Amicably making a case for itself. As a TV series, Scream has the advantage of having infamous namesake and it does deliver the classic slasher gimmick, although its greatest attribute is its self- awareness. It realizes the obstacles, such as cliché high school setting and transition from movie to series, and rather than trying to gloss it over, Scream faces it head-on with smart quips in addition to the mandatory pool of blood.
Premise remains the same, a killer stalks their preys before mutilating them in gruesome fashion. The show gives this antique gore aptly, it's pretty good in the buildup and effect of the butchering is done with just the right tone. However, it's not just slashing away randomly, it also tries to set an eclectic cast. As the movie itself says, the audience should invest or care about the characters to make the killing efficient.
Characters are presentable, casting fresh actors is a good direction to build the series. They don't veer too much from typical high school kids, but there is effort to broaden the personalities beyond the expected. It uses already proved formula and tweaks it with modern upgrade without overflowing it to needlessly aggrandized aspects.
The main concern is how much the straightforward plot can carry it for many episodes. Its necessity to offer kills can also be taxing for a series and unlike movie sequel or reboot, the nostalgia effect will wear off sooner of latter. Luckily, it has room to expand and with enough mystery, it could work for the long run.
Serializing a slasher flick might have its issues, but Scream is clever enough to turn most of them into perks, making the classic kill fest into a more modern version and also staying true to its root. 7/10
