Paramount Pictures)

By: Jesse Striewski

I’ve been a fairly loyal fan of the Scream films over the years, having gone to see each and every one of them on the big screen since the release of the original way back in 1996. But if you recall my scathing review of the last (and arguably worst) entry, Scream VI a few years back in 2023, I was convinced that the series had run its course indeed.

But there’s always a chance for redemption, and for the most part, Scream 7 hits the mark that’s been largely missed with the majority of the sequels that have come since. Writer/Director Kevin Williamson, whose imprint on the series has been there going all the way back since the original (this marks his first time directing, and first time returning as a screenwriter to the series since Scream 4 in 2011), invokes the same sort of atmosphere and “whodunit” type quality that Wes Craven gave us way back when that’s been largely missing since 1997’s Scream 2.

It’s no secret that this time around Neve Campbell returns as Sidney Prescott (now Prescott-Evans) after missing in action for that last horrid entry. This time around, she’s in the role of wife and mother as her husband Mark (Joel McHale) and teenaged daughter Tatum (Isabel May) are terrorized by another Ghostface killer (or killers). And for the first time in far too long, we’re actually given some characters whose well-being the audience truly cares about again, too.

There’s plenty of nods to the earlier films, with Courtney Cox once again returning as Gale Weathers, and – without giving away too much here – other franchise alumni, including Matthew Lillard, David Arquette Laurie Metcalf, Scott Foley, and of course the all-too familiar voice of Ghostface himself, Roger L. Jackson, each show up one way or another, yet it never comes off as too overly nostalgic. Even Mason Gooding and Jasmin Savoy Brown as twin brother and sister Chad and Mindy from the past two films return for the proceedings here as well.

Sure there’s some cliche or predictable elements that still work their way in, and the big reveal ending is definitely one of the weaker points (though still nowhere near as as bad as that over-the-top car crash of an ending we got in part six). But I heard someone else describe Scream 7 as a “reset” for the series, and after the direction it was heading with the “whiny sisters” (whose sudden absence is honestly not felt one bit here) plotline the past two films were following it is indeed a welcomed return to form. Far from perfect, but a much-needed step above its predecessor.

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Film Review: Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 (Blumhouse Productions/Universal Pictures)

By: Jesse Striewski

It should come as no surprise to those who saw the first film that Five Night’s at Freddy’s 2 is not a straight forward horror/slasher movie, but there’s just something about creepy old arcades that keeps us coming back to them time and time again.

This time around, we get a little more backstory, and a new villain in the form of The Marionette, another feature of the fallen pizzeria possessed by a young girl named Charlotte (Audrey Lynn Maire) in the early ’80s, coincidentally once a friend of Vanessa’s (Elizabeth Lail) from the first film.

Aside from Lail, Josh Hutcherson, Piper Rubio, and Matthew Lillard all return from the original, with Skeet Ulrich and Wayne Knight adding some intrigue and/or fun to the proceedings. It’s much more fast-paced and straight-to-the-point, and much like the recent Black Phone 2, a step above its predecessor.

Look, I didn’t go into Street Fighter, the PG-13 video-game based film aimed at preteens back in the day, expecting to see Bloodsport, and no one should go into FNAF2 expecting the equivalent of a gore fest, either. It’s just scary enough for the smaller kids, while also keeping it safe enough for the whole family to enjoy, and aside from its abrupt ending, is an overall solid film.

Rating: 3/5

Film Review: Five Nights at Freddy’s (Universal Pictures)

By: Jesse Striewski

Truthfully, I knew very little about Five Nights at Freddy’s prior to going into the new film other than it’s a game I’ve surely pumped plenty of money into over the years already thanks to my kid, and it bore a striking resemblance (at least on the surface) to the 2021 Nicholas Cage vehicle Willy’s Wonderland.

But perhaps my ignorance of the franchise was actually advantageous in this case; having little to no knowledge of the source material, and in turn no real expectations of the film itself, I went in with more or less a blank slate. That said, I really enjoyed what was on display on the big screen.

John Hutcherson plays Mike Schmidt, a down-on-his luck, unemployed security guard raising his little sister Abby (Piper Rubio) solo while also dealing with the guilt and trauma of losing their little brother to a kidnapper when he was twelve years old. After accepting an ill-advised overnight position from his career counselor (Matthew Lillard) at a defunct ’80s family entertainment center called Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria, things take a turn for the worse for him.

It’s quickly apparent after starting the job and meeting local beat cop Vanessa Shelly (Elizabeth Lail) that there’s more going on behind the scenes at Freddy’s, discovering the animatronic figures in the pizzeria are not only possessed, but also share a certain connection to his long lost brother (and a creepy reaction whenever The Romantics track “Talking in Your Sleep” comes on).

Aside from a fairly uninteresting subplot involving a custody battle with a vicious aunt (Mary Stuart Masterson), the film actually moves along quite nicely (albeit a bit slow at times). And while others have criticized its focus on the kidnapping backstory, it never goes the route that so many similar films have before it with unnecessary sex and violence (and/or gore).

Is Five Nights at Freddy’s a flawless movie? Of course not. But is it harmless enough, PG-13 level campy fun that you can take the family to without cringing the whole time? Absolutely.

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars