For five decades, since his shocking debut in 1972, Wes Craven delivered so much great horror. He could be counted on to shake up the genre in a massive way at least once per decade. Whether it be the brutal The Last House on the Left, birthing a new kind of slasher icon in A Nightmare on Elm Street, or reviving the slasher subgenre in the ‘90s with Scream, Craven was a horror master and a kind scholar of the human condition. In curating this list, with the specific goal of honoring this decade’s offerings, it occurred to me that this is the last decade of Craven. It’s bittersweet. We’ve lost a vital horror storyteller, but he’s left behind one hell of a legacy. One that ended on a strong note. We won’t forget it, either.
So, for the first Franchise Friday of #BloodyHalloween, we’re paying our respects to the horror master who got the decade started with 2011’s fun fourth entry in the Scream series.
Order up a pizza, settle in on the couch, fire up Netflix, and celebrate with me!
Synopsis: It’s been years since the Ghostface Killer tore the town of Woodsboro apart. In an effort to overcome the trauma of those events, Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) has written a self-help book. Its book tour sees her returning to Woodsboro, where she reconnects with old friends and family, but finds the Ghostface Killer returning once more to resume his slaughter.
Key Players: Of course lead heroine Sidney (Campbell) returns, but so does feisty Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox) and sweet Sheriff Dewey (David Arquette). Emma Roberts, as Sidney’s niece Jill, connects the veteran cast to the next generation. Which includes players Rory Culkin, Erik Knudsen, and Hayden Panettiere. Also, look for Marley Shelton as the oddly jealous Deputy Judy Hicks.
Why It’s on the List: Aside from our love for Craven, Scream 4 is a pretty solid sequel. Bringing in a new, younger cast reinvigorated a franchise that seemed to have run out of things to say. It didn’t just revive the series because of the great new cast (team Kirby!), but because Craven once again proved himself well ahead of the curve with his musings on social media and being internet famous. For fans of the series, it checked off all the major boxes, too. Suspense, humor, meta dissections of the subgenre, and a genuinely likable group of characters.
The Best Scene: Panettiere’s Kirby quickly became a fan favorite, and this scene nails why. Playing off the original film’s opener, with its infamous phone call, it’s Kirby who answers Ghostface’s call this time. The girl can ace a horror trivia game under major duress! She knows her horror remakes (a clever wink to the audience, to boot).
*Spoiler warning*- If you’ve never seen Scream 4, don’t watch the clip!!
Where You Can Watch: Netflix! So no excuses.
Are you a fan of this sequel? Are you as big of a Kirby fan as I am?
