Before any of the action starts in the new Scream, Ghostface - the iconic villain figure of the franchise - appears on screen warning viewers not to share any spoilers.
For a series that is so beloved by its fans, this appearance really sets the scene and acts as the perfect lead-in to the first Scream film in more than a decade.
Even though this is technically Scream 5, the film is simply called Scream and this is somewhat explained in the film.
As has always been the case with the franchise, the characters are self-referential, and they debate the nature of 'requels' - a mish-mash of sequel and reboot.
There are the 'legacy' characters to carry over the series' history, and the new crew, driving the action for a fresh generation.
We're back in Woodsboro, where everything started, for this instalment.
A teen named Tara Carpenter (Jenna Ortega, Jane the Virgin) - the surname a nice nod to horror maestro John Carpenter, whose Halloween films are also referenced - is attacked at home by a new Ghostface after receiving a call on her landline, mirroring the shocking opening to the original.
We find out her family, and many of her friends, have a connection to the original crew, including Sidney (Neve Campbell), Gale (Courteney Cox) and Dewey (David Arquette), who all return for their fifth Scream outing.
Thus begins the bloodshed, with more of the teen crew coming under attack, including Tara's sister Sam (Melissa Barrera, In the Heights) and her boyfriend Richie (Jack Quaid, The Boys), who come in from out of town.
The film spends plenty of time talking about the nature of horror movies, sequels, reboots and fandoms - perhaps a touch too much time - but still has a lot of fun.
There are plenty of tributes to the series, especially the original, including a character named Wes (in honour of franchise director Wes Craven who died in 2014), the use of Nick Cave's Red Right Hand and even some costuming reminiscent of Rose McGowan's ill-fated Tatum.
While the scares are minimal, there's still a lot of joy to be had for fans of the series. However, newbies might not be particularly enamoured with the new Scream.