Review of Scream 4 (2011) by Matt C — 13 May 2013

I remember seeing this opening night, which I'm happy to say was actually my best theatrical experience I've ever had. Within the first seven minutes the film brings meta-humor and self-deprecation to a new level, pointing out all of the supposed flaws that anyone could complain about and opening addresses itself with, "It's been done to death.

.. Stick a fork in 1996 already." The dialogue is witty and acerbic the entire time and all feels fresh and modern, which in itself is a huge accomplishment. Characters are completely believable as teens and the acting is actually great, specifically Hayden Panettiere who plays my favorite character: a dry, sardonic and sexy closeted film geek.

The brilliantly orchestrated final act discusses modern society's obsession with technology and easy-found fame and the identity of the killer surprised me to no end; even being a die hard fan of the franchise and a cinephile, I didn't guess anything correctly.

There are SO many red herrings that make you contemplate if something is too obvious, who was doing what when, and makes you double check yourself in regards to reverse psychology of believing who the killer is.

The best part is that all but one of the cliches and tropes that are utilized for satire are subverted and/or openly acknowledged. The script justifies a character's seemingly stupid actions or flips it outright.

Everything is shot well with good use of lighting as well as a good orchestral score and the directing is good (pay attention to the increasing corniness of the opening scene). It's actually the best of the series, better than the first with very clever kills and witty satire regarding torture porn, found footage genre films, modern horror, remakes and reboots.

And yes, it scared the crap out of me. 9.5/10, incredible, two thumbs up, etc.