I’m going to start this review in an unorthodox way and give you, the reader, a bit of a peek behind the scenes here at Instant Movie Reviews. Since we are still small I’m the only critic, writer, and editor for the whole site (for those who remember the video reviews this is why I haven’t done those in a while, I just don’t have the time.) I try my best to plan my reviews weeks if not months in advance, and due to time constraints I usually only see one film a week unless I get the rare press screening. Often several really promising films are coming out in the same week and it’s just not possible to see them all have the reviews be timely. I do my best to pick a film that I think needs more attention, is something I personally have been looking forward to or is one of the big releases throughout the year.
So why are you telling me this? You’re probably asking yourself. I’m telling you this because this week I made a mistake. I had every intention of seeing the Adam Driver vehicle, 65, where he crash lands on Earth 65 million years ago and fights dinosaurs or something. Unfortunately, I realized that that film did not have any buzz going into it and was not going to be the fun romp I thought it was so I quickly switched my tickets to Scream VI. Which left me a bit unprepared and unable to do my usual homework before seeing the film.
To make a long story long, I didn’t see Scream 2 through 5.
I was a bit of a loss going into this film because it was a direct sequel to Scream V which I think is also just called Scream which makes it even more confusing. It’s not quite a sequel but a “requel” as one of the characters of this film says in a meta moment. And to paraphrase her, this film is a sequel to the requel. Regardless of the headache-inducing confusion of the Scream timeline, Scream VI is still a bloody good time.
A lot of the plot details were lost on me as I played catch-up for the first twenty minutes or so and I was thankful for some of the exposition-heavy dialogue. I was able to piece together who was new and who was returning and what everyone’s relationships with each other were. This film moves out of the fictional town of Woodboro, California, and to New York City where another Ghostface killer is on the loose. This time they are seeking out Samantha Carpenter (Melissa Barrera) after she and her sister Tara (Jenna Ortega) survived the events of the last film.
This new Ghostface is brutal and ruthless, not afraid to kill as many innocent civilians as it takes to get what they want. And the kills are brutal. There is so much blood and stabbing that you think it can’t possibly get more gruesome and then the next kill or attempted kill takes it even further. Sometimes pushing the suspension of disbelief of what people could survive or actually do to someone else. But that is the appeal of these films, they are made by horror lovers for horror lovers. They are self-aware, bloody, and fun. They aren’t meant to be taken too seriously but the characters take the film seriously.
To them, the stakes are literally life and death. Even though there is meta-commentary running through about how they’ve all done this before, there are still real stakes. The main characters are likable enough to root for and hope they make it to the end. There are some returning “legacy” characters (as the films call them) with Courtney Cox’s Gale and Hayden Panettiere’s Kirby coming back for another round of Ghostface killings. Both characters are used well, don’t overstay their welcome, and feel essential for the plot.
Like the other (so I’ve heard) Scream films the central mystery is the identity of Ghostface. Every film is someone different and it doesn’t usually end well for the killer. It becomes a fun puzzle for the audience as well as you try to keep track of what characters are present when Ghostface arrives and who was missing. When the reveal finally does happen it makes for a fun surprise.
The cast seems to have fun with the film too and it shows, they have good chemistry, and also respect the genre they are in. While there are homages and references to the other films it feels natural for the meta-series. The film never gets lost in its own nostalgia but acknowledges what came before which makes you appreciate what this film does a bit more. It feels like a natural evolution of storytelling and not falling into the legacy sequel trap that so many films do these days.
There is one sequence when the characters are riding the subway that really stands out. The use of lighting, sound and several people in masks on Halloween makes for a high-tension scene without all of the running and chasing around. It’s a great set piece and I wish the filmmakers had used a little bit more of New York City to help liven up a few repetitive moments.
While the film is fun and can be very inventive at times, it does fall victim to its own formula and genre a few times. The plot beats are largely the same as the first film and it can feel tired at times. The same with the slasher genre, Ghostface seems to move at inhuman speeds and possess inhuman strength until the plot needs them to stop. Ghostface can continually try to break down a door for what feels like five minutes but has trouble when they slip and hit a glass table. Plus there are so many moments when characters throw things down on the ground to try and trip up Ghostface that it starts to feel like a trope in its own movie.
Overall Scream VI is a fun time, It’s not going to be very surprising, or deep but damn it’s entertaining. Sometimes we just need some good entertainment, and a film like this is made with passion for its franchise and genre. And it never forgets who the audience is. It’s not perfect but it’s gory, exciting, and mostly fresh.
4/5