Candyman (2021)

 

After the disastrous reception of Day of the Dead, it would be over a decade for a Candyman sequel to be produced. In 2004, Clive Barker was involved with a 25 million budget. This would've actually been great, considering that Clive Barker is the writer of the source material, but unfortunately, that never came to be. In 2009, filmmaker Deon Taylor was set to direct the film, which would've taken place at an all-women's college during the winter, thankfully ignoring the events of Day of the Dead, but the film fell apart due to rights issues. Fast forward to nine years later, it was announced that Jordan Peele, the director of Get Out and Us, will be producing the sequel with the help of Nia DaCosta filling in the role of director. This seems to be like a match made in heaven. So, by 2019, pre-production for the fourth Candyman sequel was on the go. And the result is a...pretty mixed bag. 

The way I can describe Candyman 2021 is an almost perfect movie. The directing? Amazing. The acting? Top-notch. The writing? I'm afraid I have to go with a...meh. I would say that the build-up of the story is well done but up until the third act, it's a bit of a mess. And there is so much to uncover with that, so let's start the review. 

The Story: Anthony McCoy, a renowned painter in the Chicago art scene, is seeking inspiration. With the help of his girlfriend, gallery owner Brianna Cartwright, he's hard at work on his next project. After hearing about The Legend of Helen Lyle, Anthony investigates the now-gentrified Cabrini Green where he meets Laundromat owner, Willam Burke. Forty-two years ago, as a young boy, William witnessed the police beating and eventual death of Sherman Fields, a mentally-challenged homeless man who was wrongfully accused of giving a white girl candy filled with razor blades. He was soon proven innocent, long after his death, though in the afterlife, Sherman has ingrained himself as a "Candyman" legend. As Anthony becomes more and more obsessed with the Candyman mythos, he would later uncover a secret from the past that would change the course of his life forever...

The cast is phenomenal, hands down, and it was one of the few things that got me invested in the film. The strongest of the bunch are Yahya Abdul-Matten, Teyonah Parris, and Colman Domingo. So, I would gladly share my perspective on these fantastic actors, starting with:

Anthony McCoy, played by the very sexy and very talented Yahya Abdul-Mateen. Not that anybody knows yet, but the mystery surrounding Anthony is that he is the son of Anne-Marie who got kidnapped as a baby and eventually saved by Helen Lyle. I thought it was quite an interesting touch to have him as the main character. Another interesting callback is that Anthony is an artist himself as if Candyman has christened him to be the next big talent. However, it seems as though Anthony has some self-absorbed, self-destructive tendencies that get in the way of his success. 

 

But once he discovers the Cabrini Green projects, Anthony gets stung by a bee as if he's been marked. When he gets more and more obsessed with the Candyman lore, Anthony literally starts to become him! It's kind of like a pseudo-Nightmare on Elm Street 2 situation. This actually got me invested but, unfortunately, that's not all to the story. I'll talk more about the third act later. 

Though I would say that Yahya Abdul-Mateen did a really good performance. The first choice to play Anthony was actually Lakeith Stanford and I would've loved to see that. He is an intense method actor and would've knocked it off the park, splendidly, however, Yahya really honed it in and gave a more vulnerable approach to his character . he has just the right amount of range to balance out the drama and horror of Anthony's situation. 

Brianna Cartwright played by Teyonah Parris was the showstopper for me. Not only was she incredibly likable and relatable, but she was also believable in what her character was experiencing. Brianna takes the role of the audience surrogate, even to the point where I wanted her to be the main character instead. I just have to say it, she has a more compelling story arc than Anthony's, which ties into the movie's theme about trauma. 

As a little girl, Brianna witnessed the suicide of her father who was an artist himself. As Anthony becomes more engrossed with the Candyman mythos, affecting his mental state, Brianna begins to distance herself until she uncovers the ugly truth.

Teyonah Parris was fantastic as Brianna. Furthermore, I like how she portrays her character as an actual human being, reacting to the horror in a realistic way. For one instance, after witnessing Anthony's psychotic meltdown, she decides to smoke a joint with her brother and his boyfriend. Something that I would do in a situation like that. So, not only did Teyonah Parris give a top-tier performance but she also played a character I would totally hang out with too.

