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Scream VI
The franchise that just refuses to die goes another round as Ghostface returns in Scream VI, another relentlessly bloody tale based on a 30 year legacy that still manages to blend suspense, the immediate "boo" and that tongue in cheek lambasting of the rules of horror movies that has made this franchise endure.
The 2023 film re-introduces us to the Carpenter sisters, Samantha and Tara, who, after surviving last year's ordeal in Woodsboro have decided to start life over again in Manhattan, of all places, where Tara is trying to forget what happened last year by starting college and Samantha is deep in therapy, but when the news of two more Ghostface murders reach the Carpenter sisters, the realize it's not over.
[IMG]https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/images/ghostface-scream-6-1674137400.jpg?crop=0.641xw:0.961xh;0.255xw,0.0234xh&resize=1200:*[/IMG]
Loved the opening of the film, completely faithful to the franchise, as another beautiful woman is lured to her death by Ghostface, but this time it's a college professor who is teaching a film class about slasher movies, which was a bit hard to swallow, but it was excuse enough for the brutal murder that kicks off the whole show. And once again, breaking the rules of the slasher genre, this wasn't even the real Ghostface in this scene.
The story takes a little too much time getting the Carpenter sisters on the same page but once that happens and another character explains to us what a franchise is, we only have to wait for one more thing...the appearance of one or more legacy characters to remind Samantha and Tara that they have to take what's going on. Not only do we get the return of Gale Weathers (Courtney Cox), but Kirby Reed (Hayden Pennetiere) from Scream IV and Samantha's dad, Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich) from the original 1996 film.
One of the original screenwriters, Kevin Williamson, has returned for this installment and his understanding of the original Scream concept is all over this...the underlying theme of explaining the slasher movie rules to the audience right before breaking them. Everything we have come to expect from this franchise happens here, but not always in the order we think, therein lies the fun of the franchise.
There are suspense, shock, and surprise throughout, even though one plot twist takes way too long to be revealed and explained. Loved when one character learns of the twist and says, "Oh God, did I miss the monologue." The sequence on the ladder between two apartment buildings and the attack on Gale Weathers had this reviewer on the edge of his chair. Loved the scene on the subway too. Just like the previous film, the screenplay could have used some tightening, but fans of the franchise will find what they're looking for here.
The franchise that just refuses to die goes another round as Ghostface returns in Scream VI, another relentlessly bloody tale based on a 30 year legacy that still manages to blend suspense, the immediate "boo" and that tongue in cheek lambasting of the rules of horror movies that has made this franchise endure.
The 2023 film re-introduces us to the Carpenter sisters, Samantha and Tara, who, after surviving last year's ordeal in Woodsboro have decided to start life over again in Manhattan, of all places, where Tara is trying to forget what happened last year by starting college and Samantha is deep in therapy, but when the news of two more Ghostface murders reach the Carpenter sisters, the realize it's not over.
[IMG]https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/images/ghostface-scream-6-1674137400.jpg?crop=0.641xw:0.961xh;0.255xw,0.0234xh&resize=1200:*[/IMG]
Loved the opening of the film, completely faithful to the franchise, as another beautiful woman is lured to her death by Ghostface, but this time it's a college professor who is teaching a film class about slasher movies, which was a bit hard to swallow, but it was excuse enough for the brutal murder that kicks off the whole show. And once again, breaking the rules of the slasher genre, this wasn't even the real Ghostface in this scene.
The story takes a little too much time getting the Carpenter sisters on the same page but once that happens and another character explains to us what a franchise is, we only have to wait for one more thing...the appearance of one or more legacy characters to remind Samantha and Tara that they have to take what's going on. Not only do we get the return of Gale Weathers (Courtney Cox), but Kirby Reed (Hayden Pennetiere) from Scream IV and Samantha's dad, Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich) from the original 1996 film.
One of the original screenwriters, Kevin Williamson, has returned for this installment and his understanding of the original Scream concept is all over this...the underlying theme of explaining the slasher movie rules to the audience right before breaking them. Everything we have come to expect from this franchise happens here, but not always in the order we think, therein lies the fun of the franchise.
There are suspense, shock, and surprise throughout, even though one plot twist takes way too long to be revealed and explained. Loved when one character learns of the twist and says, "Oh God, did I miss the monologue." The sequence on the ladder between two apartment buildings and the attack on Gale Weathers had this reviewer on the edge of his chair. Loved the scene on the subway too. Just like the previous film, the screenplay could have used some tightening, but fans of the franchise will find what they're looking for here.