Scream 3 (2000) Review

Scream 3 was directed by Wes Craven (who also directed My Soul to Take, New Nightmare, Vampire in Brooklyn, Cursed and Red Eye) and stars David Arquette (from Bone Tomahawk, Orion, The Tripper, Ravenous), Neve Campbell (from The Dark, The Craft) and Courteney Cox (from Scream 2, Scream, Scream 4). It’s about yet another guy in a mask who runs around slashing teens.

Someone has taken their love of trilogies one step too far.

Scream 1 was about a slasher terrorizing everyone in Woodsboro California, Scream 2 was about a movie called Stab based off the Woodsboro slasher and Scream 3 was about the filming of Stab 3. Scream 1 made fun of horror movies, Scream 2 made fun of movie sequels and Scream 3 makes fun of trilogies.

Scream was original, suspenseful and humorous. Scream 2 was less original (it was basically the same movie), but still suspenseful and funny, it also featured an all star cast. Scream 3 felt recycled, had less humor, fewer movie references (the closest to horror was a Vertigo reference) and less of an all star cast (there was only a brief Jay and Silent Bob cameo).

Overall Scream 3 felt recycled and bland. And it’s long 1:50 run time didn’t help. It stayed true to the franchise, but so did Craven’s Dream Warriors, and that was awesome. It effectively reinvigorated the franchise, where Scream 3 just kinda milked it.