By the mid-90s, it appeared the slasher sub-genre had finally run its course. The horror icons that once terrified audiences throughout the 1980s became more silly than scary. Jason Voorhees went from stalking camp counselors at Crystal Lake, to having brief stints in Manhattan and Hell. Pinhead and his fellow cenobites were now terrorizing victims in space. Leatherface and his family were working for the Illuminati. And Michael Myers was being controlled by an ancient cult. Needless to say, these movies marked some of the lowest points for these franchises and were unanimously disliked by both critics and audiences.
It was a dark time in slasher history, to say the least. Then, in 1996 Wes Craven directed one of his best films. Scream, through its self-aware humor and engaging story, was able to revitalize the slasher genre and spawn a franchise that includes four movies and a TV series to date. Now, after nearly a decade of absence from the silver screen, Scream 5 is officially in the works with a scheduled release in January 2022. Not much is known about the film except that it will see the return of original characters Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell), Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox), and Deputy Dewey (David Arquette). Despite the track record of most horror sequels/reboots, Scream 5 has the opportunity to shatter expectations and be another worthy installment in the series.
New Era, New Scares
The last time a Scream movie was out in theaters, Blackberry was still a popular smartphone brand. Technology has rapidly improved the past decade and this provides an ample opportunity for the filmmakers to take the series in a new direction. The integration of technology into our society has made it easier for people to access personal information. As the saying goes, nothing is private anymore.
Ghostface, unlike many other movie slashers, is entirely human. Whoever carries the mantle of Ghostface has no supernatural abilities and can’t be resurrected from the dead, they are vulnerable. This vulnerability, however, makes for an intriguing villain. Having Ghostface be a technologically savvy killer would add a layer of intrigue and mystery to the story. Scream 5 could utilize technology in many unique ways, giving Ghostface the opportunity to become a ‘modern’ killer, terrorizing the next generation. The ability to hack into victims’ phones/computers would give the killer a wealth of information, meaning Ghostface would have eyes and ears everywhere. Plus, we’ve already seen technology successfully integrated into another horror movie reboot in 2019’s Child’s Play. Wouldn’t it be great to see Ghostface finally do more than prank calls?
Cast & Crew
The main reason a new Scream movie hasn’t hit theaters for so long is because of Wes Craven’s unfortunate and untimely death. Craven left a tremendous legacy behind in the horror genre. He was responsible for the creation of some of the most iconic horror films and characters, with Scream being among his best work. Things will undoubtedly be different without Craven at the helm. That being said, directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett have some major shoes to fill, but they seem to be up for the task. Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillet are the perfect match for the Scream franchise. Scream is most notable for its use of dark humor and satire which is what Ready or Not, the pair’s latest film, was praised for.
The return of the main cast as mentioned above also gives the film a big boost. Kevin Williamson, the writer of the original Scream, has also returned as an executive producer for the film. Having that continuity will prove helpful in drawing fans of the series back into theaters. There’s enough of the old cast and crew returning to retain the heart and feel of the original movies, but also enough fresh faces to provide a new experience for viewers.
Altogether, Scream 5 has the ability to see a similar level of success that Halloween (2018) did. If that happens, an additional sequel is almost a guarantee. Scream 5 is a movie horror fans should be looking forward to.
