Review of Scream 4 (2011) by Nathan K — 16 Dec 2012

From the moment the film starts, your dragged onto a roller coaster, that peeks with moments of comic laugh out loud moments and drops into dark and twisted kills, that only a desensitised psychotic horror fan would execute. The dialogue by Williamson is snappy and back to it's best, the one liners and clever meta and self referential themes allow the audience to feel clever and in on the joke. The killers reveals are less tense but just as shocking as the original scream and the final act drags on longer than expected but that isn't a bad thing! The final moments in the hospital are epic! and generate the most twisted and humorous of responses and by the end of the movie you feel more satisfied than any of the other installments. The characters are crafted fantastically, you feel for the ones Williamson intended us too and dissect the way the others are killed with little empathy. This film doesn't feel like any of the other movies in the franchise, and nor should it! The movie takes aspects and characters from the original and adapts them to the modern day expertly. Sidney is better than ever, not only does she embody the survivor and girl next door she is now a guide and reference to other who experience the perils of the returning GhostFace. Gale is back to the bitchy one liners and driven ego of a reporter addicted to front line exclusives, the return of GhostFace threatens her life yet gives her more life than she has had in ten years! Since the events of scream 3. The new generation of actors do really well. A few could be developed more like Olivia and Trevor but on the whole there solid. Erik Knudsen as Robbie and Hayden Panettiere as Kirby are stand outs! They connect with the audience really well, due to slick KW writing and raw acting talent. Emma Roberts as Jill, Sidney's cousin, is also fantastic! Particularly in the final act! So over all I feel this is a new entry which stars with a bang and ends with one! The middle sections are slightly slower but they help emphasise the impact of the opening and closing acts! The relevance of modern day "celebrity" gaining fame for..........NOTHING! is described and dissected perfectly, this wont feel like any of the other movies in the franchise, however it does feel like a fantastic Scream movie! The first film saved the 90's from tired slashers, and Scre4m certainly jabs adrenaline into the modern day horror genre! Welcome home Sidney! Let's hope this Installment is a preview of coming events!

Review by Nathan Kelly.

4.5/5 stars!