Then we have William Burke played by the also sexy and talented Colman Domingo. William's trauma starts with the opening scene of the film when he encounters Sherman Feilds before his eventual death and lives to tell the tale. After his experience, he studies the Candyman mythos that trickles down to generation after generation. There's really not much to know about William after that. He's sort of like the exposition guy who gives Anthony the historical context surrounding the "Candyman" spirit. He's kind of mysterious and mostly hides out at the laundromat in which he owns but there's much more to talk about in the third act. Oh boy, just wait. 

However, Colman Domingo was really great in the role. He has this smooth, storytelling voice that's almost equal to Morgan Freeman's. He also adds a level of complexity to the character where we emphasized with his trauma. In one of the film's most powerful scenes, William breaks down in tears, explaining the cycle of abuse that black men like Daniel Robitaille experienced, expressing how this hits home for him. Colman Domingo really did for me in this scene and it's one of his shining moments. 

The most breakout role goes to Troy Cartwright played by Nathan Stuart-Jarret. He's the film's comic relief with a healthy dose of dry humor to balance out the horror. In the first few scenes, he is the one who tells the story of Helen Lyle, though the events are not particularly accurate to what we saw in the first Candyman. The news article (according to Troy) paints Helen as this nut-job who was so obsessed with the Candyman lore that she beheaded a dog and kidnapped a baby as a sacrifice, and whilst seeing Candyman, in a disillusioned state, sacrifices herself in the fire. Though according to the people who witnessed the bonfire, this news article is 100% percent false. Somehow, this sparks an interest in Anthony, not knowing that he was the baby that Helen supposedly kidnapped. Therefore, Troy fits into the inciting incident by diving into his fascination with urban legends. 

There's also Troy's boyfriend, Grady, who he shares incredible chemistry with. Their comic timing is always on point. But aside from being the comic relief, Troy is usually the voice of reason, too and he and Grady give Brianna the emotional support she needs. Overall, Nathan Stewart-Jarret's performance as Troy was one of the most entertaining parts of the movie.

Then we have the exceptional Vanessa A. Williams as Anne-Marie McCoy. I just want to say Vanessa looks incredible for her age and on top of that, she really knocks it off the park in her one and only scene. It shows how much impact her character had in the original. 

This is by far one of the film's best scenes, Vanessa and Yahya are at their top form here, honing the emotions and devastation the characters are feeling. It's a very effective scene and a testament to how great the acting truly is.

Lastly, we have the eponymous Candyman...Sherman Fields. First off, I just want to say although the actor Michael Hargrove has a creepy presence about him and plays the character well, I just don't see how Sherman Fields fits into the Candyman timeline. 

Okay, I'm going to get into spoiler territory here:

So, William mentions that there is actually a Candyman hive, morphing into the faces of black men who were killed by injustice. But from my understanding, in the original film, the residents of Cabrini Green only thought of Candyman as one entity. When you examine the timeline of the 1992 film, I just don't see how Sherman Fields fits into it. So was it possible that people were talking about two Candymen? Okay, you know what, I'm not gonna dwell too deep into this because this has a lot of plotholes, trust me. But I will say this, I wish they would've had Tony Todd as Candyman, again. He's the only one that can embody this role perfectly and it was such a missed opportunity. Technically, he is in the film but I'll talk more about that in the third-act segment. 

Let's get the so-called victims out of the way:

We have the arrogant, pretentious art dealer Clive Privler and his equally arrogant, pretentious girlfriend Jerrica Cooper. Let's keep this short and simple. Clive is whiny and self-observed, and Jerrica is a stereotypical goth dominatrix.  By the way, their acting and dialogue was so cringe that I couldn't wait for Candyman to come and hook the hell out of them. Their death scenes are very reminiscent of Miguel and his girlfriend's in Day of the Dead but that's all I gotta say about them. 

Then you have the snobby art critic Finely Stephens who was dismissive of Anthony's latest project. She promptly gets killed when Anthony leaves her apartment. Me I say more?

Finally, we have a teenage girl (can't recall her name) who attended Anthony's show, fucking around with her friends in the bathroom as they prepare for the Candyman ritual. Before they do this, a timid black girl enters the bathroom and they start teasing for no reason.

When the black girl hides in the bathroom stall, the snobby teenage girl and her minions/friends continue their ritual and...just as you guessed it. Candyman slaughters them mercilessly, leaving the black girl as the only eyewitness. 

