The opening kill of a Scream movie always gives us a taste of its distinct meta-commentary and the tone of the rest of the film. In the 1996 original, we were introduced to the horror-film-obsessed Ghostface for the first time. Scream 2 took meta to a new level with its first kill taking place in a theater showing Stab, a movie within the Scream-verse. In Scream VI, directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett (the late Wes Craven’s successors) bring us 3,000 miles away from Woodsboro to New York where a film professor specializing in 20th century horror becomes the next victim of a slasher film come to life. However, as is the very nature of the franchise, there are rules to be broken and new motives to be discovered. A sequel to last year’s Scream, the latest addition still maintains elements from the original four films.
The template for this franchise is a paradox: it breaks the rules to its own formula. The opening sequence serves as a form of misdirection, to remind fans that this shouldn’t be treated as a 20th century slasher. This sixth installment plays it smart, with an inside look at the behavior of the killer(s) and with kills that are fresher and more intricate. But the most obvious change is that the final girl of all final girls, Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell), is no longer part of Ghostface’s target group. With a new cast and a new generation of players in a serial killer’s game comes a newfound knowledge of horror film lore that helps guide them through this bloody whodunnit.
Mindy Meeks (Jasmin Savoy Brown) explains it best – that they’re trapped in a sequel to a “requel” directed, in theory, by the killer. Jenna Ortega reprises her role as Tara Carpenter, but she is in no way a new Sidney Prescott, though she does prove to earn her role as an emerging scream queen for new fans of horror. The new cast is connected to the original both by blood relation and their proximity to Woodsboro, but even then, there is more of a fluidity of traits taken from the archetypes of the OG friend group.
Just like the previous films, it’s essential to pay homage to the rest of its canon. Considered a sequel, there are tons of references to Scream 2 through setting, rules and themes. Tara’s new start in college mirrors Sidney’s college experience, though not in a suburban college town. Mindy and Chad (Mason Gooding), niece and nephew of Randy Meeks (Jamie Kennedy), the original resident film expert, bring back and honor the memory of one of the most beloved characters, and are very conscious of the parallels to their uncle’s fateful year at Windsor College. While still an inventive gore-fest, there are also a lot of playful nods to the humor that makes Scream feel so multi-layered and alive. The balance of satirized horror and humor blend together to make the suspense come in waves and the gore feel heavily contrasted and most importantly, merciless. There’s also a sense of unity that echoes throughout Scream VI that’s also critical to the heart of the franchise. As if Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett’s sequel couldn’t be more of a love letter to Wes Craven’s work, Kirby Reed (Hayden Panettiere) returns after her last appearance in the fourth film. Gale Weathers (Courtney Cox) is the remaining original character, but the personality of Scream is well preserved.
So what does this latest chapter mean for the current state of horror? Like most slashers, there is often a cultural commentary on the way violence and fear presents itself both in film and real life. A heightened sense of vulnerability is reflected in the collective fear of Tara’s friend group, and being placed in the most densely populated city in America definitely doesn’t help. In fact, the sheer density of people surrounding them actually makes it easier for Ghostface to camouflage themself in a college party, a crowded subway or the local bodega. The new location contrasts the previous idea that one could be safe from harm if out in public, and this is both another rule that is broken and an unfortunate reality for contemporary society.
Scream VI feels like a good place to let its cycle come to an end. There isn’t the same ambiguity in its ending as the other sequels, and with Sidney finally ready to move on from her past it would be appropriate to finally put the formula to bed. Sam (Melissa Barrera) is able to make peace with her connection to the original killers, and leaves us with a true sense of relief – the final exhale. The newest addition to the satirical horror universe Wes Craven created breathes youthfulness back into its core, but undoubtedly and candidly respects what he’d created nearly three decades ago. And who knows? Maybe Scream will be the slasher to outlive us all.
Photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures
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