it is impossible to detect who is the killer until the end. It feels like the final revelation comes completely out of nowhere. Within the story, this makes sense but as an audience, we can see a story from multiple viewpoints but still can't figure out who's who and it feels frustrating. In another sequence that's truly ridiculous, Gail, Sidney and Dewey are given a tape by Randy's sister (because Randy was murdered in a previous film). The tape shows Randy explaining to the three how to detect if the events of this film are taking place in a trilogy and what to expect if it is. It's fun to see a character that was so popular come back but it screams "We wish we hadn't killed you Randy"! For a series that tried to ground itself in realism, staying away from killers that had supernatural abilities, outrageous motives or were able to rise from the grave every time a sequel came around, it feels like they didn't try hard enough to make the elements they wanted to include work in the film fit properly.

With the weaker plot, the film depends on its characters and its sense of humour to make it all work. As mentioned, Courteney Cox, Neve Campbell and David Arquette are back and reprising their roles as main characters. We also get Jamie Kennedy and Live Schreiber playing small roles to add to the roster of familiar faces. The characters have evolved in logical ways since the previous film and a big enjoyment is seeing how they've changed into the people they are now. Sidney has become a recluse and lives by herself in he country. Dewey is now supervising the "Stab" franchise and making his living off of the tragedies that happened, while Gale's fame has started to fizzle out and she's looking for another juicy story to follow. There are some likeable new characters added to the film, though unfortunately most of them didn't even make it out alive, never mind come back for the next film. The most amusing of these new characters is Parkey Posey as Jennifer Jolie, and actress playing Gale Weathers who decides to team up with her real-life counterpart thinking if the killer is going to go after her, he/she might prefer the real deal instead.

The comedy is a mixed bag. While most of it works quite well, a cameo by Jay and Silent Bob (from Kevin Smith's films) made me groan and it's a shame to see the horror of the series taking a backseat to the comedy so often. A scene where a character complains that her role is shallow and basically a contractual obligation to add nudity and a quick death scene in the movie is pretty funny and fills the quota for the meta humour that's always been present in the "Scream" franchise. There are also some good laughs to be had when some of the actors and studio execs start having paranoid thoughts when the bodies pile up. Some of their fears are legitimate and some people are just kidding themselves when they think they're important enough to warrant the attention of Ghostface. There are also some creative scenes of horror with Sidney racing through a set that is an exact replica of her childhood home in Woodsborough, complete with a body bag containing her murdered mother. These shots play on the character's questionable mental stability and the fact that we're unsure where the killer is. On top of that, a moment where we realize how different a film set is from the real-life house is very well done.

When it comes down to it, "Scream 3" barely fulfills the minimum for a horror movie and can almost be skipped entirely as a part of the series. If you're a fan of the franchise and you're itching to see more of the characters you'll enjoy it while recognizing it does not have the bite of the first two. Once again the acting is pretty good and the mystery is interesting to solve, it's just not as tightly woven as the other films. For the fans it's still worth a watch though so it earns itself a mild recommendation. (Theatrical version on Blu-ray, July 26, 2013).