Not gonna lie; I was quite pleased when they actually used the term legacyquel onscreen. As well they should; this Scream is a legacyquel just like Scream 4 was. (The problem with Scream 4 was it one of the first legacyquels, and so no one quite understood their “rules” yet, and so the entire movie is searching for a target to spoof.) At least this time they fully recognize the trope they’re exploiting, and the scenes where they explain the legacyquel’s rules — and where the killer reveals their motives—are as fun and sharp as the best stuff in the old Craven films. 

The issue with this Scream is one a lot of legacyquels struggle with: The returning characters have the benefit of decades of story and audience identification and a lot prior screen time, which makes the new characters feels thin and insignificant in comparison. And then they have to share their movie with the old characters, giving them even less time to flesh their personalities out. The result is a story where the classic cast feels really important even though they all have supporting roles and the new leads just seem like place holders. That’s the sort of characterization you expect in a generic slasher movie, not a Scream.