Truly Visceral and Disturbing

Rating: 9/10 (30 January 2018)

I re-watched Scream last night with my girlfriend for the first time in a couple of years. She had just watched Scary Movie the night before with her roommate and had a scary movie in mind for the both of us to watch together. Before viewing, I could tell that she didn't remember much about Scream and the fact that it is actually a scary slasher movie. I couldn't wait to see her reactions.
From the onset, the opening scene with Drew Barrymore is still one of the best in horror/film history. It's absolutely terrifying. The music? 10/10. The cinematography? 10/10. Writing? 10/10. Suspense? 10/10. Hitchcock elements? 10/10. It hits on all cylinders and then some. When Barrymore's character is attempting to scream for her parents in front of a tilted, uneasy camera, with the killer right behind her...that is horror movie magic right there. Now, don't get me wrong. Scream is a brutal film. That opening scene could emotionally scar you, especially if you are a young woman in this world.
That said, Scream plays on itself and other horror movies throughout, and plays the exact same game that the killer plays with his victims, with its audience. Horror movie tropes are a real thing, just like action movie tropes and romantic comedy tropes and suspenseful film tropes and cliches. The list goes on and on. I always find it funny when people think horror movies are the only films with these scores and scenes that can be predictable for the audience. How about Tom Cruise hanging out of a car door 565 feet in the air with machine guns firing at him, a beautiful woman by his side, and the fate of the world in his hands?
Yeah...I think you get my point.
What Scream does so well is relish in its self-awareness and then some. As I watched the movie a second and third time, it's so blatantly obvious who the killer is, it's hard to believe I ever thought that was the point of the film in the first place. Yet, there is still a twist. Just like in Pyscho, we know something is off about Norman Bates, yet we don't know the entirety of it. We're just scratching the surface.
Now, does Scream have its faults? Sure. I'm not really going to dwell on them. From the tilted camera and quick zooms used in the film, I felt uneasy and slightly off throughout. Wes Craven has a way of making you feel uncomfortable just like he did with Freddy. The killer is a bit clumsy...but when you watch Nightmare on Elm Street, so was Freddy. He knows how to ride that line so well. The last few scenes are also pretty disturbing to watch, but with the music and the strange acting and horror movie games and cliches, it's just bloody fun.
So many movies copied Scream that it can be hard to take it serious at times. When I tried to explain to my girlfriend that they are self-aware in their horror movie cliches and rules, she didn't seem to agree with me. "It's just being a horror movie." Which is true. It is.
But, it's also playing on itself and so many that came before it, and now, so many that came after it. I can't imagine reading the script for Scream (originally titled Scary Movie). It is seal-vacuum tight. I am a firm believer in catching the viewer from the opening scene and with no cuts for the first 10-15 minutes, I was on the edge of my frickin' seat! Isn't that the joy in seeing a movie in the first place? I can't imagine seeing this in theaters and I hope it is re-released soon. It would be worth a visit to see on the big screen.