Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
‘Scream VI’
The “Scream” franchise has lasted far longer than most people probably would have expected from the ’90s meta horror series. And here we are, 17 years later, with “Scream VI.” It’s not unheard of for horror movies to go this long, but some lengthy franchises can go stale.
So what’s left for a horror film that got its start commenting on other horror films? Well, surprisingly enough, a tonal shift from the familiar meta commentary to more of a scary action film. By now, “Scream” is less interested in fakeouts and more about being a gory, well-paced thriller.
We’ve gone through the jump scares. We’ve listened to each movie tell us “the rules.” And I think we’ve arrived at a point where the people who still want to make these movies (and star in them) are still playing just enough of the hits to be a “Scream” movie, while also showing awareness of what fans want.
Millennials who grew up with “Scream” (like me) got used to a formula. But for Gen Z, growing up with “Scream 4” and onward, these movies needed a different road to drive on. Some of the houses might look the same, but a franchise that doesn’t evolve dies stale. Look at what happened to the “Jurassic Park” and “Star Wars” movies. They refused to change and lived to see themselves become the villain.
What I love most about “Scream” is the fluidity of it all. Old characters aren’t just brought back for nostalgia but to earn some incredible moments (if they’re lucky) and to show audiences the creative minds behind “Scream” know where the franchise came from and where to keep it going.
“Scream VI” moves things from Woodsboro to New York. And it’s not the first film in this franchise to change locations. What’s great about having this story set in the biggest city in the USA is it feels like a bigger playground. Things are unpredictable, and with a massive world, Ghostface can literally pop up anywhere and then disappear into a crowd.
I won’t spoil any of the plot that isn’t shown in trailers already. But newcomer sisters Sam (Melissa Barrera) and Tara (Jenna Ortega) return, fresh off their neardeath experiences in the fifth “Scream.” Also back from that same movie are Mindy (Jasmin Savoy Brown) and Chad (Mason Gooding).
Hayden Panettiere returns from “Scream 4” as Kirby, and Courteney Cox is back once again as reporter Gale Weathers (my personal favorite). Dewey died in the last movie, and disappointingly, Neve Campbell does not return as main heroine Sidney Prescott, who kickstarted this whole franchise.
For those worried that Campbell’s absence would detract from the story, fear not. Barrera proves that she’s more than capable of carrying this movie as the lead. And each returning character from the past movies just acts as enhanced flavor for her attempt to survive yet another killing. One of the great things about having so many movies and characters in this series is the trauma bonding creates a family of survivors, people the audience will root for to make it out alive.
In shifting gears from horror commentary to action thriller, “Scream VI” becomes more of a character-based story. That also makes the identity of Ghostface a little less relevant with every entry after “Scream 3.” It’s not that these survivors don’t have connections to the previous movies. Rather, that just becomes less of a priority as the story moves on to just … making it through another round of killings.
Some viewers will hate that shift, but it becomes more necessary with every subsequent sequel. It keeps things fresh, and it shows the films are capable of evolving. And really, is there anything more meta than that in the grand scope of “Scream”?
Making “Scream” a character series where the only goal is to survive and get a good kick in, allows the characters to develop more. There’s less energy spent on a grand mystery or some sense of commentary. So more can go into the characters we’re given to cheer for. We can dive into long-term trauma, the evolving technology that gets used by the killers, society’s obsession with true crime, and even make room for LGBT characters.
And guess what? There’s still plenty of blood, there’s still plenty of heart-pounding thrills, and we still get to see people answer landlines and get asked, “What’s your favorite scary movie?” In its evolution, “Scream” hasn’t forgotten what people were attracted to with these movies; sick, twisted killers; characters who might die at any moment; and terrified banter between murderer and victim.
As corny as it sounds, “Scream VI” reminded me why I love movies, why I so deeply enjoy writing about films. I love sitting in a folddown chair and watching a story with identifiable characters unfold on a giant screen. Getting excited about a protagonist and her friends doing whatever it takes to make it through to the end of the adventure while I’m sitting on the edge of my seat? I’ll take it every day of the week and twice on Sunday. Or at least every weekend.