When “Scream” was first released in theaters in 1996, it was meant to be an almost comedic take on classic slasher films. However, it became an iconic fan-favorite that now has a total of six movies and most likely counting, in its franchise.
Earlier this March, “Scream VI” made its way into theaters – and it was amazing. The original “Scream” made $6.3 million its opening weekend, whereas this newest one made $44.4 million, according to The Numbers.
“Scream VI” proved itself to be very different from its predecessors while still including all the nostalgia. At the beginning of the film, we witness a murder committed by the infamous Ghostface killer, who then takes off their mask immediately, revealing himself to be the character known as Jason Carvey.
This has never happened before in the franchise. The identity of Ghostface is never unveiled until the near end of the movie, keeping audiences guessing throughout the whole film. However, Jason turns out to be a victim of the real killer, bringing us right back to the typical “whodunit” feel.
I saw the movie with a friend, and we found ourselves physically cringing and covering our eyes during the killings. There was no lack of blood or gore. We were also continuously turning to one another, saying “It’s definitely her,” and “No, it’s 100% him.” The twists and turns made the guessing game so much fun.
When the movie has a cast that consists of beloved actresses and actors like Jenna Ortega, Samara Weaving, Courtney Cox and Dermot Mulroney, it is arguably bound to be good. Cox has been in the franchise since the very first movie, never missing one. It is honestly refreshing to see some of the same characters and how their lives have been altered over the years due to Ghostface.
Although Cox returned as journalist and reporter Gale Weathers, “Scream VI” was the first movie to not include the legendary Sidney Prescott, played by Neve Campbell. While I do wish we saw her, as she is the main focus of pretty much every other movie, I understand that at some point the franchise has to move on and there needs to be a different final girl.
The new final girl is Sam Carpenter, played by Melissa Barrera. Sam is the daughter of Billy Loomis, the very first Ghostface killer. She is a packed character, dealing with the struggle of having a famous serial killer for a father while having to kill people to survive. Her character is extremely interesting to watch.
I love the not-so-subtle horror movie details in the franchise too, like Billy’s last name being Loomis and Sam’s being Carpenter, both of which are popular in the “Halloween” franchise. Loomis is the last name of one of the protagonists, and Carpenter is the last name of the original director. It keeps up the feel of the movie originally being made to make fun of slashers – and who better to make fun of than Michael Myers.
There were a lot of great details like that in the film, including a whole room filled with items from previous movies, or to the characters, the previous killings. It is a whole museum where we see things like the television that killed Stu Macher, partner to Billy Loomis in the first “Scream,” the outfit worn by victim Tatum Riley, the knife that Billy used, every single Ghostface costume and even memorabilia from “Stab,” the movie made within the movie about the killings just to name a few.
The ending reveal of this movie’s Ghostface was actually insane. There has not been such a shocking unmasking in a long time, and everyone in the theater was on the edge of their seats, including myself. I could hear the people around me audibly gasping.
Due to this being such a huge franchise, the expectations for “Scream VI” were quite high, and it did not disappoint. Although I would have liked to see the return of some characters from previous movies, the shock factors within the film and its ability to absolutely captivate the audience are unlike any other.
5/5 Stars
ajones11@ramapo.edu
Featured photo courtesy of @ScreamMovies, Twitter
