A One Mann’s Movies review of “Scream VI” (2023).
You would have thought that after 5 of these things, there would be little left to mine in the self-mocking and highly-meta series. But with a change of location, to New York City “Scream VI” managed, against all the odds, to really entertain me.
My viewing of this horror was made all the more spooky by me being in one of the largest screens in my local Cineworld and yet COMPLETELY ALONE! I have been in very poorly attended afternoon showings, but I can’t remember the last time NOBODY else attended. I was sat in the very back row, which was a good thing, since otherwise I might have spent a lot of the film glancing back over my shoulder to the empty rows behind!
Bob the Movie Man Rating:
Plot Summary:
After the trauma of the events in Woodsboro the previous year (“Scream“), Tara Carpenter (Jenna Ortega) has gone to college in New York. But her ever-protective sister Sam (Melissa Barrera) has also moved to New York to keep an eye on her. Surrounded by her old friends Mindy (Jasmin Savoy Brown) and Chad (Mason Gooding) and their new college roommates Ethan (Jack Champion), Quinn (Liana Liberato) and Anika (Devyn Nekoda). But the shadow of Ghost Face, and suspicions about Sam’s involvement, is never far away and when brutal knife murders start happening in the city, the sisters are once again in danger.
Certification:
UK: 18; US: R. (From the BBFC: “Strong Bloody Violence”).
Talent:
Starring: Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Mason Gooding, Jack Champion, Liana Liberato, Devyn Nekoda, Courteney Cox, Dermot Mulroney, Hayden Panettiere, Tony Revolori, Samara Weaving.
Directed by: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin & Tyler Gillett.
Written by: James Vanderbilt, Guy Busick & Kevin Williamson.
Twitter Handles: #TheScreamSeries; #ScreamMovies.
Sam (Melissa Barrera) and Tara (Jenna Ortega) shocked at how fast the prices were rising in the local store. (Source: Paramount Pictures).
“Scream VI” Review:
Positives:
- This is an accomplished horror movie, structured around some well-developed set pieces: in a supermarket; in an apartment; in a subway train; etc. And they really are very well done, delivering tension and some horribly gruesome deaths (which, after all, is what most fans go to see these slasher movies for!) The subway sequence is particularly brilliant, with the carriage lights going off and coming on as Ghostface moves ever closer. It reminded me of a similar approach used in that wonderful Doctor Who episode “Blink”, with the Weeping Angels.
- Moving the action to New York was a good move by the franchise owners, as it provides a much greater variety of locations – from dark alleys to dark subway cars – for the slasher action to unfold. An opening scene with Margot Robbie lookalike, Samara Weaving, is particularly chilling.
- The film not only takes the sixth slot in the franchise but also referentially links it to EVERY other Scream movie in quite a clever (if contrived) way.
- The acting is not going to win any Oscars, but the two female leads are personable enough and carry the story. The youngster who particularly impressed me this time was Mason Gooding, who reprises his role from “Scream“. (He also had a small role in last year’s excellent “Fall“). Amomgst the ‘grown ups’, it was great to see Dermot Mulroney “My Best Friend’s Wedding”) really delivering in a dramatic role as the investigating detective on the case. He’s very good. And since I made a specific point in “Scream” of commenting on how shallow Courteney Cox’s acting ability was, I think I should also comment that she does much better in this one. Although, as my “Flickering Dreams” podcast colleague Scott Forbes pointed out in his review, her Gale Weathers character feels a bit like a spare wheel in this story.
- The Ghostface ‘reveal’ is always ludicrous in these movies (“SCOOBY, IT WAS THE JANITOR ALL ALONG!”). But at least this one had enough misdirection to make it entertaining and surprising (if still ludicrous!)
- I thought the Demi Lovato song over the end-titles (“Still Alive“) was cracking. Potential Oscar Best Song nominee?
Negatives:
- As I moaned like hell about the superhuman healing abilities of Adam Driver’s character in “65“, I can’t let this criticism go. Since there is an absurdity to the ‘survivability’ of some of our leading characters in this movie. Without spoilers as to who lives and who dies, at least two of them get viciously stabbed: one multiple (multiple!) times all over their body, and another in the guts with a viscious twisting of the knife to boot. Yet both of them survive! The latter even bounces up in the finale, on their feet, as if all she had had was a bit of an ingrowing toenail! And I’m sure in the finale Tara was stabbed twice – once in the back, and once in the stomach (“Got you!”) – and yet she doesn’t seem to be remotely injured. Bonkers!
- As with the last film, the movie is so ‘meta’ that it sometimes threatens to disappear up its own arse. An extended sequence sees Mindy self-analysing the genre (since, amusingly, they are all film-studies students) in almost a reprise of a similar scene in “Scream V“. It’s quite funny but at times it oversteps the mark and pulls down the 4th wall with its own cleverness. (“I HATE this f*****g franchise” exclaims Mindy at one particularly stressful point”).
Monkeys?
There is a “monkey” at the end of the credits. It’s short, raised a slight smile, but was hardly worth waiting for.
Summary Thoughts on “Scream VI”
Scream VI seems to be a big success at the box office, with a record (for the franchise) opening weekend of $43.5M and, after only a week, it has passed $80M worldwide. Given the budget was only $35M, there are a lot of very happy producers right now!
And it deserves its success, since it is a really nicely crafted schlock-horror edition in the series. You have to like gory scenes (it very much earns its “18” certificate!) but if you do, then this is a fun Saturday-Night-at-the-Movies rollercoaster ride that I don’t think will disappoint many.
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Trailer for “Scream VI”
The trailer is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Ie2qmAOc6Q .
