Scream VI moved far away from Woodsboro and into New York City, which really opened up the world in many ways. Yes, Scream 3 took place in Los Angeles, but even then it still had a "You can take the movie out of Woodsboro but can't take Woodsboro out of the movie" vibe with it, likely because Wes Craven remained in the director's chair. With Scream (2022) being directed by new folks, you felt the aesthetic difference but it still had Woodsboro as one of the stars, so now removing it also displaces that attachment we had for so long.
This movie is also completely absent of Sidney and Dewey, though it had Gale Weathers in spades. I know that Neve Campbell was out for contract negotiation purposes, but kind of like Creed III and the Rocky character I believe that peppering her in for the sake of it would've taken away from the two-hour film that they wrote in the first place, adding her just because they could. Money aside, it's perhaps the only way that fans weren't serviced this time around, and for that I say fine. I do expect her to return for the next film though, especially if it ends up being the final film.
The meta commentary this time around is about movie franchises, and one aspect of that includes subverting expectations. While watching it I didn't think they did this a lot, but upon my reflection I realized they kind of did it in one big way where perhaps one could fault the movie for it until they realize that was the subversion all along. There is a bit of an incompleteness to this aspect though, and I'll reserve judgment as to whether it was a good or bad decision for when the seventh film will come around. A lot of the rules sounded a bit like a mesh of what Scream 2 and 3 offered though, and a lot of Scream VI had narrative feels to Scream 2, which absolutely makes sense being the sequel to the requel. Since Scream 2 is my favorite of the franchise, I wasn't mad.
There was also something introduced in Scream (2022) which was fresh, neat, and worth developing for anything that comes afterward. It is a majorly explored theme in this movie and I'm glad that they did not shy away from it, but I do not think it developed too much. This is where the ambition seems to be more in practice rather than execution, kind of like a dunk contest where you know the athlete has the ability to do that big one with the potential chance of failure it but plays safe for now with some other cool flashy dunks. Because there are more sequels along the way and I don't know if it will land if they go for it, I'm just glad that they didn't abandon it and will give them the benefit of the doubt for putting it on reservation.
The Scream films have a lot of things going for them in the entertainment department including kills, comedy, and mystery that is shrouded up until its reveal as you play guessing games the entire time. As far as kills go, many are great but many don't linger too long. There isn't necessarily a problem with any character being safe (as one of the rules states), but I think people will find a line where what used to be mortal wounds may not be the case anymore, and this movie can tiptoe that line if not cross it. Even still, they are unflinching in who they want to kill and/or how, and I am all for it. I think this movie had an overall very serious tone, but when sprinkling comedic relief it worked quite well. I tend to laugh more than other audience members though and this was no exception, but the writers know how to engage us at the right time and remind us that we are in the Scream universe.
As far as the mystery goes, just remember that it is one thing to guess who it is, and another to nail the motive, or at least piece together how Radio Silence left clues leading up to the reveal. Clearly anybody shown on screen beforehand is a suspect so if you point a finger at the right time then you have a shot, but I don't think you get all of the credit unless you can get the other two parts. Even though I had a light suspicion confirmed because of what led up to it, enough was thrown at me otherwise to get off the trail and forget my earlier curiosities, and I absolutely did not line up the motive until it was revealed (looking back I probably shouldn't have missed it). It certainly wasn't my favorite reveal of the six films initially, but the motive helped alleviate things to say that it worked better for me than Scream (2022).
I mentioned that this movie is separated from the other films by not having its main character or location, so how did they fill that two-hour runtime? With the core four (their term, not mine) of Sam, Tara, Mindy, and Chad from the previous film, and although I haven't re-read my review I know that one problem I had with that movie was that I led myself to believe Tara (Jenna Ortega) was going to be the star until they literally said out loud that it was Sam (Melissa Barrera), and I found Tara way more interesting than Sam in the movie so it felt a little disjointed. It seems that I am not alone in this matter. Now that Ortega is basically the new "it" girl replacing Anya Taylor-Joy or Florence Pugh in some respects, it would have been a shame for all audiences if she didn't get more screen time and things to do, but it would've been a slap in the face to rewrite their lead and throw Sam under the bus meanwhile. What they decided to do was excellent: developed Sam to be much more interesting and brought Tara alongside her for equal billing. Everybody wins, and I like Sam much more than I did in the last film.
