Four survivors of the Ghostface murders leave Woodsboro behind for a fresh start in New York City. However, they soon find themselves fighting for their lives when a new killer embarks on a bloody rampage.
Ghostface has been synonymous with slashers for nearly three decades now. Alongside Halloween's Michael Myers, A Nightmare on Elm Street's Freddy Kreuger, and Friday the 13th's Jason Voorhes, Ghostface has been symbolic in its popularity (kudos is also owed to Scary Movie for increasing its mainstream appeal).
As popular as the franchise is, I was struck with the realisation that I never saw the original Scream when it came out due to my age. In fact, I was too young to watch any of the films in a cinema until Scream 4 came along. The point is, that having missed the critical point of joining the fandom, I am now sitting in the cinema watching Scream VI, potentially having only pop culture references and parodies as my knowledge foundation of the Scream franchise.
What is incredibly handy, therefore, is that Scream VI is overwhelmingly meta. It takes only the opening scenes of the film to establish that not only is the audience in for two hours of extreme violence and killings, but it explains that the franchise of films is linked in a rich tapestry of lore and history. That is the real distinction that needs to be made with the "Stab Universe"; everything is canon, the movies are all a continuation of the same story, and characters are present in multiple films (even after their demise).
This isn't a random group of people; everything is connected, motives are involved, and anyone could be the killer. It helps to build intrigue and suspense and keeps the audience locked onto the film, cataloguing every interaction, every appearance (or non-appearance), every minute piece of information, in the hopes of not only determining who is responsible for the killing spree this time, but how they fit into the lore, and what their motives are.
Film series with a lot of lore are often weighed down by their own lore. As the series progresses, it gets harder and harder for new viewers to get initiated into the series without having to watch every preceding film beforehand. Scream VI uses its own self-awareness as a method of not only lightening the mood but a more organic method of explaining the lore to newcomers. Even without having seen the preceding films, it is abundantly clear which characters are returning characters, and what aspects of the history are important, whilst moving the film forward in its goal of throwing as many red herrings and elements of misdirection as possible to keep the audience questioning what is relevant.
Unlike many other franchises that rely on darkness and shadows for the film to create tension, Scream doesn't need to rely on this. The tension comes from not knowing who to protect, or who to trust. This means the film can still bring mystery and a thriller atmosphere during daylight scenes, which gives the film a more youthful and vibrant viewing experience.
Where the film struggles, is maintaining the balance of pace. The film jumps from extensive pulse-pounding "fight or flight" scenes and then relies on nostalgia and recognisable faces and scenarios to get the audience through the slower lore discussion scenes. It does well to not over-encumber the unfamiliar audience members, but this high-intensity interval training pacing method starts to wear thin, and garners diminishing returns after 90 minutes.
Scream VI will have the audience wanting to yell "Don't do that!" at the screen in frustration far more often than it should, but it manages to limp over the finish line with a reasonably satisfying reveal. It plays on the known tropes in both predictable and unpredictable ways, it provides limited and unnecessary "character development", and I don't think I'll ever need to see it again.
But did I enjoy the film? All in all, I can say I was entertained.
Scream VI is in cinemas from March 9th, 2023