Twenty-five years later, “Scream” returns to screens with original cast

One of cinema’s most recognizable faces returns to the screens this week on January 14th. Or rather: one of the best known masks. The serial killer Ghostface terrorizes once again in “Panic”, the fifth film in the franchise that began in 1996.

The title, identical to the original film, already delivers the revisionist proposal of this new feature. The story honors and recovers “Scream” by bringing back the entire cast from the premiere: Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox e David Arquette.

In the plot, a new version of the killer returns to the small town of Woodsboro, and targets a group of local teenagers, in order to reveal hidden secrets of the place. Also returning to his hometown is Sidney Prescott (Campbell), who must face past traumas to unmask the criminal.

A little of history

The original feature drew a lot of attention on its release for its metalinguistic approach to the slasher movies genre. Screenwriter Kevin Williamson conceived the film as a deconstruction of horror clichés and commonplaces – and for that he also had the experience of director Wes Craven, himself a veteran of the genre, creator of the “Friday the 13th” franchise and his Freddy Krueger.

The result is a plot where the characters seem to be aware of being in a horror movie, and need to use their knowledge of them to survive and defeat the killer.

The formula was a success: “Scream” was the highest grossing in horror history, and spawned three sequels, released in 1997, 2000 and 2011. films, between 2000 and 2013.

This new “Panic” launches its ironic and self-conscious approach to itself. Ghostface’s new victims are tied to characters from the original, and the new killer seems fascinated by the old cases. Courtney Cox, in an interview with Drew Barrymore’s (she’s also an original cast member) talk show in 2021, stated, “It’s a new ‘Scream’. It’s not a reboot, it’s not a remake, it’s just a new release. It’s modern and scary.”

Critics who have already watched the film say it is a triumphant return for the franchise. “Bloody and full of love and reverence for the franchise”, “My favorite since the original” and “Beautifully honoring the legacy of the first film, while bringing a new tone”, were some of the comments.

The 5th SCREAM film is the closest I’ve felt to the brilliance, excitement & horror of Wes Craven’s 1996 masterpiece. Hands down, the best SCREAM since the original. Beautifully honors the legacy of the first film while bringing a fresh yet brutal new tone to the franchise.❤️🎥🎞 pic.twitter.com/9LaeiyqUlF

— Kevin McCarthy (@KevinMcCarthyTV) January 7, 2022

In addition to the relationship with the series itself, the feature can also be thought of as a response to the recent history of horror cinema. After the wave of slashers – for which “Panic” was one of the main responsible –, between the 1980s and 1990s, the genre went through a period of transformations.

The 2000s saw a profusion of gore films (extreme violence, such as 2004’s “Saw” and 2005’s “O Albergue”) and found footage (where scenes are presented as being filmed on the spot by the filmmakers themselves). characters, such as “Paranormal Activity” or “REC”, both from 2007).

The 2010s saw the explosion of independent production companies, such as Blumhouse, responsible for the series “A Night of Crime” and “Get Out!”, from 2017, or A24, from “A Bruxa”, from 2015. In recent years, classic films have been revived. In 2018, “Halloween,” a direct sequel to the cult 1978 slasher, for example, revived the franchise.

“Panic”, by rescuing “Panic” itself, seems to reflect this story, thinking about the place of the series itself within the genre – and proposing a game between nostalgia and renewal. In addition to the cast and original location, Williamson is back as producer.

Wes Craven, however, who died in 2015, gives way here to young Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, who started at Blumhouse, directing segments of the “V/H/S” and “Southbound” anthologies. If Campbell became a star after the 1996 film, the new version brings her accompanied by a generation of new actors, who promise to be the future of the franchise, such as Melissa Barrero and Jack Quaid.

The script is penned by Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett’s partner Guy Busick (“Bloody Wedding”) and industry veteran James Vanderbilt (“Zodiac”).