Get Ready to 'Scream' One Last Time

The original Scream came out my senior year of high school and started a new horror craze for the 1990s. Oh sure, there were a few decent scary movies in the earlier part of the decade, with Misery, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, and Species chief among them. But Scream came with a hot injection of Gen X cynicism and sarcastic humor, reinventing the teen slasher for my generation. Neve Campbell’s Sidney was prime final girl material, and the supporting cast — Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Skeet Ulrich, Matthew Lillard, and especially Jamie Kennedy — were a distillation of 1990s stardom. Rose McGowan getting crushed while escaping via a doggy door remains one of my very favorite kills ever put on film. The film inspired 3 sequels and any number of copycats, including I Know What You Did Last Summer, Urban Legend, and Disturbing Behavior.

Now, for 2022, comes Scream 5 — excuse me, just Scream. It’s a direct sequel, but they’ve decided to ditch the numbering scheme in favor of a fresh start. I don’t know; it feels like a missed opportunity to title it 5cream. It makes about as much sense as the Fast & Furious franchise, after all. Here’s the trailer.

We’ve got attractive teens being murdered by a Ghostface with a metallic mask and a… flamethrower? Neat. The movie brings back those of the original cast remaining - namely Sidney Prescott, Gale Riley, and Dewey. It also stars Jenna Ortega, Melissa Barrera, and Dylan Minnette. There’s a Chad (Madon Gooding) who should be the killer given his name, but since the cast includes fresh-faced Jack Quaid from The Boys, I’m going to guess he’s our psycho killer. We’ll find out in 11 days when Scream hits theaters. Until then, please enjoy this clip of Rose McGowan’s character, Tatum, experiencing what might be the most absurd death scene ever captured.