Newly settled in New York, Sam (Melissa Barrera) and her sister Tara (Jenna Ortega) are once again the prey of Ghostface, who has fun decimating their group of friends.
Exploiting the past for nostalgic purposes. This is the adage of all suites that are often disguised as remakes. But unlike Star Wars, Jurassic World and others ghostbusters, Scream assumes complete responsibility in its way of looting its own heritage.
After a more or less satisfactory fifth episode which played it too meta in its way of paying homage to the original film, the sixth volume offers a variation of scream 2, arguably the best of the series. The action is moved to the Big Apple (but we easily recognize Montreal) and the murder scenes turn out to be more violent than ever. There is however nothing to destabilize the amateurs… or to surprise them beyond measure.
The scenario which seeks so much to thwart the clichés of the genre by manipulating the codes of the franchise is far from fulfilling all its promises. The strings are numerous, the proven recipe and the rare new ideas are very often only pretexts for the issues, such as the troubled origins of the heroine.
The futile pleasure of the game lies rather in all these false leads and these mise en abyme, these monologues on the cinema and these barbaric sequences. It starts with a bang with the sharp introduction. Before culminating in a nightmarish subway getaway. Two rare places where filmmakers Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett (directors of the previous part) finally do something with their staging. It is not Wes Craven who wants.
The traditional mix of tension, horror, and humor works when Ghostface makes its presence felt and fades during more explanatory or sentimental moments. Too bad the final reveal is so far-fetched that it ends up being hilarious. And may the uneven cast focused around the younger generation not allow Courtney Cox and returning Hayden Panettiere (seen in Scream 4) to shine. What we can miss Neve Campbell, absent for salary reasons!
It is especially the fans who will appreciate Scream VIa referential pastiche, empty and entertaining, made to generate sequels.
Indoors
horror suspense
Scream VI
Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett
Starring Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Courtney Cox
2:02 a.m.