Scream VI

**** outta *****

4 outta 5

As Randy hollered in the first Scream from 1996, “There’s a very specific formula!” which is something that Scream VI sticks to. There are more than a few structural and plot movements in Scream VI that, seemingly intentionally, takes from Scream 2 which is appropriate as this is the second movie in a new Scream series. What makes Scream VI work are intense moments with lots of gore even by Scream standards, and decent twists in a series that prides itself on multiple twists. Also, by moving the carnage outside of the sleepy Woodsboro to New York City it utilizes the setting for a different type of bloodbath.

One year after sisters Sam (Melissa Barrera) and Tara (Jenna Ortega) survived the latest round of Ghostface killings, Tara is enrolled in college in New York City, but a new Ghostface has emerged. The suspects are numerous, like the random new associate Ethan (Jack Champion), and even with the protection of Detective Bailey (Dermot Mulroney) things look bleak for the self proclaimed “core four” survivor buddies of Sam, Tara, Mindy (Jasmin Savoy Brown) and Chad (Mason Gooding). And the arrival of legacy Ghostface survivors, opportunistic reporter Gale Weathers (Courtney Cox) and FBI Agent Kirby (Hayden Panettiere), make things more complicated to discover who is behind the murder spree.

The NYC setting is used very effectively, as the place is so noisy and crowded that Ghostface can stab people in dark alleys or crowded subway cars without bystanders noticing. Like Scream 2, the characters have moved onto college and there’s a bit too much college romantic drama and new characters who aren’t as interesting as the original. The movie series has made each film have its own thematic rules; the second movie is about sequels, third trilogies, fourth reboots, the fifth and sixth movies are legacy sequels. Although the fourth and fifth movie are thematically similar, the third act bad guy monologue in each movie makes a distinct point.

In Scream VI, Mindy says it’s a Franchise now which means that even returning Legacy characters are potentially canon fodder. Mindy brings up that in franchise installments even beloved characters like Luke Skywalker aren’t safe which is especially true in the Scream series which has a (brutal but earned) tendency to kill off fan favourites. Ultimately, the reason behind the new Ghostface spree is an elegant and unexpected twist that uses the series history. There’s a fantastic opening twist in a series that often has kickass opening scenes, featuring unexpected reveals that usually don’t happen in the first few minutes of a Scream movie, stating this won’t be a lazy copy and paste sequel. Even Ghostface does something unexpectedly different, saying dismissively, “Who gives a $%#@ about movies?!”

The legacy characters have been dwindling throughout the series with Neve Campbell’s Sydney sitting this one out, although the character gets mentioned as “deserving a happy ending” which is about as much closure as Syd could get. Cox is the highest profile returning vet and there’s a cool moment when Gale is talking on the phone to Ghostface and he says it’s odd he’s never chatted with Gail. It is great as Cox finally gets a Ghostface talk and delivers some cathartic bits of fighting back as Gail has been putting up with Ghostface for years. Another surprise return is Panettiere as Kirby, who was seemingly left for dead in Scream 4, but is an enjoyably snarky Fed here. Her return is so unexpected the new crew keeps thinking she might be the killer. Ghostface’s voice is provided by the always awesome Roger L. Jackson, who has delivered menacing spins on Ghostface’s voice ever since the first film. He’s excellent as usual here, even having a funny moment when Gail puts Ghostface on hold and he just says “Huh?” Ghostface is leaving behind the masks of all the previous Ghostface killers which works well with the legacy of the series, and the discovery of Ghostface’s lair with a shrine to all the previous Ghostface killers features some nifty Easter Eggs for fans.

Barrera as Sam is struggling with her personal legacy of being the daughter of the original Scream killer Billy Loomis and has some good scenes where she is haunted by visions of Billy played with maximum creepiness by Skeet Ulrich in shady reflections. Ortega ably conveys Tara’s primary emotional states of being either scared or ticked off. Gooding and Brown as their buddies are also good for a few one-liners, although the movie pushes hard to make them a “core four” which just seems like it won’t turn out well for them. Mindy is so convinced that Champion’s Ethan is the killer it becomes kind of funny. Mulroney’s Detective is good for exposition at critical moments. The Ghostface scenes are particularly brutal, like a scene in a convenience store or a subway car, and there’s a bit involving characters crawling across buildings that has Ghostface take advantage of in a sadistic way.

The inherent concept of Scream about self-aware folks who know the rules of horror movies and get stuck in one anyway is evergreen. Scream VI shows as long as the series keeps things lively with bombastic performances, good splatter kills and crazy twists, it can keep coming back for more.