A true masterpiece (some minor spoilers)

Rating: 9/10 (24 May 2001)

What else can I say that has not been said before ? Scream is almost perfect. I think the movie managed not to revive the horror genre as many said , but something even better : born a new kind of film , the mystery / horror . We have seen other movies with unidentified serial killers like Copycat . The brilliant idea of combining the mystery element with teenage stars representing the horror / slasher films is VERY functional . Many said that there are comedy elements and the movie is funny . I disagree because I think the writer wanted simply to make the film less scary at occasions so it would not be more entertaining. The heroes have seen many scary movies and know many cliches that are inherent in them . Personally think that the continuus quotes from other movies was a bit entertaining sometimes but very irritating other times and this is a big flaw . There are unforgettable lines like
" It is a lot scarier WITHOUT a motive !! " or " Movies do NOT create psychos , they simply make psychos more inventive " .
I won 't tell much about the plot because the less you know the more you will enjoy it . Basically gruesome murders happen in a small American town . The maniac killer is dressed like a ghost : black cape and cowl and a white - faced mask a direct copy from the famous painting " the scream " . He is a pure sadist : makes threatening phone calls to his victims always asking them if they like scary movies . After he intimidates them and scares the s**t out of them , he attacks and slaughters them with a knife in full-of-panic-heartpumping-suspensful -bloody chase scenes . The killer can be really anyone . As Randy ( Jamie Kennedy ) says wittingly " EVERYBODY IS A SUSPECT !!! " . So far nothing special you may say . Here is the evidence you are wrong

1) The chase scenes despite the cliches are the most suspenseful in any film of the decade . Wes Craven proved that even the oldest and rehashed recipe can work magnificently if the ingredients are used properly.
2) Finally a horror movie where the killer is a common mortal !!! If you hit him he will hurt . If you stab him he will bleed . If you shoot him he will die . At last ! Not some stupid unkillable " boogeyman " like Michael Myers in Halloween ( don 't get me wrong I like Halloween but it IS stupid ) .
3) A horror movie with detective crime mystery . You don 't know who the killer is . Is it Billy ( Skeet Ulrich ) ? No , too obvious ! Is it Sidney 's father gone mad ? Maybe . No it maybe Randy gone crazy of all the thrillers he 's watching . Too obvious . Again Billy has a very mysterious eye look . But again is he . Is he not ? And how about Stew ( Mathew Lilard ) ? He seems a real wacko . And so on and on . The film keeps you guessing until the end . I believe the solution of the mystery was probably inspired of some Agatha Christie novels like "Ten little niggers" and " Crime Witness " .
3) The performances are very good especially Skeet Ulrich as Billy one of the most controversial characters ever seen . He is very enigmatic. By the way if his figure reminds you of something it is Johnny Depp. Excellent performances from Rose Mac Gowan ( Tatum ) and Neve Campbell ( Sidney ) . Adequate acting by Jamie Kennedy , Mathew Lilard , David Arquette as the Deputy Dewey and Corteney Cox as the pesky reporter Gail Weathers who sees the story as a skoop for her carreer . Despite the acting the characters are very strong ( except Dewey ) and very memorable .
4) I have read many comments and critics about the film but noone has made a comment about the psychological terror . There is a widespread threat throughout the whole movie . First of all the Ghostface is very scary . He seems like a divine supernatural figure . When Casey ( Drew Barrymore ) unmasks him in the beginning we are almost sure that he is a person she knows . But the most horrifying part in this excellent story is that despite the numerous suspects and the hints that the script provides us to keep changing our suspicions , the killer can be literally anyone : just a psychopath who has spotted these friends and wants to have his sick fun . Maybe he is even a guy from out of town. The threat is exposing itself when the murderer is in front of Sidney sweeping the blood of his knife implying directly , " You are next ". I have never seen such a frightfully intense scene in a film before : the danger is HERE ! The atmosphere really convinces you that this can happen to anyone .
5) There are some excellent original scenes but I won 't give them away. All I can say is that the Drew Barrymore opening is regarded as a classic . Something I would like to comment is that finally the heroines do something I always wondered why not in other horror films : when the killer corners them , they simply kick him in the sensitive area.
6) The revelation of the killer is simply SHOCKING . As for the climax I can assure you that it is the most nerve - shattering you have ever seen . You will probably need a sleeping pill to sleep afterwards because you will be frightened to death by the twisted mind a person can have ( the PSYCHOLOGICAL TERROR I mentioned above ) and moreover the final action scene is going to steal your breath and have your heart crazy . Trust me ! You will remember it as long as you live !
A few weaknesses : Some scenes are very contrived like the murder of the Headmaster . Other scenes are quite boring like when Sidney is whining about her family background something which annoyingly holds the plot development back . But I guess we may forgive that . How can anyone NOT love this movie or even worse hate it ? I believe the only ones who hated it are people who simply don 't like action films or mysteries . But for you who like thrillers this is definately a must see.
S C R E A M F O R E V E R 9 / 10