Predictable plotlines, forgettable characters, and unnecessary violence to substitute a lack of originality. What does this describe? The new “Scream” movie. Fans desperately awaited the latest edition in this infamous movie franchise, but unfortunately it did not live up to the quality of its predecessors. 

The addition of new characters was overdone. It is understandable that with this being the fifth movie in the establishment, more characters were necessary; however, walking out of the theater, the names of every single non-iconic character escapes the mind of the viewers. This is due to the fact that there were just too many new people introduced, making it difficult to find any of them very memorable.

Fantasy-characters like Dewey, Gale, and Sidney, played by David Arquette, Courteney Cox, and Neve Campbell, are irreplaceable. Thankfully, this movie took the time to ensure that these iconic characters made appearances throughout the film because without their familiar faces, this movie would have been an even bigger disappointment. While some of the new additions to the cast put on exhilarating performances, like the ones done at certain moments by Jenna Ortega as Tara Carpenter, other characters were simply decent. They lacked the emotional performance that was necessary in order to convey the absolute terror of the events that were occurring. 

The other shortfalling that was seen throughout, was the unnecessarily brutal murder scenes that were present. This movie was significantly more violent than the other “Scream” movies, and it cannot be said that this contributed anything to the plot. If anything, it distracted from it because characters were constantly being stabbed in absolutely absurd ways that felt almost too repulsive to watch. 

With every whodunit mystery movie, the most important part comes at the end. It is the grand finale, where everything is explained, making it the most anxiously awaited part of any horror movie. While this film did successfully create a tense and fast-paced environment throughout, the ending was beyond upsetting. When it came time for the final reveal of the culprit behind the attacks, viewers were ready to be shocked. And they were shocked, but shocked at how predictable the ending was. In fact, during the movie one of the characters even correctly guesses who the attackers are. 

Also, the killer’s motive for their murders could not have been worse. It made no sense and seemed like a sloppy attempt to tie up some loose ends. I understand that this may have been done on purpose to show that even the “weakest” of murderers can cause so much pain and destruction, but the end result communicated a more unfinished feel.

With all this in mind, this cannot be labeled the worst horror movie of all time. It definitely did honor Wes Craven, the director of the previous four “Scream” movies, by creating a similarly intense and absorbing movie. However, it is challenging to look past its major flaws when deciding if it was an overall satisfying film. For the next movie in this establishment, it is important for the directors to remember to create a logical plot, instead of trying to substitute a lack of a sensical storyline with an overabundance of violence.