The updated teen-slasher movie that laughed at the genre while at the same time helped usher in a new generation of sleek horror films.

Rating: 10/10 (9 February 2011)

"Scream" is a horror film that is a modern day horror movie that is terrifying roller-coaster ride of murder and black-hearted laughter. The director, Wes Craven, presents almost a reboot on the teen-slasher movies that were made popular in the 70s and 80s (such as "Halloween", "Friday the 13th", or "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre"). There are classic elements present within the film that give the audience a fright while at the same time address many clichés found within the horror genre.
As portrayed in a great many horror movies, specifically teen-slasher movies, there is a surface theme of lost innocence. The protagonist, typically a woman, is pitted against a monstrously twisted (metaphorically or literally) antagonist that wants her dead, and her friends, and her family, and any pets. The protagonist has to quickly go from meek teenager into a mature woman in full survival mode if she wants to stay alive to see the credits roll.
Sidney Prescott, portrayed by Neve Campbell, is our leading heroine whose friends and family fall victim to a serial killer who shows an affinity to horror movies. Her troupe of friends include: boyfriend Billy (Skeet Ulrich), best friend Tatum (Rose McGowan), along with friends Stuart (Matthew Lillard) and Randy (Jamie Kennedy). Along with a well rounded support cast the plot of the film revolves around Sidney as the killer begins to slaughter those around her, with Sidney being the final prize.
The antagonist in "Scream" is a serial killer that uses a common grocery store Halloween costume to mask his identity. This concealed identity provides the major engine for the plot to move forward, keeping the audience guessing as to who the real killer might be. It also provides the core theme presented in this film, trust. Specifically, when everyone around you could be a killer, who do you trust? This simple costume gives the film its menacing face, with "ghost face" becoming the symbolic and iconic face of this film's franchise.
Early scenes in the film showcase the themes of trust and lost innocence. One scene in particular early on in the film between Sidney and Billy highlights the aforementioned themes. Sidney is emotionally charged having just survived her first brush with the killer when Billy crawls in through her window, seemingly to her rescue. Clever use of dialogue, props (a cell phone), and coincidence presents the audience, and Sidney, with the question of whether or not Billy is her savior or downfall. The scene presents Sidney's loss of innocence by having just survived her would be murderer, having to deal with the repercussions of that alone, along with a boyfriend whose questionable arrival time in the scene leaves her wondering if he could be the killer.
On the classic 1 to 10 scale, I would give this movie a 10. "Scream" is a sleek and modern take on the old teen-slasher movies, and horror in general. The clever dialogue addressing the genre within the movie, the well shot scenes, and iconic killer make this film the ultimate horror movie of the 90s.