Scream

Scream

 (1997)

A Review by Grant Kanigan

Directed by: Wes Craven 

Written by: Kevin Williamson

Starring: Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, 

              David Arquette, Henry Winkler

Rating: 14A

Release Date: May 2nd, 1997

Drew Barrymore in Scream
© 1996 - Dimension Films

     During the late 1970's and early 1980's there were two directors who reigned supreme over the horror genre, and gave credence to it as a valid cinematic art form. While John Carpenter has the honour of directing what is arguably the best horror film of all time, (The Thing), and a sampling of other genre classics, (Halloween, Escape From New York, They Live), his films have aged poorly, and his talent has started to decline with age. Wes Craven, director of the other classic 1970/80's horror flicks (The Last House on the Left, A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Serpent and The Rainbow), has refined his talent in order to become more of an auteur.  As well, unlike Carpenter, he has continued to grow as a purveyor of horror straight into the new millennium. As a director, Craven is a far more inventive talent. If his body of work is filled with horror works of art, (the set design and effects in A Nightmare On Elm Street are transcendent), then Scream is his masterpiece.

     Scream follows Sidney Prescott, a high school senior who is approaching the one year anniversary of her mother's brutal murder. Warming up to her long-time boyfriend and finally opening up to her friends about her grief, Sidney's world is turned upside down when someone starts killing people around town, in the style of her mother's murder. Fuelled by their desire to catch the killer through a vast knowledge of horror films, explained via video store clerk and fellow classmate Randy, (Jamie Kennedy, who, while a mediocre comedian, is an extremely underrated actor), Sidney and her friends try to piece together the pieces before it's too late. 

     Postmodernism has been around for decades, and was popularized by artists like Andy Warhol and Salvador Dalí*, However, it hadn't really hit mainstream cinema until the Craven's Scream in the early nineties. Simultaneously a genre subversion as well as a satire, Craven never forgets the most important part of film-making; it's got to be entertaining, and damn it if Scream isn't one of the most terrifying thrillers ever made. The constant commentary by characters of their situation, (in one instance, a character explains: "I'm calling the police, I've locked the doors and I have a knife" to the killer, instead of mindlessly searching in dark corners like countless past protagonists), the insistence on having strong female characters, and including interesting exposition that also serves as commentary makes the film enlightening for any casual cinema goer, and an absolute blast for horror lovers. As well, killing off the biggest star of the film during the opening credits is a stroke of genius, and inspired a variety of films to do the same afterwards. This unexpected subversiveness also means the film is completely unpredictable, lending it a suspenseful quality few other horror films have. 

     Overall, Wes Craven's Scream is a pinnacle of the horror genre from the best in the business, and rises above it's counterparts due to a willingness to skewer it's own shortcomings. I will say that those not fond of blood or gore should stay away from this splatterfest, because it doesn't shy away from gruesome brutality. However, for fans of horror or cinematic anthropology, Scream is required viewing. And so are the sequels; the entire Scream franchise has continued on Scream's subversive path, topping off with the fantastic reboot Scream 4 which pushed the meta-modernist form to hilarious, (and terrifying), extremes. The only film to flounder was the mediocre Scream 3 which seemed to forget it was supposed to be a horror film. All in all, the modern horror genre needs to get back the the simplicity of Craven's original Scream; the scariest things in life aren't fictional monsters, vampires, zombies or demons. Sometimes the most terrifying thing in the world is just a man with a knife. 

Grant's Rating: 5/5 Stars

Drew Barrymore in Scream: "Do You Like Scary Movies?"

*If you'd like to learn more about Salvador Dalí, postmodernism, and view specific artworks, please visit ARTSY, a worldwide resource for sharing artwork.