Every Scream Movie Ranked Worst To Best

It shouldn't have worked. With closure of The Weinstein Company and the passing of Wes Craven, a new Scream felt unlikely. When greenlit, it seemed destined to fail.

But it didn't fail. Far from it. Thanks to its dark tone, gory action and affecting fusing of legacy characters (namely Dewey, the film's tragic standout) with new blood, Scream makes pointed use of its sequel-reboot premise to pay effective homage to what came before whilst setting up a gutsy new era.

There are some issues, including a slight overindulgence in speeches and expository dialogue, as well as its handling of both Sidney and Gale, who seem awkwardly shoehorned in out of necessity rather than need, but its virtues are difficult to totally overshadow, especially on a re-watch.

Franchise newcomers Jenna Ortega and Melissa Barrera make a compelling pair of protagonists, and Jack Quaid's sweet and terrifyingly pathetic performance makes its predictable finale sing. It's nothing new, and yet it feels fresh.