Both a loving skewering of the tropes of horror and a great slasher in its own right, Wes Craven’s 1996 film Scream is one of the greatest of the genre for good reason. Not only does it still have a real comedic bite, but it boasts stellar performances by everyone from Neve Campbell to Matthew Lillard as well as one of the most iconic villains to ever grace the silver screen. From the moment we first hear his distorted voice making the phone calls that begin to terrorize the fictional California town of Woodsboro, the film is built to keep you guessing about who could be the murderer behind the mask. Don’t worry, in the event you haven’t been fortunate enough to see it for yourself, this review won’t dare rob the experience of its reveals as they are just delightful. While there have been solid entries in this series since that deserve more credit than they have been given, it is hard to ever imagine any being as good as this.
Scream doesn’t actually begin with Campbell’s Sidney, who remains the main character in all of Craven’s subsequent films, but with someone else entirely. Instead, it is Drew Barrymore’s Casey Becker who finds herself home alone and is soon the mysterious killer’s first target. When she answers the phone, she unwittingly starts speaking with the murderer who begins quizzing her about horror movies and, when she fails based on a trick question, will soon bring about her gruesome end. Cheeky yet still terrifying as we see Casey strung up at the end of this, this iconic opening scene sets the tone for what is to come. As will become increasingly apparent, Scream is interested in acknowledging and tossing any genre rules out the window. It starts by killing off the character who was played by one of the film’s most recognizable leads and would have typically been the one to make it to the end. It establishes that no one is safe from the knife of the masked killer. Then and only then are we actually introduced to Sidney, who would go on to completely own both this film and character in what would prove to be Campbell’s breakout role and solidify her as one of the best Final Girls in horror history.
A teenager with a tragic past of her own as her mother was killed nearly a year ago, Sidney will soon get wrapped up in yet more violence as the next person to be attacked in her home. She first suspects her boyfriend Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich) when he arrives shortly thereafter and his phone falls out of his pocket. However, he is later released by the police and Sidney finds herself back at square one of who it could be. While all this is going on, she will have to contend with the local television reporter Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox) who woos the Deputy Sheriff Dewey Riley (David Arquette) in order to get closer to the case. There are kills galore throughout the film that get increasingly inventive with the unique use of a garage door being the one that really takes the cake. At the same time, Scream is also a comedy that pokes fun at itself and the genre whenever it can. Be it when Dewey is having a serious conversation while eating an ice cream cone or when characters speak directly about the conventions of how this story is supposed to go, there are just so many great details to every single scene.
In particular, though all the cast remain outstanding, one would be remiss to not talk about Lillard. Without going into detail too much about how he factors into the story itself, he is just a complete maniac in the best way possible from the moment he appears as the goofy Stu Macher. While many of the other cast are giving heightened performances, he just takes it up a whole other notch. The chaotic energy to every line he delivers or face he makes is, to put it bluntly, truly inspired tomfoolery. There is never a moment where you can predict what Stu will do or say next as he continues to grow more bizarre even in the simplest of scenes.
Though Lillard has made great appearances in other works like Twin Peaks: The Return, this is the one that truly sees him getting to let loose. Everything from the conversation in the video store where horror is discussed explicitly to the scenes in the house towards the end as everything is going off the rails are bolstered by his performance. Everyone else is similarly great, but he is the one who remains a cut above in just how fully he commits. The fact that such a gloriously over-the-top performance can coexist with all the other methodical elements is a testament to how Craven could direct both the action and the actors therein. The gregariousness and the gore are molded in his hands into something magnificent.
Even as we all go out to the theaters for the latest entry, Scream VI, it is the original Scream that just feels so confident and finely tuned as it sets up all the necessary moving pieces while still having fun along the way. Nothing is wasted and there isn’t a moment where you aren’t fully along for the ride. It all makes for a sturdy horror film with tension that keeps escalating until an appropriately explosive conclusion that also serves to tear through all the various tropes with ease. The playful tune Craven expertly strikes is further elevated by the rich craft and meticulous precision that he brings to every scene. It is then woven together into an absurd experience which proves to be good, wholesome fun that continues to endure.
Even as the sequels get bigger and bigger, the inventiveness of this first one will stand the test of time. Whether you are as much a lover of horror as Craven clearly was or just someone who likes to see a well-made film, Scream will always be one that is worth returning to.
Rating: A
Scream VI is now playing in theaters everywhere.
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