Review: Scream 4 (2011)

Cast: Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox

Budget: $40 million

Directed By: Wes Craven

after an 11 year hiatus Wes Craven comes back to direct his franchise with writer Kevin Williamson at the helm and not multiple writers. Only a few rewrites and some last minute reshoots were needed this time, not on the day changes like in 3.
Also Wes dedicated himself this time, unlike with scream 3 where he was basically on and off the set quite a lot.

This time the story seems to play on remakes and reboots. Though they also throw in the effects of social media as well as internet fame in the mix.
Despite this movie being more universally liked by both critics and fans of the franchise it did end up being the lowest grossing of the four films, guess even after 11 years sequel fatigue can set in.

It may have been also been that it faced some of the same criticisms of the last using cliches that coupled with not enough scares!
I do find this entry maybe a little better or at least on par with part 3, both have strengths and weaknesses that seem to either lower or increase them to just about as good as each other in my eyes.

So spoiler time as we head into the movie, Sidney now 32 years old and famous from her own book is this time suspected in the murders. Two school girls are killed when Sidney and her promotion manager come to promote her book in her old town. Police find evidence in her car.
She is then forced to stay in the town due to be suspected in the murder, staying with her aunt Kate and cousin Jill. Jill we find out is having problem with her boyfriend. Jill and her neighbor Olivia both get threatening phone calls from Ghostface later on.
We then get introduced to the new town sheriff, none other than Dewey!
He questions the girls and also their other friend Kirby about the calls, he's being assisted by Judy Hicks his deputy. He is now Married to Gale, who we meet next. he's suffering from writers block so decides to get involved in the murder case too.

Later on Olivia is being murdered in front of Jill and Kirby, Sidney rushes in with the help of Jill to try and save her but they are both hurt and the killer gets away. Sidney sickened by her agents use of the kills to promote her book fires her, she is then subsequently murdered.
Gale uses the help of two high school movie enthusiasts, they tell her that the killer is now using the tropes of remake horror movies. If that's so he will probably strike at a party being held that night.
Gale goes to the party where indeed the killer does strike and almost kills her, she is saved when Dewey shows up scaring the killer away.

At Sidney's aunts house, Sidney discovers that the two guards sent by Dewey have both been killed by the murderer and that Jill has vanished. When she goes to tell her aunt the killer shows up, they end up killing Kate only to vanish again. Deputy Hicks arrives advising Sidney to stay put but she goes to Kirby's to try and save Jill.
A bunch of people at Kirby's house partying when Robbie (one of the film buffs) is cornered by the killer. He tries to use a movie trope by saying he's gay so the killer won't kill him, it unfortunately does not work. Sidney shows up to get Jill but they are chased by the killer, Evading him Sidney manages to call Dewey.
In a scene reminiscent of the first film Kirby is forced to answer horror movie trivia to save a tied up Charlie. While this is happening Sidney is still looking for Jill. After answering the question correctly Kirby goes outside to untie Charlie, he stabs her in the stomach revealing he is the killer leaving her to bleed out.

Now there is a large chunk of the films ending left but if i go any further it will spoil the ending for people who haven't seen it. As you know we don't spoil endings unless the film is so bad we don't warrant it even watchable. So in conclusion Scream 4 scores a steady 3 out of 5 stars at THN.