To yell and back

Here’s yet another addition to the roster of dreadful sequels that Hollywood regularly produces nowadays. Like countless slasher movies, the script is a combination of gory and silly. Completely devoid of genuine jolts or twists, Scream 4 smacks of desperation.

Scream 4
Direction: Wes Craven
Cast: Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox
Rating: *

HT Image

Here’s yet another addition to the roster of dreadful sequels that Hollywood regularly produces nowadays. Like countless slasher movies, the script is a combination of gory and silly. Completely devoid of genuine jolts or twists, Scream 4 smacks of desperation.

Having survived three serial-murder sprees the nominal heroine, now an author (Campbell), returns to her hometown to find that the knife-centric killings have started all over again.

There is no narrative drive, just a whole lot of teenagers getting sliced and diced in the most grisly manner possible, while a masked freak named Ghostface strives — in vain —to spook the viewer into submission.

The cast cannot rise above the isn’t-it-cheesy, boo-worthy material.

The constant allusions to classic scare flicks like Peeping Tom and Suspiria are more tiresome than trendy.

Director Craven, who also helmed the previous installments, fails to restore the series’ original lustre. Even horror connoisseurs will be hoping that there’ll never be a Scream 5.