By CJ GRACE
Staff Writer
From the moment it begins, “Scream VI” establishes its exit from Woodsboro in a frighteningly familiar twist on an old favorite: girl answers a wrong number, gets talking too long, looks danger in the face. However, what appears to be nothing more than an urban update to a 27 year old formula instead appears to follow our Ghostface in close quarters, bringing the spotlight into their perspective before, again, turning that on its head. This opening sequence, as has always been the case for Wes Craven’s legacy franchise, is the thesis of the rest of the movie: you’ll never know what’s coming.
In this follow up to last year’s sequel, “Scream,” the character group known as the Core Four relocate to New York, with lead Sam Carpenter playing guardian as the other three attend college. While still focusing on Sam as the heir to her father Billy’s violent legacy, the rest of the group is afforded their first chance to grow and evolve, with Jasmin Savoy Brown’s Mindy becoming a full-fledged counterpart to her Uncle Randy as the film savvy meta-chorus; and the now fully fledged scream queen Jenna Ortega riding the wave of momentum provided by “Wednesday” to step into her own after a less prominent appearance in the previous outing. Additionally, the face behind the Ghostface mask, whoever that may be, hides in plain sight with a brilliant performance that both catches the viewer off-guard and perfectly delivers on the suspense of anonymity.
The film’s New York setting is not the first metropolitan outing in this franchise, with Scream 3 notably entering Hollywood, but this is the first film in the series to fully make use of its fresh, unsullied environment. Even in an area as expansive as New York, Ghostface attacks feel claustrophobic and trapping, forcing characters in direct, close quarters with the possibility of death at every moment. While the greater region mostly provides a gothic, Gotham-y environment as a backdrop for the traditional suspect roundup or social critique, the directing team brilliantly utilize set pieces such as a pair of subway cars to shrink the expansive aura that comes with leaving Woodsboro behind.
As a larger part of the franchise, “Scream VI” is responsible for a number of firsts, even at this late stage in the series. Despite taking cues from the second movie’s college setting, as well as the third’s transfer of locales, it establishes itself as entirely individual, limiting its cinematic commentary in favor of lore-building and allowing Ghostface to experiment with different weaponry and tactics. On its face, this is more an escalation to last year’s edition than a direct sequel, amping up the violence, the tension, and the sense of fear. But if this is the path that the franchise is bound to take, then audiences will likely be waiting with bated breath for a seventh outing with the Ghostface Killer.
