A Scream Queen is a female protagonist - the quintessential damsel in distress - that has just the right about of wit and beauty to outlast and outplay the killer. Her role is vital. She has to be vulnerable enough to make the audience root for her. And she had to be able to scream. And if you have watching the 2 hour premiere of Ryan Murphy and friends' latest horror-comedy anthology Scream Queens, our female protagonist has got to make us laugh.
I watched the FOX premiere unsure what to expect. A co-ed comes stalking down a spiraling staircase with large bloody hands, largely ignored by the party goers around her. It struck me as very Carrie-esque. When our bloody co-ed comes to her sorority sisters for help, they all mistake it for menstrual blood, and I bust out laughing.
Imagine all the dregs of teen flicks from the 90s and beyond and throw in a classic slasher whodunit-mystery, you have Scream Queens. Balancing the right amount of horror cliches and humor takes skill, and I think Scream Queens hit it out the park. It was goofy, dark humored, and well cast.
Emma Roberts is the perfect mean girl, with enough heart to make you want her to live or die fabulously. She steals nearly every scene she's in. From when we first meet her to the close credits, she landed punches and jokes with ease. She is supported by a just as equally as talented cast: Keke Palmer and Skylar Samuels to name a few.
The first two episodes guest starred Nick Jonas and Ariana Grande. In one of the premiere's hilarious moments, Ariana gets into a text battle with our Devil Mascot Killer. I about died from laughter.
Of course, no new age horror about Scream Queens can take flight without the blessings of one of the originals, Jamie Lee Curtis, who plays the schools Head Master with an edge and an ax to grind.
The story is simple. A sorority with dark secrets is under siege from forces within and without. Caught in the maelstrom are a kaleidoscope of characters that probably have no business together at all in real life. Who exactly is taking out the college co-eds? There's a twist at the end that thickens the plot.
The jokes are killer. The sets and costumes are glossy and massive. The actors are gorgeous. This show is definitely something interesting to watch.
