Scream VI
In Manhattan no one cares if you scream….
Scream VI knows it’s ridiculous. Here, its spokesperson is Mindy Meeks-Martin (Jasmin Savoy Brown) who explains to her friends (and fellow survivors) that “nobody just makes sequels anymore.” She then explains the rules of the franchise, warning them (and us) that even “legacy characters are disposable.” Gulp. We could have done with more of Mindy, who is not only lesbian but the first mixed heritage lesbian in the series, a novelty she might have commented on with some skill. Mindy also explains that the sequels come with bigger budgets and bigger body counts, something Scream VI pays special attention to. At least, its budget is bigger than that of the 2022 Scream (not to be confused with the 1996 Scream), if not Scream 4, and here the body count is awesome.
Less awesome is the dialogue and the characters who bear little resemblance to real human beings. They’re all horror film aficionados, which is ironic, although their taste in the genre is limited. In the last film, Scream (don’t snigger), Tara Carpenter (Jenna Ortega) cited the Australian The Babadook as a great example of horror, but here it’s the same old same old. It may reflect the limited outlook of the scriptwriters James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick, who seem unaware of the vast treasure trove of horror from France, Spain, Japan and South Korea. To shake things up, they move the action from California to New York City, which brings a certain freshness to the proceedings, even if the film was shot in Montreal. The scenes of slaughter do possess a greater suspense, although once the new Ghostface proves just as indestructible as the old ones, it’s hard to really care. What Scream VI lacks is an iota of plausibility, so that the characters are just as disposable as they always were: and yet many still display an astonishing resilience to their injuries.
For those who care, Scream VI carries an 18 certificate, which seems odd as it’s not really any nastier than many a 15-horror film (which can be really gruesome). And don’t forget – as it keeps on reminding us – it’s just a movie.
JAMES CAMERON-WILSON
Cast: Melissa Barrera, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Jack Champion, Henry Czerny, Mason Gooding, Roger L. Jackson (voice only), Liana Liberato, Dermot Mulroney, Devyn Nekoda, Jenna Ortega, Tony Revolori, Josh Segarra, Skeet Ulrich, Samara Weaving, Hayden Panettiere, Courteney Cox, Andre Anthony.
Dir Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, Pro William Sherak, James Vanderbilt and Paul Neinstein, Screenplay James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick, Ph Brett Jutkiewicz, Pro Des Michele Laliberte, Ed Jay Prychidny, Music Brian Tyler and Sven Faulconer, Costumes Avery Plewes, Sound Peter Staubli and D. Chris Smith.
Spyglass Media Group/Project X Entertainment/Radio Silence Productions-Paramount Pictures.
122 mins. USA/Canada. 2023. UK and US Rel: 10 March 2023. Cert. 18.
