Following the latest Ghostface killings, the four survivors leave Woodsboro behind and start a fresh chapter.
What We Thought:
Did you like 2022’s Scream (aka Scream V)? Then you will like Scream VI. If you didn’t care for the new injection of characters and heavy handedness of its meta-ness like me, well you’ll respond similarly to the latest film.
That’s my issue with this film and the previous one, they are so heavy handed. When Scream came out in the 1990s it was very self-aware. It redefined the rules of horror because the characters knew the rules of horror movies. The characters grew up watching the genre and knew who would be killed first, never say “I’ll be back” and all the other things they talked about. Unfortunately these movies do the same thing, but beat you over the head with it. Now because of the Stab movies (the movies within the movie universe), these kids not only talk about the rules, but talk about legacy sequels, franchises, reboots, requels (sequels that are also sort of soft reboots like 2018’s Halloween) and everything in between. We get it, you’re self-aware. There’s a scene in this one that lays out the rules of franchises especially franchises that had much later sequels aka legacy sequels. They talk about Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars sequels. Again, we get it, you know movies and their rules.
That’s the problem with these characters, that’s their entire character arcs. That’s not character development, that’s just speaking exposition. Other than the Sam character we really don’t get much in terms of an actual character being developed. The group just consists of cliched characters that checkmark boxes. None of them mean a thing to me. They are so lame this film calls them the Core Four, the four friends that survived the fifth movie. Four characters trying to solve the mystery of the film, all you’re missing from being the Scooby gang is a dog.
I also hate the fact that despite knowing and making fun of movie tropes and rules, none of them act like you would in the real world. Everyone knows the killer isn’t dead after one shot, stab or hit to the head yet there’s one scene where a character hits Ghostface in the head with something and runs away. No! You want to be truly self aware? Then stay there and beat them over and over again until brains are falling out.
This movie also takes place in New York City. You’re telling me 4 people move to NYC after suffering huge trauma and not one of them gets a gun? Not one of these four thinks that after almost dying and then moving to the big city you shouldn’t get a concealed carry? Then when Ghostface shows up and starts dropping bodies you don’t walk the streets of New York trying to buy a gun? One other character has a gun, but she had it locked away. Really? There’s a new Ghostface that’s already claimed a few victims and your gun is locked away and not on your person? Blah.
Scream VI is going to make a ton of money and will probably get another sequel. I’m kind of over the franchise at this point though. The opening scene (like most Scream films) and the train scene you see in the trailers are solid, but overall these movies have just become unnecessary. I guessed one of the killers before the movie even started so the franchise has even lost some of its twisty uniqueness. I like Melissa Barrera in her role as Sam and would love to see her character developed more since she is the daughter of Billy Loomis (not a spoiler, that’s the plot of Scream V), but the rest of the cast could be completely wiped out as far as I’m concerned. It’s just not a franchise for me anymore.
Directed By:
Matt Bettinelli-Olpin & Tyler Gillett
Cast:
Melissa Barrera, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Mason Gooding, Jenna Ortega, Hayden Panettiere and Courteney Cox with Jack Champion, Henry Czerny, Liana Liberato, Dermot Mulroney, Devyn Nekoda, Tony Revolori, Josh Segarra, and Samara Weaving
Running Time:
122 mins
Rating:
R
The Nerds Templar 