My Favorite Film in My Favorite Slasher Franchise

Rating: 10/10 (11 November 2018)

Scream is the film that saved the Horror genre. While there are certainly 90s Horror films pre-Scream that I enjoyed, films that slowly helped to errode the decades of outdated and ugly narrative cliches that had poisoned Horror films for decades (Candyman, Bram Stoker's Dracula and Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers being the first that come to mind), Scream is the film that finally shut the door on them and paved the way for a smarter and more mature breed of Horror film. This movie can stand alone as my practically my whole thesis on why 90s Horror is infinitely superior to that of the 70s and 80s; stronger characters, better acting, more thoughtful stories, more consistent tone and self aware without being lazy. Slashers don't get much better than Scream.
The performances in the original Scream are iconic in a way that few if any other slashers can match. Neve Campbell as Sidney Prescott has a very strong edge and non-conformist attitude to her personality and choice-making that distinctly separates her from typical final girls. Even before she loses her virginity to her boyfriend, Sidney's assertiveness, proactive nature and passion make her feel much more real, relatable and likable than the numerous final girls of decades past, hollow personifications of Conservative values to validate their films' gratuitous violence and sexuality to the hypocritical moral arbiters of their times. Watching her break the shackles of her possessive relationship with Billy will always be incredibly satisfying. The label "feminist Horror film" is obnoxiously overused (Halloween 2018's self labeling as such was a rather irritating reminder), but in the case of Scream, it undoubtedly fits. The 90s were the catalyst decade for true social justice in Horror movies and Scream is perhaps the most celebrated example of a progressive Horror film. Speaking of Billy, Skeet Ulrich's portrayal of the sexiest slasher villain in Horror history is unforgettable. Billy is so manipulative with such an alluring, sweet voice that he even managed to convince me that he was just a good guy with some personal issues. Yet, when he finally reveals his true nature to his trusting girlfriend, it feels less like a cheap trick and more like a clever ruse that I feel foolish for falling for. Every time I watch Scream, I wish to myself that perhaps, this time, Billy's humanity will come from a place of sincerity. A place of good intention. Even when I know it won't. Matthew Lillard as Stu is an absolute delight. If there was one negative effect that Scream had on the genre, it was the numerous actors who unsuccessfully tried and failed to copy his hilarious, one-of-a-kind performance. That being said, there's only one Matthew Lillard, and his eccentric, childlike, off-the-wall bonkers depiction of Billy's dimwitted helper is comedic acting at its finest. And, of course, I'd be remiss not to bring up Jamie Kennedy's performance as Horror fanboy Randy Meeks. A lesser actor would have come across as obnoxious and pretentious in the role, but Meeks' unconditional love of all things Horror comes off as rather genuine and Meeks himself has some excellent comedic timing.
What makes Scream a cut above the rest in terms of slashers, what made it the standard by which all Horror comedies would follow, is how it satirizes Horror cliches by subverting them rather than repeating them. One thing true of both great Horror and great comedy is surprise. If you see a joke or a scare coming, you're not likely to be affected by it. Where Scream sets itself apart from its contemporaries is how often it breaks the rules. It will set you up to expect a certain scare, plot point, character reveal or death and then completely turn the tables by revealing it was all a ruse or distraction from something else. This keeps us shocked in response to its scares and caught off guard in response to its comedy. It also keeps us more invested in the story because we can much more easily imagine ourselves in the roles of the characters. They're human beings, not stock archetypes in a cheap Horror flick. Merely repeating cliches and genre conventions from the genre with the excuse of "lol irony" is bad satire and thankfully something that Scream is never guilty of.
The 90s atmosphere of the production will always have such a wonderful charm. Everything from the costume design to the sets to the dialogue feels so beautifully nostalgic, this whole movie is such an endearing time capsule without ever forcing it. On top of that, like the best teen Horror films, Scream does a wonderful job capturing the freedom and ignorant euphoria associated with teenage life. The feeling that you're ready to take on the whole world...And the sinking tragedy of murder, community terror and mourning that sends your fantasy crashing down.
The soundtrack is absolutely glorious. Everything about it screams 90s teenage counter culture and it was a breath of fresh air for 1996; a year where the popular music was largely sickly sweet, sentimental bubblegum pop. With tracks from Gus Black, Moby, Alice Cooper and Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, Scream's music just screams alternative angst and I mean that in the best possible way. If Scream were a person, it would be a gorgeous, tattooed rocker chick with her middle fingered hand extending out the window of her girlfriend's car.
As much as I love the Friday the 13th and Halloween franchises, the Scream franchise and Ghostface will always be No. 1 in my heart when it comes to the slasher genre. The 1996 classic has more than deserved its reputation as a seminal example of the genre and here's hoping we can see a revival of it in years to come. Now, what are my thoughts on the sequels? Well, that's a topic for another day.