Having unlikeable characters in a horror film isn't always a bad thing but the problem is you don't feel scared for them. I think horror movies work best when you empathize with the victims. Sure, they don't have to be perfect but by making them apathetic, slightly racist assholes kills the tension for me. And that's the main problem with the movie: it barely has any tension. I guess the only tension it has is Anthony becoming "The Candyman," and most of the suspense can be seen in the third act but that's all I got here. 

Now, let's talk about the film's social commentary. It goes into the cycles of trauma but also the exploitation of trauma. Although Anthony "thinks" he's making a good cause by painting portraits of brutalized black men, he is just like Helen Lyle, in the fact that he's unknowingly exploiting peoples' trauma for his own gain. Then there's the apathy of African-Americans who suffer from trauma, which is why Candyman exists at all. But there's much more to add to the commentary once we...yes, of course, get to the third act. 

I want to start by saying that Nia DaCosta's directing is masterful! First, lets talk about the opening credits. Remember when in the first film, the opening credits were overhead? Now it's down below with a mirroring effect. Here's a comparison:

Candyman 1992 Opening Credits:

Candyman 2021:

(click on the picture)

Tell, me. How cool is that?

I also like the addition of the shadow puppets. It's very effective and creepy, standing out as one of the film's visual highlights:

Okay, there is one issue I have with the visuals. These days, filmmakers have this habit of inserting CGI into horror films. I'll say this once and I'll say again, CGI is not scary! It would be nice to realistic blood in horror movies again. There is hope when it comes to the low-budget horror movies but as for the mainstream, I don't know. The worst of these types of effects is shown in the bathroom scene and the climax. It was probably a last-minute thing to get the film completed but It could've been done way much better. 

Now I did say that the film didn't have any tension, that's just in terms of the screenwriting. The film itself is an examination of Anthony slowly becoming Candyman, complete with some gross body horror. That's where the tension works for me, not for the so-called victims. 

May I present to you the travesty that is the third act:

When she goes to look for Anthony, Brianna seeks out William at the laundromat. Then, out of nowhere, William abducts her and places her hostage at an abandoned church.

All of a sudden, the scene switches back to a young William arguing with his older sister. I hate to say it but the child acting is...not great. But anywho, his sister conjures up Candyman (Sherman Fields) and he kills her and all of her friends. When William opens the door, he sees Candyman standing over his sister's dead body. I felt like this should've been the opening scene instead. It feels so disjointed. And yeah, it gives William a motive for his madness but nothing ever comes of it. 

Brianna breaks out of consciousness as William goes off on a psychotic rant about resurrecting the Candyman hive. Colmon Domingo's acting is...really over-the-top in this scene and it gets a little grating at times. So William unveils Anthony and initiates him into the hive. Anthony's body is completely covered in beestings and to put more salt in the wound, William saws off Anthony's hand and impales a hook, right in the stump (with CGI blood by the way). 

Brianna eventually breaks free from her ropes and makes a run for it. William chases after her. The two of them go on a cat-and-mouse chase until Brianna stabs William to death (CGI blood and all). Anthony stumbles through, collapsing into Brianna's arms. 

Suddenly, a horde of police officers comes out of nowhere and shoots Anthony unprovoked. For some reason, they arrest Brianna while a police officer sits in the car with her. The police officer tries to intimidate her into agreeing that Anthony was indeed the killer and that their shooting was justified...Woah, woah, woah, wait a minute. Who is the true villain of this film? Is it William? The Candyman? Or the Police officers themselves? Let's continue. So instead of complying with the police officer's demand, Brianna uses the rearview mirror to conjure up Candyman. All of a sudden, The Candyman, or shall I say, The Candyman "Hive" goes into an all-out bloody massacre, murdering all of the police officers in total (to which all of their blood organs are made of CGI. I hope this trend ends).

So after the deed is done, we see The Candyman morphing into the faces of black men who were killed by injustice, one of them being Daniel Robitaille played by the one and only Tony Todd in a one-shot (CGI remodeled) cameo. His last words: "Tell Everyone."

What. The. Fuck. Okay, it's time to go on a rant. Well, not particularly a rant, but more of an autopsy report. 

First off, I would've loved to see Tony Todd reprise the role of Candyman instead of some lousy tacked-on 20-second cameo. 

