SCREAM

SCREAM
Now Streaming on Netflix
5/5 Stars

There are two halves of Scream.
The first half is a perfect little 13-minute short film celebrating the slasher film. Drew Barrymore is a wonderful victim, and she and the phone gimmick are executed very well. When people remember Scream, they remember the opening sequence, and rightfully so. It’s strength and scariness carry us through the second half of the film.
The second half is just a solid 90-minute slasher film in which a few characters reference other horror films. Although this convention was pretty new in 1996 (but not unprecedented- see: 1992’s There’s Nothing Out There), it doesn’t make the film revolutionary.
Scream still holds up as a fun, well-paced ride and is especially rewarding if you watch with the ending in mind. The movie spawned three sequels of varying quality, but its great contribution to horror will always be 13 minutes long.