15 Recent Horrors You Should Avoid This Halloween

11. Scream 4

The Thing 2011
Dimension Films

To date, the last of the cinematic Scream films. In spite of the re-teaming of the late, great Wes Craven and screenwriter Kevin Williamson, this fourth outing in the franchise fails to recapture the magic, coming too late into a world which has changed too much in its absence.

All of the original (surviving) players return, but the film's reluctance to kill any of them off makes as little sense as it did in Scream 3. A bland, unfunny rip-off of itself - and too lambasted by the Scary Movie series by now to take seriously - not even cameos from Anna Paquin, Kristen Bell and Hayden Panettiere can save this one.

Still, at least it's better than the TV series.

If it's ironic laughs you want for your Halloween shindig, stick with the original film instead. It's a classic for a reason.

Contributor
Contributor

A film critic and professional writer of over ten years, Joel Harley has a deep and abiding love of all things horror, Batman and Nicolas Cage. He can be found writing online and in print, all over the Internet and in especially good bookstores.