Chad and Mindy also seemed to earn that core four status and are hopefuls to survive when watching this. Many new characters felt expendable without too much struggle, so with that I'm leaning on not introducing too many in the next movie with some they can choose from who survived this time (which of course includes bringing back Sidney). I have thoughts on where they can go with it, but I'll let them choose and I'll be open to any creative decisions. This franchise could have gone stale a long time ago (and for many it already has), but I like what they throw into the mix when I know I couldn't do any better, so I have to give them credit for that.
Chase scenes were brought back. That is a very general term though, as I don't just mean running away from Ghostface in the heat of the moment. I mean a set piece that is introduced, lingers, and with the combination of a slow-burn pursuit or a phone call against the fantastic Roger L. Jackson GF voice, takes its time for a kill to happen or be eluded. I certainly can name two scenes that I would've edited down for time and unfortunately they are in these chase scenes, but only by a minute at most. Going long the other way in response to not really having any of this in the last movie almost seemed appropriate, and it is a staple in the franchise that badly needed to return.
For better or worse, Scream VI falls victim to a lot of fan service, and I am referring to the Reddit crowd. Sometimes it is by giving them what they have asked for, and sometimes it is by actually responding to criticisms or theories, perhaps even by confirming/debunking them in dialogue. The trailer (which I did not watch beforehand) shows some of the fanfiction upfront, and of course the great thing about a franchise like this is that it has a meta commentary of the characters being fans of their own Stab movie franchise so it doesn't feel out of place. Even still, it is not something you would have seen penned by Kevin Williamson or shot by Wes Craven, so if you align Scream (1996) with this movie there is a massive disparity in its evolution, or devolution as some would put it. If Scream wasn't so self-aware this would definitely be a movie that has jumped the shark at this point. I get why they can do it here and even without watching the trailer I buy it, but much of it still feels like fanfiction.
I think the servicing, subversions, reveal, and omission of Sidney are the four biggest negatives moviegoers will bring up about this movie, or at least those who like the previous films and have an expectation for liking this one. I rank Scream VI high up the list after a first-time viewing, very much nearing the first film. I do think I have to see what the next sequel does to cement its ranking better (currently 2, 1, 6, 5, 4, 3) because there are parts here and there that are not yet complete from a storytelling perspective, but this was a good time at the theater and I will be seeing it again before it hits UHD. The horror genre is alive and well, this franchise thrives in the slasher subgenre and continues picking up momentum, and whether you love or hate it I think you can respect its existence as a recognizable IP that can keep strong for six films (and a TV series) where most everybody will pine for #7. The best part is they have the hottest name in the world right now, I believe they have a clear direction on where they want to go, and outside of negotiating with Campbell they can get the next one out cheaply and quickly. Bring it.
This movie is also completely absent of Sidney and Dewey, though it had Gale Weathers in spades. I know that Neve Campbell was out for contract negotiation purposes, but kind of like Creed III and the Rocky character I believe that peppering her in for the sake of it would've taken away from the two-hour film that they wrote in the first place, adding her just because they could. Money aside, it's perhaps the only way that fans weren't serviced this time around, and for that I say fine. I do expect her to return for the next film though, especially if it ends up being the final film.
The meta commentary this time around is about movie franchises, and one aspect of that includes subverting expectations. While watching it I didn't think they did this a lot, but upon my reflection I realized they kind of did it in one big way where perhaps one could fault the movie for it until they realize that was the subversion all along. There is a bit of an incompleteness to this aspect though, and I'll reserve judgment as to whether it was a good or bad decision for when the seventh film will come around. A lot of the rules sounded a bit like a mesh of what Scream 2 and 3 offered though, and a lot of Scream VI had narrative feels to Scream 2, which absolutely makes sense being the sequel to the requel. Since Scream 2 is my favorite of the franchise, I wasn't mad.
There was also something introduced in Scream (2022) which was fresh, neat, and worth developing for anything that comes afterward. It is a majorly explored theme in this movie and I'm glad that they did not shy away from it, but I do not think it developed too much. This is where the ambition seems to be more in practice rather than execution, kind of like a dunk contest where you know the athlete has the ability to do that big one with the potential chance of failure it but plays safe for now with some other cool flashy dunks. Because there are more sequels along the way and I don't know if it will land if they go for it, I'm just glad that they didn't abandon it and will give them the benefit of the doubt for putting it on reservation.
The Scream films have a lot of things going for them in the entertainment department including kills, comedy, and mystery that is shrouded up until its reveal as you play guessing games the entire time. As far as kills go, many are great but many don't linger too long. There isn't necessarily a problem with any character being safe (as one of the rules states), but I think people will find a line where what used to be mortal wounds may not be the case anymore, and this movie can tiptoe that line if not cross it. Even still, they are unflinching in who they want to kill and/or how, and I am all for it. I think this movie had an overall very serious tone, but when sprinkling comedic relief it worked quite well. I tend to laugh more than other audience members though and this was no exception, but the writers know how to engage us at the right time and remind us that we are in the Scream universe.
