Review: SCREAM VI
Four survivors of the Ghostface murders leave Woodsboro behind for a fresh start in New York City. However, they soon find themselves in a fight for their lives when a new killer embarks on a bloody rampage.
Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Courteney Cox, Mason Gooding, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Hayden Panettiere, Jack Champion, Josh Segarra, Liana Liberato, Dermot Mulroney, Devyn Nekoda, Tony Revolori
The ‘Scream’ franchise continues to slash its way through the competition with another killer installment, which takes its place as one of the best in the series so far.
In this sixth entry to the franchise, Radio Silence does something that we’ve never seen done before in the franchise; leave Woodsboro. The film is set in New York City, allowing for a fresh new environment that makes the kills ever more gripping and unpredictable. Whether that be the claustrophobia of a packed subway train, or a dimly lit apartment stairway, the setting was taken full advantage of in order to up the fear factor and deliver something audiences haven’t seen before in a ‘Scream’ film.
After Scream 5, getting to spend more time with the characters introduced in that film really help you to care about them more. Melissa Barrera is the standout here, and if she wasn’t before, she’ll definitely now be one of your favorite characters in the entire franchise. She’s a fantastic protagonist, and seeing how they develop her as the daughter of Billy Loomis is really fun to watch unfold. There’s some really cool things they can do with her character in the future that are only hinted at in the film, and I’m excited to see where it goes.
Mason Gooding and Jenna Ortega are also great in the film, their dynamic is the heart of the movie and they help to display the strong bond between the ‘Core Four’ friends that carried over from the last film into this one. Jasmin Savoy Brown is also fantastic, her vast knowledge of film tropes and sense of humor really makes these new ‘Scream’ films worth watching, filling the role that Jamie Kennedy once did as Randy in the original films. The satire is what makes these movies so fun to watch, and Jasmin Savoy Brown’s character is responsible for making sure that tradition stays intact.
Courteney Cox returns as Gale Weathers, and of course it’s always fun to see her. She’s great in the film and it’s nice to see one of the main protagonists of the original films continue their role in this new era. As for Sydney Prescott, a reason is provided for her absence, it’s fitting, and perhaps the only good way it could’ve been explained plot wise, but I do hope we see her again at least once more so we can have a truly satisfying end to her story.
This film really feels like it could’ve been made by Wes Craven himself. That’s a special feeling that Radio Silence have just mastered between this film and Scream 5, and I love how they continue to keep these movies original and different while simultaneously keeping what made the original films to great.
