Martin Carr reviews the Scream: The TV Series Halloween Special…
There is something distinctly old school about this feature film length Scream special which is reassuring, run of the mill but nonetheless engaging stuff. Acting as a bridge between seasons two and three, this here is proper haunted house, isolated island cliché with lashings of home grown murder throw in. I have been reviewing this programme from the beginning and for me these characters are fully fleshed out and play it straight throughout which is essential to make things work. To tell you guys anything is to spoil the fun but suffice to say Noah, Emma, Audrey, Brooke and Stavo are back.
That they decided to name check one of the most iconic horror flicks in that title at least shows their intent to be genuine. They are out to entertain us, offer up an occasion jump scare, but in the main dwell on homage. Noah continues to be the narrative voice offering up questions, answers and making sure we are paying attention. Where the pleasure comes with Scream is in that familiarity, where scenarios are well worn and murders inventive yet in no way surprising. There are a few new additions character wise but in the main it remains business as usual.
Our writers reason for getting these kids out away from civilisation harks back to Stephen King and beyond, while that ghost story is convincing without sounding hooky. Haunted houses, sudden thunderstorms and downed communications all have a part to play in etching that convincing portrait of teenagers in peril. If I were picking holes, which is not my style with ‘Scream’, I would say taking them off the reservation waters down some of those defining traits.
With Lakewood comes the mythology of every film which in turn makes the scenario somehow more enjoyable and plausible. Take these characters away to a tropical location and suddenly we are dealing with a completely different animal. Those people remain the same but our connection to them is somehow thrown off kilter. Then to import that ever present threat undermines an already far-fetched premise still further taking the Scream out of it. Meaning that instead of a good old-fashioned slasher flick we get people running around in the rain pointing at shadows. Neither post-modern genre kinking stuff nor Pit and Pendulum Edgar Allan throwback. In short we are stuck in a limbo which ultimately leaves the audience wanting.
Not that there is all bad news as the pacing remains brisk, that commitment from all concerned is reassuringly resolute. While the hook for season three will be nothing if not interesting to watch play out. In the end then Scream’s Halloween special neither hits the mark nor falls at the first hurdle. I hate to use words like average or mediocre so I’ll just ask you to watch for yourselves.
Martin Carr – Follow me on Twitter
Originally published October 19, 2016. Updated November 29, 2022.
