Looking Back At ‘Scream 4’ – Legacy Sequel Is A Cut Above The Rest

“Welcome home, Sidney.”

In 2011, before the era of legacy sequels, one film reshaped the horror landscape. As it had fifteen years earlier, Scream once again drove the conversation. Specifically, in this case, Scream 4. At the time, it was a misunderstood and underappreciated slasher sequel that has aged better than a sweaty old Ghosface mask. Layered with snappy meta commentary on 2000s horror and decorated with well-placed legacy and memorable new characters, this film is a cut above the rest. And now, with its fifteenth anniversary this year, it is cemented as the jump start to the legacy sequel before it was fashionable, as well as its prescient commentary on fame in the age of the internet.

Scream 4 picks up eleven years after the events of the previous installment. Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) is publishing a book about her life and death experiences, and as part of the publicity tour, returns to her hometown of Woodsboro. Her reunion brings her into contact with old friends Gale (Courteney Cox) and Dewey (David Arquette). However, her return also marks the emergence of a new Ghostface. The masked killer targets a new group of high schoolers, including Sidney’s cousin Jill (Emma Roberts), making this latest spree one that cuts close to home.

Horror legacy sequels are not in short supply. After the success of Halloween in 2018, every major franchise, including Scream, got on board the legacy train. However, it is ironic that Scream 4 was ahead of the curve with its story a full seven years before Michael returned to Haddonfield, and a full eleven years before Ghostface rang again with Scream 5. 4 taps into nostalgia before it was in vogue. And yet it failed to make a killing (pun intended) at the box office. Audiences have a knack for finding a film long after its release date, and Scream 4 is no exception. Yet, for those of us who have been fans from the beginning, it is wonderful to welcome the revisionism and the delayed praise for the best sequel in the franchise.

Now, most legacy sequels follow the playbook set by The Force Awakens. One: introduce a cast of new characters. Two: bring in the legacy for a final sendoff. Three: Crank the nostalgia to an eleven. Four: deliver a story eerily similar to the OG, with a few minor tweaks to make it different enough. Arguably, this is the path Scream 5 took, as well as the countless horror legacy reboots that arrived over the last eight years. However, Scream 4 is different. It is a legacy sequel that is both interested in honoring what came before and delivering something fresh.

Right off the bat, the opening subverts expectations by giving three openings. The first two begin with the characters watching the in-universe horror films Stab 6 and Stab 7. These false starts are again a deft meta-commentary on both the horror films being critiqued and on what we are watching ourselves. Finally, though, the real Ghostface reveals his mask in a clever update to the original film’s opening. The film is telegraphing that the forthcoming story will have familiar refrains, but a whole bunch of new lyrics.

Let’s start with the returning cast. Obviously, Campbell is back as Sidney, but she is not here to wax poetic about her Ghostface trauma. Sidney is an integral part of the story that pairs nicely with the modern-day storyline involving Jill and her friends. I’d call it one of her best performances in the series. She is in full survivor mode, giving a character with history and depth.

In addition to Campbell, Cox is back as Gale, and Arquette as Dewey, now promoted to Sheriff of Woodsboro. Both are in rare form here. The power couple of the original trilogy is still together, but the story shows their marital strain. Gale is restless living in a small town with nothing to write about, and Dewey struggles to find his footing as the town’s top cop. These stories, along with Sidney’s, intersect in perfect succession once Ghostface makes the fatal calls.

Here, our legacy trio is pivotal to the story. First, the script never presents Sidney, Gale, or Dewey as historical figures whose purpose is to deliver a few lines and then stay in the background for the rest of the film. Second, even in their roles, the trio never hog the spotlight from the new cast of characters. Whereas most legacy sequels seem like a power struggle between the old and next generation, here, the balance is respected. Each storyline is given its due, complete with intergenerational overlap. Scream 4 is the epitome of “respect the past, embrace the future.”

