“Do Either of You Have Anyone Who Might Want to Target You?” “Not Anyone Who’s Still Alive.”
I’ve got to admit, I have mixed feelings when a new Scream movie comes out. I love the franchise, so I can’t wait to see it. But on the other hand, I always worry about who won’t make it out of this film alive. And I worry that I won’t wind up enjoying it. But it’s Scream, so of course, I went to see Scream VI last night. And I might have been counting down until I got to see it.
Don’t worry, this review will be spoiler free, starting with the teaser.
It’s been a year since the latest Ghostface attack in Woodsboro, and the newest survivors have moved to New York City. Tara (Jenna Ortega), Mindy (Jasmin Savoy-Brown), and Chad (Mason Gooding) are all in college, while Sam (Melissa Barrera) is there trying to keep an eye on everyone. But their past catches up with them when someone else dons the Ghostface mask and comes after them. When the news breaks, Gale Weathers (Courtney Cox), jumps in to cover it and help out, something that is easy since she is still based in the city. It even brings Kirby (Hayden Panettiere) to town. But who is after them? And who will survive?
Let’s start by talking about the noticeable absence. Neve Campbell declined to return for this movie over a salary dispute. It’s a shame that things couldn’t be worked out. However, I will say that I am of two minds about this. I LOVE her character, Sidney Prescott. However, at some point, the franchise needs to move on to new blood. Having said that, I was thrilled that Gale and Kirby were part of this movie, so I like seeing the legacy characters again and would have been thrilled is Sidney had been there. I appreciated the nods that Sidney got. I do hope Neve comes back in the future, but that’s for future movies. Let’s look at this one.
I will admit, I was a little worried going into this movie. I was hearing about how they were going to make this one gorier. And have more action so it was a non-stop thrill ride. And all I was thinking was, “But I don’t want too much gore. And I like the quieter moments that allow us to get to know the characters.” Especially since my first viewing of the last one left me feeling like the beginning was too rushed.
I needn’t have worried.
Yes, there are lots of great action and suspense scenes. There are a couple that could turn into classics of the franchise, although I’m going to have to watch it another couple of times and see how they hold up. I was definitely on the edge of my seat while they were playing out.
And there are some great twists on things as the movie progresses. I won’t say more since I’m avoiding spoilers. But boy do I want to.
However, we still get the non-action scenes we need to get to know the characters. Granted, the new characters don’t get a ton of development, but there is plenty of time for us to learn what has happened in the year between to the characters who come back. I’ve always loved that the returning characters continue to grow as the franchise progresses, and that’s the case again here.
As much as I loved last year’s film, I did feel that there were a couple of weaknesses in it. As I already alluded to earlier, the beginning felt rushed to me. Additionally, a couple of the actors weren’t as good as the rest in that film. Everyone seems more confident here. The acting was universally great from everyone, new and returning actors alike. And the writers did a great job of keeping all the threads going without making it seem like it was rushed. There was still plenty of time for the set pieces and the character development without feeling like we needed to get to the next scene.
I have seen some people who had issues with the third act, especially the reveal. I’ll just say that it worked for me. And once again, the monologue had some cutting things to say about our society today.
There does seem to be a plot hole, but I won’t get into the spoiler territory.
As always, this is an R rated film with language and horror violence to go with it. I was wincing a few times as I watched. Keep that in mind before you decide to go see it.
Like the last one, there was also plenty of nods and call backs to the earlier movies. It is obvious that these film makers are huge fans themselves, and they want to honor the legacy and what the fans love. Yes, they also are out to make money and tell new stories, but it isn’t at the expense of the roots of the franchise. I loved these call back moments. Some were funny, and some were touching.
And that includes comedy. We still get the laughs and meta discussions the franchise is known for.
Yet this isn't just a rehash of what we've seen before. I've heard quotes saying this is a complete reinvention of the franchise. I don't think I'd go that far – there are still enough of the familiar things from the franchise that fans will feel at home. But they did try some new things, and it worked well.
The cast and crew have been talking about how setting the movie in New York made for a great way to increase the tension since Ghostface could be anyone. They did a great job of taking advantage of that in several sequences. It certainly helped that the film was set at Halloween (although they could have referenced that more explicitly), meaning that people walking around in Ghostface masks didn’t seem out of place. And watch for other horror icons in the background of many scenes.
I also love how the movie takes on fan theories a couple of times. I laughed hard at that.
On the other hand, I’m already tired of the “this Ghostface is unique” angle. We’ve had that in the last two movies. Honestly, they didn’t feel that different to me. We can leave that out if we get another sequel.
Oh, and do stay through the credits. I’m just saying.
Yes, I could gush about the movie more, but I’m afraid if I do, I’ll start getting into spoiler territory. If you are a fan, you’ll love Scream VI.
I've been wondering if this movie is good or not. Thanks!
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