Also, they gave the lead actress of the original, Virginia Madsen, a voice cameo. Just a voice cameo. Didn't the first film end with Helen becoming a creepy urban legend herself? What happened to that? This actually harkens back to Benard Rose's original idea about having Virginia Madsen and Tony Todd reprising their roles in a prequel as mentioned in the Farewell to the Flesh review. What if Helen became Candyman's bride after all? It would've been so cool if they included that in this sequel. It's such a missed opportunity.

Second of all, is Candyman an anti-hero now? I don't know, it just doesn't work for me. He's more of a deeply complex anti-villain in my eyes and the changing of this takes away his imposing, mysterious mystique. 

Lastly, the whole message behind the film is to showcase how corrupt the police system is. I get the message but it's executed terribly. Though I would say, the commentary is handled a lot much better than what the filmmakers of Day of the Dead were trying to accomplish.

But what takes me out of the film is it's lack of subtly. The third act alone just ruins the entire film, stripping away any potential it has. 

For me, Candyman 1992 is above and beyond the best of them all. It's a film that really holds up for me and the execution of the social commentary is superb. It's a bonafide classic, which still leaves an impact in the horror zeitgeist.

The 2021 sequel tries to hold a candle to the original but there's just no way. Candyman 1992 is a lightning in the bottle. Instead of paying homage, Candyman 2021 crumbles in its shadow. 

Last Word: It's a mess. But it's a beautiful mess. It's good for one watch. 

Scream 4 (2011)

 

In July 2008, The Weinstein Company announced that a fourth Scream movie would be in the works with Wes Craven taking the directing seat once again. Though it wasn't until two years later that Kevin Williamson made his grand return, this time, with the recycling of his first outline of the third film. But the production had a rocky start. 

In May 2010, Cathy Konrad, who produced the first three films, filed a $3 million lawsuit against The Weinstein Brothers. The suit accuses the Weinstiens of unscrupulous behavior and a scheme to force her to walk away from the Scream franchise without compensation and cutting the cost of hiring someone else to produce. Judging by their notorious reputation behind the scenes, I'm totally on this woman's side. 

But anywho, the show must go on and once again, Craven and Williamson recruited The Triumphant Trio to make the fourth Scream film. Williamson picked up the leftover notes he made for Scream 3 but with an entirely new spin. You see, this was at a time when horror remakes were running rampant (and still are), so, Willamson reinforced this commentary into his script, blending in the old cast with the new cast. Furthermore, Williamson and Craven made sure that this time the production was not going to have any more mishaps like they had in the previous two films. 

And the final results turn out to be...a pretty solid sequel. It may not be as good as Scream 2, but I found myself really enjoying this and I thought the final twist was very effective. I was definitely impressed by the breakout performance of Hayden Panettiere, who stole the show in my opinion. There seems to be a perfect balance of humor and horror that leans into a parody at times but an affectionate parody nonetheless. I would say that this is one of the more comedic Scream films but it still handles its serious moments well too. 

So, overall, I dig this movie. It may not be at the top of my list but I still think it's a fun time. 

The Story: After the events of Scream 3, Sidney Prescott, now a successful author of her autobiography, has returned to her hometown of Woodsboro during her press tour. Coincidently, it just so happens to be the 18th anniversary of the Woodsboro murders. Unfortunately, this incites the murders of two high school girls, which ties back to Sidney when the evidence is found in her car. She then retreats to the residence of her long-lost cousin Jill, who, along with her friends, becomes the killer's main target. With the help of her longtime companions, Dewey and Gale, Sidney must face The Ghostface Killer once again. 

In this go-round, we have not one, not two, but three opening scenes:

The first opening scene starts with two young girls being targeted by the killer with...Facebook messages of all things. When I first saw this I was like, 'Oh my gosh! This is going to be a hoot!' But thankfully, it turns out to be a Stab sequel as a meta-joke. The two young girls are hilariously played by Shenae Grimes and Lucy Hale, who were known for their popular teen dramas such as Degrassi, 90210, and Pretty Little Liars, respectively. 

This jump cuts to Anna Paquin (Sookie from True Blood) and Kristen Bell (the titular Veronica Mars, The Voice of Gossip Girl, and Eleanor from The Good Place). Anna and Kristen are two types of film critics: The Cynic and The Optimist. Anna is harshly critical of the movie's nonsensical plots and meta-humor. Kristen, however, likes how the film adapted a true story and did its own thing. 

  Tired of Anna's constant criticism, Kristen pulls out a knife and stabs her! While Anna slowly dies, Kristen simply turns on the movie and eats her popcorn. Bravo! Comedy Gold! 

