'Scream' and the remake's dilemma: legacy vs. imitation
By Miranda Feinberg | January 25“What’s your favorite scary movie?” asks the iconic question from the original "Scream" (1996), which is answered by itself; the satirical horror classic has become a staple in the genre, kickstarting the popularity of meta-horror comedy. "Scream" is not just a good movie but a bloody love letter to horror as a genre. No other horror satire had hit quite the same as the first "Scream" movie and, despite the newest installment's heavy-handed attempt, no other movie has since. "Scream" (2022), directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, is marketed as an ode to Wes Craven. While the majority of the film is genuinely fun and scary (really milking its R rating for all it’s worth), it is hard to talk about without first discussing the problem within the movie’s very core. As ironic as it sounds when talking about this movie in particular (especially within the larger franchise’s canon), this newest "Scream" remake is too focused on being its predecessor. It is obsessed with telling its audience over and over again, through visuals and dialogue and references and character names, that this movie is meta enough to contend with the original.