By Samuel M Acosta
This review contains some spoilers for “Scream 6”
Even though I became a fan of this franchise a bit late, I was excited when they announced that “Scream 6” would be released so soon after the previous installment. With the added element of New York City, this one seemed to have a much larger scale. I saw it the day it came out and absolutely loved it. It continues the meta-commentary that the previous film thrived on, but implemented it much more naturally into the script.
“Scream 6” follows the survivors from the previous film as they head off to college in New York. While Sam is only there to keep an eye on Tara, her presence brings nothing but trouble, as rumors have spread all over the internet that Sam framed Richie for the events of “Scream 5.” But when a new Ghostface arrives in the city, this band of friends, as well as some new faces, must figure out who they can trust and how to stay alive. But with new allies and old ones coming back into the picture, it might be harder than they expect to stay safe in the bustling city where danger could be standing shoulder to shoulder with you.
“Scream 6” rides the momentum of the previous film and ups the ante in every way. It’s funnier, scarier and much much bloodier. If you aren’t a fan of gore, walk into this film with some caution. The kills are more frequent and take up more screen time than ever before. Even our beloved protagonists take some gruesome hits and dish out an equal amount of brutal damage.
The acting team here is incredibly entertaining. Jenny Ortega takes the spotlight with most of her screen time and is clearly becoming the franchise actress of the series. Her chemistry with Melissa Barrera, Mason Gooding and Jasmin Savoy Brown creates a fun dynamic with the core four that just makes their scenes together more enjoyable. Plus, the romantic chemistry between Ortega and Gooding was electric and an unexpected but welcome layer to the story. We also see the return of some franchise favorites, such as Courtney Cox who portrays Gale Weathers and Hayden Panettiere who plays Kirby.
The story of “Scream 6” was interesting, even though I wish it expanded on some of its elements more. The way that Tara wants to remove herself entirely from the Ghostface fiasco contrasts with how her sister is the embodiment of that event, creating a drama and tension that was engaging. The story really did a good job of fooling me into thinking other people were the killers and had valid reasons to be the new Ghostface.
My one complaint about the story is that for the past couple of movies, we have seen Sam struggle with this ghost of her father prompting her to be a killer, something she keeps dipping her toes into. At the end of this film, she seems to reject this prospect. I honestly wish the opposite had happened.
The way the story was starting to form, I thought that maybe Sam and Tara had been broken by this Ghostface attack and might don the masks themselves. This was an idea that I was fascinated by because a “Scream” film where you know the killer is an intriguing concept. But the film stepped away from that and kind of just repeated the same ending as the fifth film, where she gives in enough to win the day and then steps out of it again. I hope that future films show the consequences of this instead of Sam being able to just unlock a killer instinct whenever it’s convenient for her.
I could also complain that there was a lack of jumpscares, which while I personally don’t mind, is a staple of the genre. There is a lot of suspense and tension, which gives a similar effect, but there aren’t many notable jumpscares.
Overall, I really enjoyed this movie and it exceeded my expectations. Slasher films are a dying breed and recent attempts to reinvigorate the genre have been very hit or miss. Yet, “Scream 6” has a great blend of originality and the classics to keep us screaming for more. I hope that they make another film as fast as they did this one so that we can get more of the core four and Ghostface.
I give “Scream 6” an 8/10
“Scream 6” is now playing in theaters.
Samuel M Acosta is a Senior Theatre Comprehensive Major and an Arts and Entertainment writer for Cedars. He likes spending his time watching movies, drinking Dr. Pepper and writing plays.
Images courtesy of Paramount Pictures
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