But it turns out to be yet another Stab sequel when we jumpcut to the actual opening scene with two high school girls, Jenny Randall, and Marnie Cooper. They're similar to the girls in the first scene, except they're blond and portrayed more realistically. Also, the two girls share the same dynamic as Anna and Kristen, the cynical film critic and the optimistic film critic but their friendship is genuine.

Jenny, who's an avid fan of the Stab franchise, innocently pranks Marnie but suddenly, Marnie is attacked through the phone. 

Jenny frantically rushes down the stairs to save her friend but it's too late. Marnie's corpse crashes through the window. 

Out comes the Ghostface Killer, closing in on Jenny and she dashes to the garage. Of course, Jenny trips and falls, crawling her way to the garage entrance but the Ghostface Killer gives her a painful rendition of Tatum's death scene, only this time, the garage pins down her spinal cord, leaving Jenny totally helpless before the killer makes his/her final stab. Yet another clever twist on the opening scene, only this time it's three. 

Now let's examine our cast of characters. First, let's start with our new cast of characters who somehow share similarities to the cast of the original. 

First and foremost, we have Olivia played by Marielle Jaffe. I just don't think she was developed enough as a character. Nothing against the actress, she's good with what she's given, which is very little. But she does get a really brutal death scene, which I found to be incredibly intense.

Adam Brody and Anthony Anderson are just cameos in my opinion. They play the stereotypical bumbling cops who get easily dispatched. They are supposed to be comic relief but their dialogue is not really all that funny.

Now, this is when the characters get a tad bit more interesting...

We have Puesdo-Final Girl Jill Roberts, who seems to have issues with her cheating boyfriend, Trevor.

He's played by the very sexy Nico Tortorella. He's more akin to Billy, sexy, and smooth, but with a dark side. However, in this case, it's a "playboy" side. 

Now back to Jill. As if deja vu is starting over again, she gets threatening phone calls from the Ghostface Killer because of her connections to Sidney but I'll get back to Jill later in the review since she is a really special case in this situation. 

As we go along, we have Woodsboro Film Club President Charlie Walker and his tech-savvy best friend Robbie Mercer as the pseudo-Randys. The movie plays around the notion that they might become the next Billy and Stu but it's fairly subtle. They really get into the heavy facts about the Stab franchise and how it connects to real-life murders with Charlie hosting a screening party of the first Stab movie. 

In the film's more comical moments, Robbie comes out as gay, thinking it would save himself from the killer...

Spoiler Alert! It doesn't and Robbie sadly meets his end. 

There's more than meets the eye with Charlie...we'll get to him later. 

Then we have a pseudo-Dewey who becomes a female counterpart in the form of Judy Hicks, played by the underrated Marley Shelton. She is the town deputy and Sidney's former classmate. She means well but her lack of social skills and her offbeat personality makes Sidney suspicious of her. But it turns out that she is a hero after all and saves the day. 

Then we have the pseudo-Gale Rebecca Walters played by the very talented Alison Brie. She's probably way worse on the bleed-if-it-leads mentality and the ironic thing is Rebecca is a big admirer of Gale Weathers. Though by this time, Gale has evolved into a well-rounded character and, at this point, Gale doesn't stand for Rebecca's bullshit, striking her down with her natural Gale prowess. And when it's clear that Sidney can see through her callousness too, she promptly fires Rebecca on the spot.

She gets a rather stupid death scene where she could've easily survived but I felt like the script made her stupid on purpose. 

But at least Alison Brie did a stellar performance as the hilariously catty Rebecca.

Last but not least, we have the honorary scene stealer Hayden Panettiere in the breakout role of Kirby Reed. She's sort of like a mashup of Randy and Tatum but it's done to great effect. I'll even go so far as to say she is the best thing about this movie. What's appealing about Kirby is that she has this too-cool-for-school attitude but is also an avid film buff with a keen knowledge of classic horror films. 

I have to say, Hayden Panettiere killed it in this role. Her snarkiness and comic delivery are so spot on and I was here for it. But there is this one particular scene where she really shows off her acting chops but, unfortunately, this scene involves a major spoiler. So, I'll save it for later. 

Now let's catch up with the triumphant trio, shall we?

First, we have Gale Weathers, now living the simple quiet life in the suburbs in a "seemingly" happy marriage to Dewey but there's something missing. And that's her sense of excitement. 

