Directed By Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett

Starring – Melissa Barrera, Courtney Cox, Jenna Ortega

The Plot – Following the latest Ghostface killings, the four survivors (Barrera, Ortega, Mason Gooding, Jasmin Savoy Brown) leave Woodsboro behind and start a fresh chapter in New York City. But their new landscape quickly becomes invaded by a new masked murderer, leaving them and Gail Weathers (Cox) fighting for their lives, with a former survivor in their assistance.

Rated R for strong bloody violence and adult language throughout, and brief drug use

Scream VI | Official Trailer (2023 Movie) – YouTube

POSITIVES

Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett continue to be the breath of fresh air that this iconic franchise so desparetly needed, balancing the familiarity of the subversively rich social commentary on the state of contemporary horror, with the expansion of its characters and ensuing world-building, which has spanned an unbelievable 27 years at this point. Because of such, we’re not only given a refreshing change in backdrop, wiping the home field advantage from the kids of Woodsboro for the over-crowded and easily undetected alley-ways of New York City, but also the franchise’s single most brutally violent chapter to date, with ruthlessly visceral slashes of gore and unabided focus to depiction in the blood-curdling cinematography from Brett Jutkiewicz, conveying immersive impact with each dice of the victim. As for the commentary, this time around the script seems intent on satirically spoofing the state of the horror community from beyond the lens, with their toxicity in fandom often being the source for many unfair judgments and leaps in logic for the many characters and stories that so many creative artists come together to keep them satisfied. The film once again cleverly finds ways to mock and even shame them in ways that creatively push the envelope within the confines of its own evolving narrative, and one that the duo of writers and directors themselves are not above recreating for the way that history often repeats itself, as this franchise has so passionately conveyed. The script does have its problems, but tonal consistency never withers while capably balancing the humor and horror that fans collectively appreciate, and with the palpable urgency and vulnerability in the evolving direction from the aforementioned dastardly duo constructing many tense and tender sequences of physical engagement, the film is able to attain merit and necessity in the depths of its nearly two hour run time, with perfection in pacing that keeps you continuously gripped along the way. The performances are mostly solid, once more from the dynamic duo of Barrera and Ortega, with the former balancing so many shifts in the dark and tortured psyche of her heritage coming to fruition once more, and the latter showing enough resiliency that would even put Gail Weathers to shame, with enduring physicality and grit that makes her an easy protagonist to invest in and appreciate. The two garner an impeccable chemistry that really does attain believability inside of their sisterly dynamic, and considering this is the first chapter without iconic heroine Sydney Prescott at its use, the duo are asked to fill the immense shoes that the character has left behind, a feat that they not only embrace but downright triumph in. Finally, while the film does once again feature the psychological dynamic between Samantha and her father, Billy Loomis, “Scream VI” is a celebration of the entire franchise, bringing to light the many events and killers from other installments that aren’t often given the emphasis in focus of the appreciation that they so rightfully deserve. This is usually the case for sequels with a legendary original movie because it’s often easiest to return to the installment that revolutionized the genre, but to do this to the lesser remembered instances of the franchise is a step of respect that I wholeheartedly appreciated, and one of those rare instances in horror franchises where the extent of its world-building and many sporadic chapters feels candidly conjoined by a script that appreciates the whole picture for a change.

NEGATIVES

Though lined with praises that a sixth film in a horror franchise rightfully shouldn’t be receiving by this point, “Scream VI” is a good film, but not necessarily a great one, as evidenced by a few unfortunate aspects that ultimately keep it from reaching the upper half of this franchise’s most iconic installments. The first is easily in the combination of plot conveniences and convoluted sequencing, which not only frequently broke the investment that I had for many gut-wrenching sequences directed remarkably from Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, but also led to moments where this film remarkably jumps the shark, with regards to realism that it disregards with inane silliness. Is the film guilty of falling for the same tropes and cliches that it spoofs in previous chapters? Absolutely, but here the idea of stakes being wiped away remarkably are all the more problematic, leading to a frequency of characters evading death and permanent injury from multiple stabs that feel like they came from spoiled bananas. These are the instances when the newbies of the cast really feel inconsequential to the film, as not only are they removed from the equation with a single slit, but their deaths are mourned for about a whole ten seconds before the characters move on, which in turn undercuts the magnitude of Ghostface’s capabilities, as characters often walk away unphased by the masked killer. In addition to this, it’s also the easiest film to predict who is responsible for its devastation, as an early line of exposition drops out of nowhere that feels evident for one purpose only. Even if you’re not as experienced in horror as I am, I feel like all audiences will capably pick up on this tremendous tell, and once you see it, it serves as the decoder of sorts for other unexplained instances throughout the narrative, with a reveal that you should and likely will sniff out in the opening twenty minutes of the film. Last but not least, I did like the occasional vulnerability that New York added to a mystery where literally anyone could be the killer, but geographically and visually I don’t feel like Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett did enough to justify its rendering towards feeling influential throughout the film. Considering there are very few landmarks featured, or very few environmental ingredients adding to the dynamic of the conflict sequences, there’s essentially no reason why this couldn’t of taken place literally anywhere else, in turn leaving me disappointed for the things they could’ve done with Ghostface in Times Square, along the way.

OVERALL
“Scream VI” takes a bite out of the big apple, with its gut-wrenching gore and meta-slashing cinematic commentary on the current state of horror that cut the deepest on audience interpretations. Though the mystery is cloaked in predictability, and the conveniences and cliches start to stack higher than Ghostface’s corresponding body count, the film is never the less an entertainingly acceptable diversion as a sequel, with Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett providing enough gore and giggles for a franchise that is clearly here to stay.

My Grade: 7/10 or B-