Part of the film’s genius is its commentary on the changing nature of horror. 4 arrives in the era of horror remakes, and the film astutely comments on the genre’s evolution. The late, great director Wes Craven even adds a stylistic choice to this film’s look—the infamous filter imagery. While divisive, the design was Craven’s way of commenting on the look of horror remakes. In addition to being a clever acknowledgment of the genre, it gives the film a glossy texture that frankly looks cool.

And on that note of being cool, we meet the new faces of Woodsboro High School. Here again, the story works to make us care about Jill Roberts and her friends. The cast offers unique parallels to the original group, but never shortchanges on personality or relies on mere trophies. It is believable that the group is friends, united by their shared love of horror and movies in general. Perhaps no better representation for horror cinephiles is none other than fan favorite Kirby Reed (Hayden Panettiere). While a modern-day Randy Meeks by design, Panettiere creates a memorable character through her snappy dialogue and cool-girl horror-aficionado vibes.  

Aware of the trends at the time, the tension is heightened. Ghostface is meaner. For all those who thought Scream 5 and 6 showed a more aggressive and violent Ghostface, let Scream 4 be the one to say, hold my beer. The death scenes pack a grisly punch. See, the death of Olivia (Marielle Jaffe) as Exhibit A. The movie embraces its tagline, “new decade, new rules.” The brutality is a lot, but never excessive. Craven is aware of the time and wisely crafts a story that can appeal to fans of the originals and newcomers alike.

The film strikes a tone closer to the original, infusing it with commentary and horror. There is less Scooby-Doo and jokes and more scares and thrills. The dialogue is still punchy, thanks again to a script by Kevin Williamson, and, of course, Roger L. Jackson provides the iconic voice of GhostFace in what is his most sinister voice-over to date at this point in the series.  

In what would be the final film of his esteemed filmography, the Guru of Gore delivers one with staying power. There are few fourth entries in any franchise, particularly in a horror one, that succeed in terms of quality and effect. The staying power of Scream 4 is real, largely thanks to Craven, who stayed with the franchise from the outset and committed to crafting a story worth telling.

In no small part, the tenet of that story is the character of Jill. At first, we believe she is an intended victim of Ghostface, but those expectations are subverted once more. (SPOILERS AHEAD) Cleverly, the script throws out red herrings about the killer’s identity. Is it Jill’s boyfriend, Trevor (Nico Tortorella)? Is the police deputy, Judy Hicks (Marley Shelton), somehow involved? The film keeps us guessing, right up until Charlie (Rory Culkin) stabs Kirby, and then Jill removes her mask. It is a twist that, no matter how many times I’ve seen the film, still makes me gasp.

Rather than play it safe, the script goes for the jugular, making the heroine the villain. The final act is a masterclass in suspense and surprise. While Scream 3 gives us the first family killer, here the story is much less hokey and more frightening. The defining legacy of this film, and what makes it so great, is not only the unhinged, switch-flicking performance by Roberts, but the chilling motivation.

“Don’t you get it? This has never been about killing you. It’s about becoming you.” Here is a Ghostface determined not only to replace Sidney but to become her, trauma and all. And for what: fame. Jill poses the question in the age of the internet: how do people become famous? Forget accomplishments or personal achievements—instant gratification. Here is a Ghostface showing the painstaking lengths she will go to achieve internet fame. “I don’t need friends. I need fans.” Aside from being a banger of a line, it is prescient, ironically predicting our modern internet culture. Hello, viral fame, influencers, social media toxicity.

“Sick is the new sane.” Fifteen years later, it is frightening how accurate this little horror film was, because much, if not all, of it has come to pass. That is the film’s strength and enduring legacy, and why the vast reappraisals are welcome. Scream 4 accomplishes more in this legacy sequel than any of its contemporary follow-ups. Partly, because it was not box-checking nostalgia, or jumping on a trend. It had a story to tell, and, much like its famed originator, left a deep impression on the horror movie realm that is still apparent today.

Scream 4 legacy sequel done right. A story, clever nostalgia, and seamless integration of the elder and next-generation casts make it a cut above the rest.

Scream 4 celebrated its 15th Anniversary on April 15th. On June 9th, Lionsgate will release the film for the first time in 4K UHD Blu-Ray. 

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