Mar 9

Mar 9 FILM REVIEW: "SCREAM VI" is a bloody good time

Eyes sealed behind my fingers; I could not help but see the mangled corpse dangling from the garage door. Ever since I had accidentally witnessed the scene whilst wandering past a friends siblings slumber party, my nightmares had been plagued by hooded figures and dangling corpses. At the ripe age of twelve I decided to face my fears and watch Scream. There began my long-winded love for horror, and so, the Scream franchise became very near and dear.

Horror is a weak link in cinema, almost entirely disregarded by the Academy, though its iconography is second to none. Twenty-four years since Drew Barrymore’s fateful phone call, the Ghostface killer is still prevalent under Jack-O-Lantern flame, sitting proudly amongst Jason Voorhee’s Hockey Mask and Michael Myer’s emotionless face, though boasting a superior quality per quantity.

After fleeing Ghostface’s killing field, Woodsboro, the survivors of the previous instalment find themselves once again at knifes edge. Fighting for their lives through the streets of New York against a deranged masked killer who’s hellbent on finishing what their predecessor started.

Where Jason Takes Manhattan falls, Scream IV thrives. It is a welcome addition to the series, floating safely in the upper-middle of the franchise’s best outings, offering plenty of guts, glory, and a unique change of scenery. There’s plenty to enjoy so long as you can forgive the begrudging thought of Ghostface hanging out in a closet for four hours before taking a swipe, or various mortal wounds proving superficial due to plot necessity. Scream 6 features some of the franchise’s best white-knuckle moments, a high-tension tightrope walk and a flickering train light are particular highlights. Series original Courtney Cox finally gets her phone call in a tense and shockingly humorous scene. It can’t all be a bloody good time though; a tiresome motive and an unintimidating killer reveal do dampen the final act from reaching the explosive heights of Wes Cravens & Kevin Williamsons original finale flavour.

Matt Bettinelli-Olpin & Tyler Gillett’s direction (Ready or Not) and James Vanderblit (Zodiac) & Guy Buisick’s screenwriting have improved vastly since the last outing. Whereas Scream 5 felt choppy and awkward, there’s greater chemistry, opportunity and soul within this film. Scream queens Jenna Ortega (Wednesday) and Melissa Barrera (In The Heights) put up a good fight against the masked assailant. Mason Gooding (Booksmart) is a highlight, filling the hole wherein former scream king David Arquette thrived. The makeup and hairstyling department deserve praise for creating a more natural and neutral look to the characters, who previously were perfectly pruned even when bloodied and bruised.

Scream VI proves that there’s still plenty of blood flowing in the franchise’s veins, and welcomes new and old fans into the theatre alike. Continuing the franchise into the modern age with thrills, kills and blood spills. Scream 6 is exactly what it should be, and Ghostface remains as frightening a foe as they ever were.