Scream VI

I was quite surprised, and as a fan of the franchise, pleased that the sixth Scream would be screaming in theaters just fourteen months after the release of the fifth, which came eleven long years after the fourth (Wes Craven's last "slash"). As I've said before, I have a soft spot for Ghostface, so I'm willing to overlook the fact that it's pretty much a recycled version of the previous films. But as a fan, it's that connection between the first and fifth films that I appreciate and (along with the many pop culture references) downright enjoyed. The intro alone, which slyly plays with the rules of horror and stands them on their head, proves that the "screaming franchise" still has a lot to offer. I welcomed the film's setting in New York, where the they managed to take advantage of other locations to offer some truly good scenes – whether it was a chilling sequence from a convenience store or an apartment, or the atmospheric scene in a flashing subway. (Spoiler alert!) The identity of Ghotsface is clear from the first mention of the deceased family member, and then later from the attack in the apartment, but the film isn’t that concerned with a plot twist as it plays with audience expectations and horror rules, creating a hide-and-seek game. The viewer (ideally a fan) then calmly overlooks the immortality of certain characters and just watches the uncompromising destruction of the bad guys with a satisfying smile. (End: Spoiler alert!) In the end, Scream VI certainly didn't feel boring or dull, but if there is to be a sequel, which I wouldn't be opposed to, at least a three-year hiatus would be preferable. (03/27/2023)

I’m a moron for always expecting any kind of basic logic in these movies. That's as naive as believing in Santa Claus at 24 or that vaccines cause autism. In terms of the slasher genre, it's certainly a good piece – the murders, the blood and the body-count, which by no means essential, innovative or devastating, are all pretty much okay and not offensive. Likewise, the occasionally built-up atmosphere (subway...), the attempted twists and turns, or the on-again, off-again "guess who the killer is" game can keep the viewer entertained, and the New York setting is a decent change. But for God's sake the rest is one big mess and shitfest. I'm literally amazed that any sane person puts this out into the world and no one is surprised at the overall stupidity. The characters? Total idiots over and over again. Logic? The director left that in his living room before coming on set. In short, nothing outside of the slasher genre works here at all, everyone does one f*ck up after another, running around like confused chickens and charging at Ghostface with open arms, and if anyone counters me with the "you're being an asshole again and not enjoying a slasher flick" argument then sorry, but even this has its limits and to have all the characters running around with 20 (yes, 20) stab wounds, smiling at each other like they're on a moonlit walk and pouring their hearts out with adorable dialogue, that's just odd and it’s unfortunately becoming more common in this franchise and getting worse from generation to generation until I'm actually curious where this will eventually end up. From a purely entertaining slasher standpoint, it’s a passable 4*, but everything surrounding it drastically spoils the experience, and when you laugh at the comical aura around the murders, something is wrong. Purely on the basis that it's thankfully a good popcorn movie for the cinema, I give it a merciful 3*, but objectively I won't remember the film tomorrow and it's just stupidly below average. Now go on, go to the cinema and pour your biased five stars here, so the sheep have something to cheer about (03/09/2023)

Ghostface in the bright lights of the big city. The change of setting revitalized the most notorious horror meta franchise, as did the decent push towards aggressive actions by the killer(s) with dubious motives. However, the bloated length and the smearing of excrement on faces without masks once again revealed the staleness of previous entries. Two things struck me: the fact that some characters get a seven-inch-long Buck 120 hunting knife plunged into their abdomen and then, after a while, act as if they were just having their belly button cleaned, and that Courteney Cox is starting to look like a vampire from The Lost Boys. (05/03/2023)

Perhaps no horror franchise has made it to a sixth installment without material fatigue, but here the fatigue is so minimal and hardly noticeable that it still feels fresh, fun and exciting. The horror sequences are a treat, the whole is laughable, but intentionally so. No Scream has ever really disappointed, not even this one. (03/15/2023)

It’s still good horror entertainment between three and four stars. In the end, I’m giving it the lower rating to make clear that the fourth and fifth instalments were much better for me. Plot-wise, it is a compilation of familiar stuff, with similar twists and turns and denouements to what we have already seen in the series, maybe just a bit more absurd. I'm a bit disappointed that the creators didn't take it to another level and offer something more ambitious. For example, to show the cards so that the viewer knows from the beginning who is hiding under the mask (and only guesses the motive), or to make the villain directly out of the main character, especially since both options are implied in this new sequel. Unfortunately, this promise never comes to fruition, so the final form ends up looking rather familiar. But the more significant problem for me is the downright dead meta plane. In the year since the premiere of the previous installment, logically "nothing fundamental has happened" in the horror genre, so there is nothing to respond to, nothing to comment on, nothing to paraphrase (on the contrary, the fourth and fifth installments benefited mightily from longer delays). And "franchise" as the referent to which the latest installment refers is too elusive to base any meaningful meta-games on. I wouldn’t be against another sequel, but I would wait at least five years. (03/23/2023)