Scream VI
As slasher franchises progress, the trickiest part for the writers and directors is to find a way to justify the resurrection of the killer each time. The best ones manage to find a clever way to make it work; the worst ones have you groaning by the end of the film. The “Scream” franchise is in a difficult position, because no killer returns in subsequent films- the costume for Ghostface is the common denominator- but as this sixth film got to its reveal, I found myself impressed with how it found way to distinguish itself from the slashers the franchise has long worked to satirize, even if it also feels like a stretch that would cause it to pull its hammy.
Once the franchise tipped over into that fourth film in 2011, you could argue “Scream” went from being self-reflexive about the genre, first and foremost, to being the type of slasher franchise it was commenting on with those first three films. That argument is only enhanced with the last two films, made after the passing of Wes Craven, as Matt Bettinelli-Olpin & Tyler Gillett have been introducing a new generation for Ghostface to terrorize, and phasing out the legacy characters. A huge stink was made about Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell’s character) not being back in this one, and I get it, because I love how the character has grown over the films, but honestly? “Scream VI” is just fine without her. This should be about Sam (Melissa Barrera) and Tara (Jenna Ortega) Carpenter than about putting Sidney through the ringer yet again. And especially with how this film’s Ghostface plays out, this is not about Sidney, but Sam and Tara, and their past. That is something I really like about these films.
Sam and Tara have moved out of Woodsboro to New York, where Tara is going to school. Meanwhile, Sam is the target of online harassment not only because her father (Billy Loomis) was the original Ghostface, but because someone has created an online persona accusing her of being the murderer behind the mask herself. I love how the screenplay by James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick builds off of the proliferation of conspiracy theory obsession and “revealing the hidden truth” as part of this story, as it makes Sam’s motivations to put an end to the new Ghostface more than just saving her sister. When Ghostface follows them to the Big Apple, around Halloween, and the killings begin, they have to keep their friends close, but also be weary of whom to trust, including Gale Weathers (Courtney Cox) and Kirby (Hayden Panettiere), who is now with the FBI after almost being killed in the fourth film, and might have some leads.
I feel like the franchises this one has emulated, or at least commented on, more among the slashers are “Halloween” and “Friday the 13th.” Throughout the franchise, having Ghostface being different each time reflects the attempt in “Friday the 13th” with “A New Beginning” to have a new Jason take over, but this time, they also do what “Friday the 13th” did in Part VIII, and take the killer out of their normal habitat. While “Jason Takes Manhattan” didn’t live up to its title, I think “Scream VI” makes the case for its attempts at putting the killer in New York in spades. They take advantage of the city in smart ways, especially in the opening, to give the killer a great opportunity to toy with the victims in truly tense ways. I loved how much more open this film was from its predecessors.
At a certain point, however, the longer a franchise continues, the more outlandishly crazy it has to get. Six films in, and “Scream” is really starting to feel that. One of the strongest aspects of the series, which I just recognized in this film, is that family matters to the killers in each series. It was a template that started with Billy in the first “Scream,” and every main killer has had some familial motivation since. This film stretches that to the point of ridiculousness, but the staging is terrific, so you go with it. The innovation of “Scream” is long gone, but the entertainment value of slashers endures. Dare I say I can’t wait to see what happens next? I don’t know if I’d go that far; it feels like this franchise has hit its limits. I still enjoyed what it was, though.
