There’s an intriguing idea and an incredible sequence in Scream VI—which is just enough to justify this follow-up to 2022’s Scream (which itself was just clever enough to justify reheating the series 11 years after Scream 4). The idea? That Sam (Melissa Barrera)—survivor of the slaughter in the 2022 film, where she was targeted because she was the unfortunate daughter of the killer in the original Scream)—has developed a bit of bloodlust in the wake of her trauma. The sequence? Scream VI is set in New York City around Halloween, which allows returning directors Matt Bettillini-Olpin and Tyler Gillett the opportunity to one-up Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan and stage a scene in which Sam and her friends, knowing that someone in Ghostface getup is pursuing them, get stuck in a crowded subway car full of revelers in masks of all kinds—Ghostfaces, yes, but also (in keeping with the series’ continual references to the horror genre) Jasons, Michaels, Pinheads, and, in one corner, a Babadook. Employing flickering lights, careful blocking, and insidious physical acting on the parts of the various mask-wearers, the filmmakers turn it into a top-notch suspense segment that sets a standard most of the rest of the film can’t match (especially during the climax, which not only involves unimaginative staging but a comical amount of switcheroos). Aside from Barrera, this also stars Jenna Ortega, returning as Sam’s half-sister; Courtney Cox, representing the legacy characters; Hayden Panettiere, last seen in Scream 4; and Dermot Mulroney, as the new detective on the case.
(3/8/2023)
