Scream
I am puzzled as to why this movie
is not called Scream 5. It would make much more sense to me if it was,
but it is not. There is some long explanation in the movie itself as to why
this is. I tuned out at that moment. This is also the point where it is explained
what a requel is. I guess I missed some important information as my mind
wandered. Oh, well. Onto the movie.
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| Scream |
Ghostface returns to Woodsboro, again
It has been over a decade since
the killer known as Ghostface (voice by Roger L. Jackson) has made an
appearance in Woodsboro. As usual, Ghostface’s first victim is a teenage girl
in her home. Except this time, the victim is able to escape.
Tara Carpenter (Jenna Ortega) is the
girl under attack. To keep Ghostface outside, she uses her phone to lock the
doors in the house. Doing this allows her to stay away from the door and keep
Ghostface out of the house for a time.
Back and forth Tara and Ghostface
lock and unlock the door (because somehow Ghostface has access to the lock app
too), until Ghostface manages to get inside. He physically attacks Tara, but is
scared away by the police sirens. With all the locking and unlocking, I’m
thinking the alarm company alerted the police that something was wrong.
Thankfully, the police arrive in time to save Tara’s life.
Sam Carpenter returns home
Tara’s friend Wes Hicks (Dylan
Minnette) calls Tara’s estranged sister, Sam (Melissa Barrera), to let her know
Tara is in the hospital. Sam left home at eighteen and has not been in contact
with her family since. When she hears about Tara, she rushes home with her
boyfriend, Richie Kirsch (Jack Quaid).
Not everyone is excited to see
Sam back in town. Sheriff Judy Hicks (Marley Shelton) makes it particularly
known Sam is not welcome. Sam and Sheriff Hicks had run-ins when Sam was a
teenager. They are events the sheriff has not forgotten.
Sam becomes Ghostface’s next target
While visiting Tara at the
hospital, Sam is attacked by Ghostface. She manages to escape. At this point,
Sam declares enough is enough.
Tara is severely injured from her
attack, and Sam is only barely able to escape with her life. These attacks by
Ghostface have to end. To do that, Sam is going to investigate and figure out
who the killer is herself.
Sam begins her investigation with a visit to a familiar face
Richie insists on helping too.
The first person they talk to is Woodsboro’s former sheriff, Dewey Riley (David
Arquette). He is the one person in town who has experienced all four of the
Ghostface incidents. No one else has the personal knowledge he has.
At first Dewey is reluctant to
help. He doesn’t even want to talk about Ghostface. I don’t blame him. He has
been injured quite a few times by these killers.
When Sam reveals she is the
daughter of Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich), Dewey lets them into his trailer to
talk. He knows very well who Billy Loomis is. Billy Loomis was part of the first Ghostface killings.
In the trailer, Dewey tells Sam
to trust no one. Even her boyfriend she should not trust. Dewey then refuses to
help them any more and ushers Sam and Richie out the door.
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| Scream Jenna Ortega Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox David Arquette |
Dewey tells Sidney Prescott and Gale Weathers about Ghostface’s return
Once alone, Dewey call Sidney
Prescott (Neve Campbell), the four-time target of Ghostface. Now that Ghostface
has returned, Sidney must be told what is going on.
Sidney is far away from
Woodsboro, living a brand-new life. She is married and has two children. She is
as happy as she can be. This is why Dewey wants Sidney to stay far away from
what is currently going on. He tells her Ghostface has returned, but to stay
away.
As for his ex-wife, Gale Weathers
(Courteney Cox), Dewey sends a text.
Dewey helps Sam investigate
Sam and Richie’s next step in
their investigation is to question Tara’s friends. Before they can, Dewey shows
up at the house where everyone is meeting, having changed his mind about
helping.
The house everyone gathers at
belongs to Tara’s friends Mindy and Chad Meeks-Martin (Jasmin Savoy Brown,
Mason Gooding). They are the niece and nephew of the previous horror movie
expert, Randy Meeks (Jamie Kennedy). He was killed the second time Ghostface came around.
The three other friends at the
house are: Wes, who is the sheriff’s son; Amber Freeman (Mikey Madison), Tara’s
best friend; and Liv McKenzie (Sonia Ammar), Chad’s girlfriend.
It is at this meeting where the
lecture on requels is made, and where I start to tune out.
After the meeting, Wes goes home.
He is the person most concerned about what is happening with Ghostface. He is
also a very kind person, which is why it’s extra sad that he and his mother do
not last much longer.
Sadly, neither does Dewey.
Tara makes another escape
After the attack in her house,
Tara has been left with serious injuries. One would think Tara would be safe in
the hospital (although, that is where Sam was attacked, so maybe not), but she
isn’t. Ghostface goes after her again.
It is at the hospital that Dewey
decides he is going to put an end to Ghostface once and for all. He is killed
instead.
Sidney and Gale are on the case, whether Sam likes it or not
Despite Dewey’s warning, Sidney
comes to town when she hears about his death. Gale is in Woodsboro already.
They decide to team up and help Sam.
Sam does not want their help.
What she wants to do is get Tara out of town and hide. She refuses to listen to
Sidney who tells her hiding will not solve anything when it comes to Ghostface.
If there is anyone who would know that, it is Sidney.
Determined to continue with her
plan; Sam, Richie, and Tara head out of town. On the way, Tara realizes her
inhaler is missing. She knows Amber has an extra one at her house and insists
they go get it.
They arrive at Amber’s and
discover there is a party going on to celebrate Wes. Anyone who has seen any
other Scream movie knows this party is not a good idea. Not for anyone.
Puzzles of the Scream movies
Something I have always wondered
about with the Scream franchise is where are everyone’s parents? So many
of them are missing a lot, if not all, of the time. Would you not think that a
parent, once they heard a murderer was on the loose, especially one with a
history like Ghostface’s, would come back to town from wherever they are to be
with their kids?
Also, why is martial arts and
self-defense training not mandatory in this town? Even though the Ghostface
incidents are years apart, one would think something would be put in place to
teach people how to defend themselves. At least give them a fighting chance.
One thing I was happy to see was
the characters are becoming warier of each other when Ghostface is around. When
Chad’s girlfriend, Liv, wants to be alone with him, Chad wisely says no. For
all he knows, she could be the killer.
Now, later, Chad does change his
mind. The fact he hesitated at all, though, is progress.
This fifth movie in the Scream
franchise is a lot bloodier and graphic than the previous movies. Seeing and
hearing Tara’s leg twist and break was too much for me. I can only imagine how
much more graphic the sixth film will be. Whatever the creators decide to do,
I really hope there won’t be any broken bones.
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