Not only is she jealous of Sidney's success as an author but Gale also suspects that Dewey might have the hots for, none other than, Deputy Judy Hicks, his female counterpart. How ironic. 

But that's not the only problem in the Riley-Weathers clan. Now that Dewey is the town sheriff that sort of leaves Gale as the sheriff's wife and not The Gale Weathers. 

She finds herself writing mystery novels but they're nowhere near as successful as The Woodsboro Murders series, which causes Gale to have a serious case of writer's block.

When the murders start to happen again, it reignites her flame. Gale Weathers is back on the call! However, her independent nature almost gets her killed such as sneaking into Charlie's screening party where she gets attacked by the killer. But she gets better eventually. 

After Gale's close call brings Dewey back to his senses and the  Riley-Weathers clan has come to a rejoicing.

Courtney Cox is a force to be reckoned with. She has fully embodied this character and then some. This will go down as one of her most iconic roles ever and that is a worthy achievement. 

Next, we have Dewey Riley who has upgraded to become the sheriff of Woodsboro. Dewey has come a long way from being the put-upon dogged nice guy, and eventually, being praised and rewarded to become the Protector of Woodsboro. And that is truly awe-inspiring. Now that Dewey is enjoying the perks of his career path, Gale finds herself shoved into the background. We all know that their dynamic together is papable but now that they're living the married life, there seems to be trouble in paradise (which sadly bleeds into real life as David Arquette and Courtney Cox were going through a divorce at the time).  On top of that, Gale begins to suspect that Dewey has a 'thing' for Deputy Hicks since they have such strong similarities to each other. 

Though eventually, when Gale gets injured at the screening party, here comes Dewey to the rescue to defend her honor. And therefore, the ballad of Dewey and Gale lives on again. 

David Arquette is a one in million. Throughout the series, he has explored many facets to this character. From being the put-upon, clumsy goof to a respectable town hero, which makes him an interesting subversion of the Cops are Useless trope. He still has the loveable, affable traits that he's known for but he can definitely hold his own as a competent leader. 

Last but not least we have our all-time favorite final girl Sidney Prescott. Sidney's transformation has now been completed. From Lost Little Girl/Tortured Victim to full-on Zen Survivor. Sidney has finally overcome her demons, transmuting them into a creative endeavor. 

She is now the best-selling author of her self-help book, Out of Darkness. In contrast to Gale Weathers' sensational The Woodsboro Murders, Sidney incorporates her actual experiences and uses that to help others, which is a true testament to her character. Sidney has completed her final stages of trauma: acceptance and re-evaluation.

Both Kevin Williamson and Wes Craven have reconstructed the Final Girl into a three-dimensional character, making her less interchangeable than usual. One of the earlier examples was Nancy Thompson in Wes Craven's A Nightmare on Elm Street. She's introduced as the typical, goody-two-shoes Final Girl but as we look deep into her home life, it's not as perfect as it seems. Then we move on to Sidney Prescott who has become quintessential in her role as the Final Girl. Sidney will always be the glue that holds this series together. With the exceptional writing of Kevin Williamson and the amazing performance by Neve Campbell, Sidney Prescott has made her mark as one of the most definitive final girls of all time. 

She has become clever, crafty, and can easily outsmart the killer. And in this sequel, she puts those skills to good use. Sidney Prescott is a prime A warrior woman, solidifying her status as a Zen Survivor and she sums it all up in this kickass one-liner...which I will save for later in the review. 

The directing this time is...okay. It just looks very glossy looking and it feels like I'm watching a TV movie. Don't get me wrong, Wes Craven is still a master at his craft here but I just didn't think the directing was as strong as in the previous films. However, The deaths in this movie are hella brutal, specifically Oliva's, which I can't show because it's really that graphic. I mean the girl's guts were literally hanging out. Good Lord! 

Kevin Williamson's writing is still in its top form here. Although there are a couple of humorous moments that didn't work for me, the sharp dialogue and witty banter still have their perks. Also, mixing in the old and new characters elevates the film's commentary on horror remakes, however, the new characters are just as interesting as the legacy characters and the mystery is just as palpable. It adds to this mirror effect that keeps me invested throughout in which the who-done-it aspect of the story still works here and keeps you guessing about who's behind the Ghostface mask.

