Ever since 1996, “Scream” has been terrifying people and making them afraid to pick up their phones. It is one of the most respected and worshiped horror franchises of all time. However,what most people don’t know is that there is a disturbing true story that inspired the movie.

In 1989 and during the summer of 1990, Danny Rolling murdered eight people in Shreveport, Louisiana and Gainesville, Florida. Danny Rolling eventually became known as “The Gainesville Ripper.” 

Kevin Williamson was housesitting one night when he watched a TV special on the murders. The special involved being alone in another person’s house late at night and it gave Williamson the creeps, and it eventually sent the screenwriter’s heart and mind racing and he became terrified. All of this eventually became one of the biggest horror scripts of all time known as “Scream.” 

“Scream” was released in theaters in 1996. It changed both the horror and the slasher genre. Slashers were becoming very predictable at that point, but “Scream,” basically changed all that. The film won all kinds of awards and was a huge success at the box office. Three other Scream movies were later released in 1999, 2002 and 2011. 

Ten years after the third iteration,the latest Scream movie came out in theaters in January, 2022.

“SCREAM” takes place years after brutal murders shocked the quiet town Woodsboro, California. A new killer with the same Ghostface mask begins targeting a group of teenagers to tell secrets from the town’s deadly past. The film stars Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox and David Arquette took their iconic roles as Sydney, Gale and Dewey. Sam Carpenter, played by Melissa Barrera, is a former Woodsboro reckless and wild teenager who returns to Woodsboro after years because she is concerned for her sister Tara after a new Ghostface attack.

“SCREAM” 2022 pays tribute to the franchise, especially to the original one. It is referenced many times throughout that it always goes back to the original “SCREAM”. The 1996 film obviously started this whole story, and as Randy said in “SCREAM 2”, “Sequels are never better than the original.” But that’s not the case this time. “SCREAM” (2022) brings the franchise full circle.

“SCREAM” knows its audience and what they expect by now, which is a complicated story that keeps you guessing right up to the end. Sam fills the shoes of having the same strength and determination that Sydney did for all those years.

Dwight is now a worn-down man who is still haunted from the past. Cox completely changed Gale Weathers, a news reporter who only wanted fame and now knows that fame comes at a price. Sydney is now in control of her own fear and can now help others cope with trauma.

“SCREAM” 2022 has a lot of new people on the cast like Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett who take on the job as directors after the unfortunate passing of franchise director and horror legend Wes Craven in 2015. Writers James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick recreated the very smart dialogue and the complete chaos of the movie to be called a “SCREAM” movie. SCREAM creator Kevin Williamson was an Executive Producer this time around. 

I give “SCREAM” (2022) a 10/10.