GlarkCable

I love the video games a lot. Opinions from fans of the games vary. I fall somewhere between 'did not like' and 'enjoyed' category. My biggest gripes:

• Mark Wahlberg as Sully. Had he been 10+ years older and a lot greyer, he would've been good for the role. Right now, however, this is just Mark Wahlberg playing a character - I don't really see Sully in him. He tries pretty hard, the personality is definitely there, but the look isn't; Sully is supposed to be a grey-haired, older man with a moustache; not an action star with muscular arms. Tom Holland as Nathan Drake is a bit more acceptable, but not quite what I was hoping for either.

• The story. Why didn't they stick with the story from the games? The story is kind of based on the story of the 4th game, but also... not really. The 4th game is all about pirates, indeed with ships in the end. This film has the ships, but no pirates. Why not? That's one of the coolest parts of the game! Other than that, the story feels a bit messy and oversimplified. It's like they tried to cram too many elements of the games into one film, which doesn't work. Take your time with the story, especially if you are making another one. The film lacks the depth of the games.

• Forgettable villains.

However, there were some things I did like:

• the action scenes were fun and really captured the game's fantastic over-the-top style;
• Chloe Frazer's casting;
• the references to the game, like Nolan North, the sticker, music, et cetera.

Overall, I'd recommend watching this, even if you enjoy the games as much as I do. There are redeemable qualities, but in the end the games are far superior, and I much prefer seeing those as canon.

What I liked:

• Gorgeous in many ways: things like the cinematography, wardrobe, some of the settings, the boat, the colours, et cetera, look wonderful and really do give off that 1930s exotically rich people vibe.

• I wasn't familiar with the classic Agatha Christie story and therefore didn't see the twist coming. If you're very clever - which I guess I'm not - you may figure it out before it's revealed. However, if you don't, the journey to find the right answers is intriguing and exciting, and the climax feels satisfying enough to me, at least. I enjoyed the way they revealed the truth. The film also has a way of subverting your expectations and avoiding tropes.

• Never boring. Slow in some parts, absolutely, but I was never really bored. It's interesting enough to keep me on my toes. I also appreciated what they did with the interrogation scenes to prevent them from becoming dull (things like moving the camera in a circle).

• Overall a good script with some memorable lines (that I can, of course, not remember right now...). I've never read the original book but some of the dialogue was so well-written I felt it could have been copied straight from the book - and maybe it was copied, and I would like that.

What I didn't like:

• What's up with the strange-looking CGI and green screen shots?! I understand some of the Egyptian scenes had to be made in CGI but in some moments it looked like even the water was CGI (and I think it may have been). Why??

• Please, if you have a French character, just let them be played by a French actor. A British actor (Kenneth Branagh) attempting to speak English with a thick French accent - even if maybe he does it well enough - seems so unnecessary. There are plenty of good French actors out there, after all. Jarring to me was also Rose Leslie, a very, very Scottish actress, playing a French maid. Why is that necessary?

• For me, Poirot's origin story was a bit too on the nose and not at all subtle. I prefer it when they leave some things to the imagination, ask the viewer to figure some parts out for themselves, or allow them to come up with their own interpretations. I also, to be honest, couldn't care much for Poitot's love story.

• A bit slow at times, especially during the first half of the film. In the second half, a lot happens in quick succession; sometimes so quickly it feels rushed. All in all, the pacing felt a little off and the movie perhaps could've been a bit shorter.

Overall, if you enjoy these classic crime mysteries - especially if you don't know or remember the outcome of this vintage story - I believe you might enjoy this, absolutely. For me, it was exactly what I was looking for. I might even want to watch it again sometime, knowing the twists and turns. I give it a 7.5!

What I liked:

• I love how this movie doesn't take itself seriously. It knows the reputation this franchise and genre has of being cliché and tropy and just runs with it. At some point during the film, it literally mocks itself. I love the self-awareness.

• Some fun, mindless, and thrilling action: exactly what you'd probably hope for in a slasher. Pretty good, suspenseful action scenes.

• There's definitely some likeable characters, especially sisters Sam and Tara. I also had a soft spot for Mindy and her sarcastic sense of humour.

• Works well even if you haven't (recently) seen any or all of the original films, in my opinion. Though it might help.

• I like the way they brought back some of the old characters. Is it fan service? Yes, probably. But they realise that and then just go with it. It works.

• Some pretty good acting! Man, I especially can't wait to see what Jenna Ortega does next.

• Surprisingly refreshing and creative at times. The kills and scares are not always what you'd expect and some things, you may not even see coming. Or maybe you expect something to happen and then... It doesn't...
• Naturally, there's the anticipation of an intriguing plot twist you wait for the entire film. After all: who's the killer? Who did it?! In my opinion, the reveal is done pretty well.

What I didn't like as much:

• At the end of the day, Scream 2022 is still a slasher flick. The movie does a good job of diverting from tropes and clichés but they can't steer clear from everything. There will absolutely be some tropey moments that might just make you roll your eyes a little.

• The plot isn't exactly Inception 2.0. I don't think it has to be, either. It's simple, straightforward. Near the end, you may even figure out who the killer is before the final reveal. Who knows. It's not that much a headscratcher, though it does keep you on your toes.

• There are some things that seem illogical. A person gets shot in the gut to the point where they collapse onto the ground but a little while later they're fine and they don't even have to go to the hospital. I mean, I'm no doctor, but shouldn't they at least do a proper checkup?! Stuff like that. Don't think about it too much or you might be annoyed.

• You don't have to watch all of the originals to be able to appreciate this but I do think that if you have seen at least the first one you'll truly be able to fully enjoy it. You will likely understand most or all of the references and you may be more attached to the OG characters.

If you like the original, you may just like this one! I enjoyed the original and had no problems with this requel. (By the way, of you're puzzled at the meaning of this word watch the film and you'll understand.) Scream 2022 is exactly what you'd expect from a slasher: fun, thrilling, quite gory and visceral, over the top ridiculous, not very complicated, and slightly tropy - yet at times surprisingly refreshing! If you don't like slashers you may not like this one but if you're on the fence about it or just feel like killing (pun intended) a few hours, I'd absolutely give this a chance.