Speaking of, this leads to the main antagonist. Who's behind the mask you may ask? Well, let me start by telling you about the insane climax. Spoiler Alert!

So, the killer has trapped Kirby into their web, in a recreation of the Casey Becker opening scene where her new boyfriend Charlie is tied up in a chair. The killer gives her the horror movie challenge but this time, Kirby gets every single answer right. Not to mention, Hayden Panettiere acts her ass off in this scene, which adds to the intensity of the situation. 

When Kirby rushes to save Charlie, in a sadistically cruel twist, he stabs Kirby. I knew there was something off about Charlie but oh no, it doesn't end there (by the way, Kirby is still alive and kicking when Charlie leaves her).

As Sidney goes to look for Jill, out of nowhere, the Ghostface Killer stabs her in the stomach. And then, the second killer unveils their mask...

It's none other than Jill herself. Holy cow! So, Jill starts gloating to Sidney about her big grand plan: she wants to be the Final Girl that Sidney is and she just hates being overshadowed. So, she goes out of her way to get her friends killed, including her own mother, seduces Charlie to join in her plan, frame her boyfriend, and to become victorious in the end. 

She pulls out a bound and gagged Trevor, shoots him right in the ballsack and straight to the head, execution style. Woah boy! this girl is brutal!

Then she turns over to Charlie and says, "Sorry Charlie, there's only one survivor in this story and that's me!" and proceeds to stab him to death. This girl does not play!

Last but not least: Jill faces off with her competition, Sidney Prescott, and gives her one good final stab in the stomach. She falls down to the ground and slowly bleeds out...Could this be the end of Sidney Prescott? Well...let's talk about Jill for a moment. 

Out of all the Ghostface Killers, Jill Roberts is a bonafide Sociopathic Narracist. Now the previous Ghostface Killers had shades of narcism but not on the same level as Jill. Her whole entire plan is about her jealousy of Sidney and how she gets all this press for being a victim. The truth is, Jill wants a piece of that fame pie, too. First of all, who the hell would want to be in Sidney's shoes. Time and time again, this woman has been hunted by psychos, had to change her name, and eventually go into a security hideout to avoid danger. That is not an easy life to live and Jill must be seriously off her rocker if that's her whole entire goal in life. So yeah, Jill is the definition of a narcissistic sociopath, casting anyone aside so she can have the spotlight herself.

To demonstrate this, Jill has to make herself look injured. This leads to one of the most darkly comedic scenes of the movie. This girl scratches herself, gets her dead ex-boyfriend to pull out her hair, stabs herself, runs into a wall, and finally crashes on top of a glass table. Holy moly! This girl is committed!

When the police rush in at the scene of the crime and the paramedics cart off Jill to the hospital, a stampede of news reporters and cameramen horde around Jill, giving her the attention she oh so craves for. While at the hospital, Gale and Dewey pay Jill a visit. She makes a wry comment about sharing matching scars with Gale, to which Gale lets it sink in for a moment. But when Jill hears that Sidney is still alive, she is not having it. She quickly gets out of her hospital bed like a woman on a mission. 

When Jill breaks into Sidney's room, she's like, "Fuck it!" and starts to choke her out. But Sidney gets the best of her and puts up a good fight. Once Gale realizes that her and Jill has the same exact  "scars," she tags Dewey along to save Sidney. 

Deputy Hicks comes in just in time but Jill swoops in, grabs the gun, and shoots her. Dewey is no match for Jill either and she quickly subdues him. She holds Gale at gunpoint, ready to make her aim but Sidney incapacitates Jill with a defibrillator. And with this, gives her a word of advice:

Hell yeah! Sidney has never said any better. Deputy Hicks pops out of nowhere, revealing her bulletproof vest and she seems to be doing fine. As for our fearless trio, they may be a bit battered and bruised but they're still triumphant, living to see another day. But that pesky little Jill just keeps going and going and going. I'm telling you, this girl is made of steel! I mean she's like the freakin' terminator at this point.

But Sidney swiftly turns around and shoots her dead. Just like that. Therefore, Jill lies there lifeless, succeeding in her life's goal of being admired, even through death. 

Oh boy! What a sequel! I never thought I would enjoy it as much as I do now. Again, it may not be as good as the first two movies but it's a total step up from Scream 3 and the writing is still top-notch. This is by far one of the better sequels in the franchise. 

My last word: give it a go. it's totally worth your time.