If you love classic horror films, “Scream” is the movie for you. On Dec. 20, 1996, “Scream” was released to the public in theaters. It made a whopping $103 million, leaving producers sitting at the top of the podium of bestselling movies. “Scream” demonstrated a new wave of filmmaking designed to embrace self-awareness and what became known as “meta-commentary” with characters openly remarking on and critiquing horror tropes even as they fall victim to them.
“Scream” starts off with a high school student named Casey Becke (Drew Barrymore), who is home alone and gets a call from an unknown person. At first she thinks it’s a normal call with someone she has never met before, but turns dark when the unknown caller asks Casey about her favorite scary movie. After they finish that conversation, she starts realizing the person on the phone is a psycho with killer intentions. The ambiguous voice tells Casey that he has her boyfriend Steve Orth (Kevin Patrick Walls) tied up on her patio, leaving them both helpless, defenseless, and terrified.
The movie then jumps to five high school students Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell), Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich), Stu Macher (Matthew Lillard), Tatum Riley (Rose McGowan), and Randy Meeks (Jamie Kennedy) sitting by a water fountain talking about Casey Becker’s murder. Each of them shows different emotions about the unsolved case. Stu jokes around about it, but Billy tells him he needs to “chill out” because it is freaking everyone else out. As questions swell about the mysterious Ghostface figure, the group falls victim one by one in a storyline that never gets dull.
I love the Ghostface costume design because it is basic, yet unique. Ghostface wears a white mask that looks like he is screaming, a long, black, torn robe, and big black boots. His killing techniques are also unique. Ghostface calls his victims and has a conversation with personal questions, giving them clues that lead to them finding him in their house where they come to sharp and deadly ends.
I love how Ghostface does his slashing because it is more realistic to a real-world situation than most movies. Imagine seeing Ghostface in your living room or closet, or even just in your backyard; imagine your reaction to a real-life jump scare with Ghostface and you’ll appreciate the ones in the movie.
One of my favorite scenes from the film is when Randy tells everyone the rules of a horror movie and he gets to the last rule: Never say, “I’ll be right back.” Just then, Stu tells him he is going to grab a beer and says “I’ll be right back” in a scared, funny voice. It’s classic.
“Scream” is a perfect example of a first-rate slasher movie with a lot of jump scares and gory scenes. It is R-rated due to graphic violence and foul language. I give this movie a 10/10 because of the fabulous storyline and many unexpected plot twists. You can stream “Scream” on Max, Hulu, Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, Sling TV, and YouTube.
