“Do you still like scary movies, Sydney?” It had been 11 years since Scream 3, when they decided to jump start the series with this fourth installment featuring the main cast as well as Kevin Williamson writing the script and Wes Craven in the director’s chair.

On the anniversary of the original Woodsboro murders, a copycat Ghostface killer starts offing teens with a phone call and a bit of slashing. Sydney (Neve Campbell) is back in town to promote her new book, but becomes a prime suspect when a bunch of evidence turns up in her rental car. Sheriff Dewey (David Arquette) and Gale Weathers (Courtney Cox) return to try to solve the mystery killings.

I was a big fan of Scream and Scream 2. When this one came out, I was hoping it would take a new direction or reinvent the slasher genre as the first one did so well. Unfortunately, it’s just a whole lot of the same old stuff: jump scares, plot twists, movie within movie humor, attempted witty dialogue, etc.

If you want more Scream, it is here and ready. If you want something more interesting, keep searching.

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