“Scream” is a classic 90s slasher-horror movie with plot twists that you would never imagine. It follows a serial killer in a ghostface mask who hunts and kills teenagers in the quiet, middle-class town of Woodsboro.

The original scared audiences but also charmed them with its clever jokes and perfectly timed killings. Like many other horror movies, it has become a cult classic with several movies following the first.

The new scream movie, which was released on Jan. 14, failed to continue this perfect cycle of horror-comedy.

It begins with the classic scene; Tara Carpenter is home alone and gets a random call. At first, it seems harmless, but eventually, the killer sneaks up behind her and attacks. She survives the attempted murder and her sister, Sam, reveals that she is actually Billy Loomis’ daughter, one of the original “Scream” killers. We eventually realize that this dark family secret is why the sisters are being attacked.

From then on the story follows the repetitive plot of the “Scream” franchise. A friend group is tormented by the killer, who always happens to be the person you least expect. Slowly, the killer continues to murder people who all have some connection to the original cast.

And, of course, this legacy cast is included in the movie as Sidney Prescott, Gale Weathers, and Dewey Riley, who return to Woodsboro after they hear about the copycat killings.

However, by focusing so hard on the return of these iconic characters, the new ones are given poor lines and very basic character arcs, making the movie almost impossible to sit through.

The movie tries so hard to make references to the original 1996 “Scream,” by even including the original house of Billy Loomis, that it becomes obnoxious and redundant.

The “Scream” movies are known for being comedies while also incorporating horror. However, this movie lacked any kind of real horror and just consisted of terrible jokes and even more terrible acting. Every murder was predictable and anticlimactic, which took away the true fun of a horror movie.

The whole movie felt like a cash grab that poorly depicts teenagers in the 21st century. In addition, the self-aware commentary by each character was so repetitive that it began to lose any humor it might have added.

Adding movies to keep a franchise alive has proven to work; however, this movie fails to be a true “Scream” movie, ultimately ruining it.