Scream (2022): Is it worth the watch?

By Matthew Long

Scream (2022), or Scream 5, was released theatrically on January 14th, 2022. It stars Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox, and David Arquette, all returning as their iconic characters from the four Scream films before this one. It also stars newcomers to the series Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Jack Quaid, and Dylan Minnette. 

The film follows a similar pattern to the original movie, including an homage to the iconic opening scene of Scream (1996). After a teen is attacked by a mysterious masked attacker, the teenagers of the town begin to try and solve the mystery of who the masked figure is. The killer, a tall, ghostly figure in a long black cloak and a mask, uses a voice distortion device to disguise themself on the phone when calling their victims. Another very noticeable detail of this movie was the constant references to past horror films and previous films in the series. 

The Scream series has always been very referential, but this movie, more than any of the others, is filled to the brim with references. With characters who make references to being in a horror movie and talk about how to survive in a horror movie, the movie makes sure you know that it is part of a horror franchise. 

The music, which was an original score by composer Brian Tyler, added a lot of atmosphere and intensity to the film. Especially during scenes of high tension, the music added another layer of horror on top of the visuals. The scenes that would have the audience on the edge of their seats, the music would be similarly edgy and intense. 

This movie is definitely worth a watch, especially for fans of the genre. The amount of jokes and references that call back to other movies in the franchise makes it worth the watch for a fan of horror movies.