Scream (1996) Review
Scream, directed by genre royalty Wes Craven and written by Kevin Williamson of Dawson’s Creek fame, created the genre of the self-aware teen slasher. These scary movies wink at the audience and are intentionally comedic, paradoxically sending up/sticking with genre conventions such as the final girl and rules-to-stay-alive-in-a-horror-film. It’s not easy to mash-up Horror and Comedy and have both hit. Scream pulls it off. I remember thinking to myself that while I knew it to be true from years and years of filmic evidence, I had never connected the dots that those who do drugs or have sex in a horror film tend to meet their end soon after. Scream dangles red herrings in front of us, daring the viewer to identify the killer while creating probable cause for multiple characters. It’s a well-worn and easily recognizable conceit in present day cinema. In 1996 it was groundbreaking and fresh (until they ran the franchise into the ground but that’s a story for another day). The so-simple -it’s-genius decision to have two killers allows the film to slyly present logic traps that seemingly acquit each from wrongdoing. That is, until that delicious and famous final reveal. And oh what a reveal it is. Stu is more relatable by the slightest of margins between the two movie obsessed maniacs. He openly admits to not having a specific motivation for wanton homicide other than peer pressure. I’m glad I didn’t go to THAT school. Skeet Ulrich’s Billy Loomis, the classic mommy-issues-murderer and brains of the operation is chilling. I distinctly remember thinking if he isn’t the killer, he certainly walks around like he is.
Scream receives a score of 10/10 for giving us another famous Halloween mask to go with Jason, Michael Myers and Freddy and for giving birth to the Scary Movie franchise (the first two were good).