Scream VI
The kids have returned, just as the masked murderer who pursues them has. In this latest “Scream” film by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett (also known as Radio Silence), the newest generation of survivors from Woodsboro establish new lives in New York City, far from the suburban shadow of Ghostface. But not for long. It’s still “Scream VI,” after all.
It begins with the murder of a film professor. As the body count rises rapidly, Samantha Carpenter (Melissa Barrera), her sister Tara (Jenna Ortega) and twins Mindy (Jasmin Savoy Brown) and Chad (Mason Gooding) get ready to flee but they’re not quick enough for this new Ghostface. The newly minted “core four,” joined by returning characters Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox) and Kirby Reed (Hayden Panettiere) as well as a slew of newcomers including Anika (Devyn Nekoda), Josh (Danny Brackett), Ethan (Jack Champion), Quinn (Liana Liberato) and Detective Bailey (Dermot Mulroney), will have to face off against the killer(s) once again, this time in the heart of the Big Apple.
As sequels go in the world of “Scream,” we’ve seen worse but Ghostface’s mask is showing its years. The script is fine if a bit surface level, it brings up interesting ideas but doesn’t follow through on them. Trauma and how characters cope with it are mentioned early on, but those concerns almost immediately vanish into thin air upon hearing about the first murders on the nightly news. Aside from horror nerd sight gags like costumes from other scary movies in the background or Easter egg references to horror directors or movie podcasts, there isn’t much “Scream VI” has to say about horror fandom itself which here becomes extremely toxic and deadly. While Wes Craven’s original “Scream” was the first in the series to lampoon the genre’s tropes, these latest installments have doubled down on the meta explanation of horror movie rules without much of a point. At this point, they’re almost for comedic effect an “if you know, you know” nod and laugh reference for the audience not so much cutting-edge meta-commentary. Dare I say it’s been done to death.
Between the first kill and the climactic showdown, Guy Busick and James Vanderbilt’s script runs out of steam, but Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett deliver a number of suspenseful set pieces that prove there is still some life left in this franchise. In one standout moment Ghostface tracks the group to where Sam, Tara and Quinn live; he picks off a few but a trio manages to barricade themselves in a room and now have a chance to climb across to safety with the help of a lovestruck neighbor and a ladder. The tension is executed perfectly it’s the kind of sequence that has you holding your breath just waiting to see if all poor souls make it through. Another moment comes when one of our main characters sees Ghostface staring at her from across crowded train car; she’s helpless against him. The feeling of being targeted in plain sight is chillingly effective.
However, there’s one name that is conspicuously absent from this cast. Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell). According to Cambell, she wasn’t offered enough money to return and in a movie that has built a shrine to itself, not having her feels like an oversight. With Cox back and sharing more of the spotlight finally getting a call from Ghostface and having another round with the killer it’s clear that “Scream” movies are just going to be Dewey vehicles now. She is the biggest breakout star of this new generation of “Scream” movies her mascara smudged, her one-liners sharp enough to jolt every scene she’s in with electricity. This time around, she actually gets a few good punches and kicks in; last movie had her fairly wounded for most of the runtime.
In a shocking twist of events, New York City somehow turned out to be the most disappointing thing about this movie which might make it the least convincing version of NYC ever put onscreen outside of Vancouver. When you’ve got Montreal playing dress up as New York, it’s hard not to notice alleyways that don’t exist or made-up stops covering for other well-known locations (Blackmore College at the end of the 2 and 5 lines vs. Brooklyn College). While some parts feel quintessentially New York like a bodega confrontation with Ghostface, or apartments facing each other for a little “Rear Window” suspense scene others felt utterly detached from anywhere in particular, no skyline or sense of place makes me, an actual New Yorker, disoriented when parts are supposed to take place here. Out-of-towners may also notice some missing major landmarks otherwise present in other movies.
As far as sequels go, “Scream VI” is an empty thing unto itself. A snake eating its own tail with nothing left by this point. What will it take for this series to get fresh blood and move forward? For now, we have a horror movie that tickles the nostalgic funny bone a chiller with some good scares and cheesy lines that inspire more laughter than screams, and yes, a snippet of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds’ “Red Right Hand” but I don’t begrudge anyone for wanting more meat on these bones.
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