‘New decade. New rules.’
Scream 4 is a 2011 American meta slasher mystery horror film and the third sequel to Scream (1996) following Scream 2 (1998) and Scream 3 (2000). Stylized as Scre4m
In 2022, a fifth film in the franchise, simply titled Scream, was released.
Directed by Wes Craven (A Nightmare on Elm Street; The Hills Have Eyes; Last House on the Left) from a screenplay written by Kevin Williamson.
During production, Ehren Kruger, who previously wrote the screenplay for Scream 3, was hired for uncredited script rewrites. Reshoots were filmed in early 2011, following test screenings.
The movie stars David Arquette, Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, Emma Roberts, Hayden Panettiere, Anthony Anderson, Alison Brie, Adam Brody, Rory Culkin, Marielle Jaffe, Erik Knudsen, Mary McDonnell, Marley Shelton and Nico Tortorella.
The soundtrack score was once again composed by Marco Beltrami.
Plot:
On the fifteenth anniversary of the original Woodsboro murders, Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) returns to the town, where Ghostface once again begins killing students from Woodsboro High…
Reviews:
“The big reveal isn’t as jarring as the actual final showdown itself, but the action is sleek, and there’s plenty to mull over as the story approaches climax. Kudos go out to Wes Craven who utilizes experience and loads of genre prowess to close on one of the film’s higher notes. Scream 4 cannot rival Scream, make no mistake, but it is leaps and bounds better than the third flick and on par with the second.” Addicted to Horror Movies
“Like a relentless blogger, the movie pokes fun at itself, pokes fun at postmodernism, and mirrors the general overwhelming feeling of too much internet and too many cell phones and webcams. And yet it keeps on its toes. Just as something begins to smell a bit fishy, the movie quickly comments on it. “This is just silly,” one character says during the climax. It is. In a good way.” Combustible Celluloid
“If you’ve enjoyed the previous Scream installments, you’re going to want to see this one. If you are a fan of slasher films in general, you’ll have a lot of fun with this as well. Scream 4 is definitely not as good as the original film, but is worthy of the Scream name and one of the better sequels in the series. This is a fun and entertaining film…” Daily Dead
“Some of the riffs are really funny and/or expertly scary. Others have the feel of awfully snappy dialogue crafted by middle-aged people trying a little too eager to sound like the young people from whose mouths the banter flows […] Still, the tour de force funny/ scary opener is better (and more surprise packed) than any since Drew Barrymore picked up that phone of doom in 1996.” Entertainment Weekly
“Ghost Face is still clumsy, overly destructive, and can vanish in thin air, and Sydney, Dewey, and Gale are still too adept at fending off butcher knife attacks […] Despite the repetition, anticipated, incredibly lengthy exposition, and multiple endings, Scream 4 easily succeeds in being better than the last collaborative undertaking in the franchise, as well as being the best of the bunch.” Gone with the Twins
“Scream 4 is so obsessed with the self-referential element that made the original Scream unique that it loses the capacity to be genuinely scary or funny […] The first two Screams worked because they were effortless. Scream 4, like its predecessor, shows the screenwriter’s seams. The story is thin and belabored…” Reel Views
“Full of insides jokes, genre movie trivia, and lots and lots of bloody violence, this film is like a movie geek’s wet dream. But then said movie geek wakes up to find he’s quickly forgetting everything he saw and he’s a sticky mess. Scream 4 is fun to watch because you know you’re watching a sequel that knows it’s a sequel and is reveling in it, but ultimately it’s a re-hashed plot and thus, like most sequels, is largely forgettable.” We Got This Covered
Trailer:
Rankings:
Cast and characters:
Lucy Hale … Sherrie
Roger Jackson … The Voice (voice)
Shenae Grimes … Trudie
Dane Farwell … Ghostface
Anna Paquin … Rachel
Kristen Bell … Chloe
Aimee Teegarden … Jenny Randall
Brittany Robertson … Marnie Cooper
Neve Campbell … Sidney Prescott
Alison Brie … Rebecca Walters
David Arquette … Dewey Riley
Courteney Cox … Gale Weathers-Riley
Hayden Panettiere … Kirby Reed
Emma Roberts … Jill Roberts
Marielle Jaffe … Olivia Morris
Marley Shelton … Deputy Judy Hicks
Nancy O’Dell … TV Host
Erik Knudsen … Robbie Mercer
Justin Michael Brandt … Film Geek
Rory Culkin … Charlie Walker
Nico Tortorella … Trevor Sheldon
Anthony Anderson … Deputy Perkins
Adam Brody … Deputy Hoss
Gordon Michaels … Deputy Jenkins
John Lepard … Mr Baker
Mary McDonnell … Kate Roberts
Mark Aaron Buerkle … Doctor Orth
Alex Punch … Cocky Student
Technical details:
1 hour 51 minutes
Audio mix: Dolby Digital | Datasat| SDDS
Aspect ratio: 2.39: 1