As far as the mystery goes, just remember that it is one thing to guess who it is, and another to nail the motive, or at least piece together how Radio Silence left clues leading up to the reveal. Clearly anybody shown on screen beforehand is a suspect so if you point a finger at the right time then you have a shot, but I don't think you get all of the credit unless you can get the other two parts. Even though I had a light suspicion confirmed because of what led up to it, enough was thrown at me otherwise to get off the trail and forget my earlier curiosities, and I absolutely did not line up the motive until it was revealed (looking back I probably shouldn't have missed it). It certainly wasn't my favorite reveal of the six films initially, but the motive helped alleviate things to say that it worked better for me than Scream (2022).
I mentioned that this movie is separated from the other films by not having its main character or location, so how did they fill that two-hour runtime? With the core four (their term, not mine) of Sam, Tara, Mindy, and Chad from the previous film, and although I haven't re-read my review I know that one problem I had with that movie was that I led myself to believe Tara (Jenna Ortega) was going to be the star until they literally said out loud that it was Sam (Melissa Barrera), and I found Tara way more interesting than Sam in the movie so it felt a little disjointed. It seems that I am not alone in this matter. Now that Ortega is basically the new "it" girl replacing Anya Taylor-Joy or Florence Pugh in some respects, it would have been a shame for all audiences if she didn't get more screen time and things to do, but it would've been a slap in the face to rewrite their lead and throw Sam under the bus meanwhile. What they decided to do was excellent: developed Sam to be much more interesting and brought Tara alongside her for equal billing. Everybody wins, and I like Sam much more than I did in the last film.
Chad and Mindy also seemed to earn that core four status and are hopefuls to survive when watching this. Many new characters felt expendable without too much struggle, so with that I'm leaning on not introducing too many in the next movie with some they can choose from who survived this time (which of course includes bringing back Sidney). I have thoughts on where they can go with it, but I'll let them choose and I'll be open to any creative decisions. This franchise could have gone stale a long time ago (and for many it already has), but I like what they throw into the mix when I know I couldn't do any better, so I have to give them credit for that.
Chase scenes were brought back. That is a very general term though, as I don't just mean running away from Ghostface in the heat of the moment. I mean a set piece that is introduced, lingers, and with the combination of a slow-burn pursuit or a phone call against the fantastic Roger L. Jackson GF voice, takes its time for a kill to happen or be eluded. I certainly can name two scenes that I would've edited down for time and unfortunately they are in these chase scenes, but only by a minute at most. Going long the other way in response to not really having any of this in the last movie almost seemed appropriate, and it is a staple in the franchise that badly needed to return.
For better or worse, Scream VI falls victim to a lot of fan service, and I am referring to the Reddit crowd. Sometimes it is by giving them what they have asked for, and sometimes it is by actually responding to criticisms or theories, perhaps even by confirming/debunking them in dialogue. The trailer (which I did not watch beforehand) shows some of the fanfiction upfront, and of course the great thing about a franchise like this is that it has a meta commentary of the characters being fans of their own Stab movie franchise so it doesn't feel out of place. Even still, it is not something you would have seen penned by Kevin Williamson or shot by Wes Craven, so if you align Scream (1996) with this movie there is a massive disparity in its evolution, or devolution as some would put it. If Scream wasn't so self-aware this would definitely be a movie that has jumped the shark at this point. I get why they can do it here and even without watching the trailer I buy it, but much of it still feels like fanfiction.
I think the servicing, subversions, reveal, and omission of Sidney are the four biggest negatives moviegoers will bring up about this movie, or at least those who like the previous films and have an expectation for liking this one. I rank Scream VI high up the list after a first-time viewing, very much nearing the first film. I do think I have to see what the next sequel does to cement its ranking better (currently 2, 1, 6, 5, 4, 3) because there are parts here and there that are not yet complete from a storytelling perspective, but this was a good time at the theater and I will be seeing it again before it hits UHD. The horror genre is alive and well, this franchise thrives in the slasher subgenre and continues picking up momentum, and whether you love or hate it I think you can respect its existence as a recognizable IP that can keep strong for six films (and a TV series) where most everybody will pine for #7. The best part is they have the hottest name in the world right now, I believe they have a clear direction on where they want to go, and outside of negotiating with Campbell they can get the next one out cheaply and quickly. Bring it.