Since the fifth Scream didn’t use a number, I called it 5cream. I’ve continued that with 6cream and 7cream so I should probably go back and retroactively call this 4cream too.
This was the last Wes Craven movie and it has aged well. Remember when remakes were the biggest horror trend? The fact that they didn’t last makes this film’s observations even more relevant. They’re a temporary nostalgia grab, which got more sophisticated with legacy sequels which the new movies dealt with. The livestreaming was also way ahead of its time, only they only had crappy-looking GoPros in 2011. Now influencers livestream in HD or even 4K. Shout out to Halloween Resurrection that went there too and gets no love.
This is also the last Scream shot on film so you can still see the grain. Yet, the shadows are even deeper than the recent entries shot on digital. Even a doorframe shrouds actors in darkness for the one second it takes them to pass through. But the dark corners in houses, hallways, and outside not only let Ghostface jump out. Sydney (Neve Campbell) and Judy Hicks (Marley Shelton) have a meaningful connection in a dark hall, and Anthony Anderson and Adam Brody’s cops stake out in the dark. The Stab-a-thon party in the barn is also a potpourri of shadow.
Some noticeable surround sound effects include glass crashing and Dewey (David Arquette)’s gunshots.
In new bonus features, franchise biographer Ashley Cullins explains meta and Kevin Williamson’s musical inspirations, then focuses on 4’s approach. This is a generation who grew up with both the Stab movies and the “real” events of Scream 1-3. She points out it was ahead of influencers
Marley Shelton. Erik Knudsen, Nico Tortilla, Arquette and Ghostface voice Roger J.Jackson reflect on the film, and Jackson on his legacy as Ghostface. They unearthed a Craven interview promoting Scream 4 and included some cast reflections on him too.