SCREAM VI

US, 2023, 123 minutes, Colour.

Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Courtney Cox, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Mason Gooding, Dermot Mulroney, Jack Champion, Josh Segarra, Liana Liberato, Devyn Nekoda, Hayden Panettierre, Tony Revelori, Samara Weaving, Henry Czerny.

Directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett.

The fact that we now have Scream VI testifies to the longevity and effectiveness of the franchise. Fans are still devoted, new fans attracted. The original Scream was released in 1996.

Response to the first five films has been varied, from acclamation to disappointment. Disappointment will not be the response to this particular addition. The scenario is well written. The conventions of the franchise all incorporated, some variations on the theme. The action takes place only a year after what we saw in the previous Scream, incorporating some of the central characters (who survived) and memories of those who did not.

The film sets a tone, tantalisingly, in its opening, focusing on an associate professor of film studies, specialising in horror, waiting in a bar for a friend, who phones, lures her out of the bar into a dark alley (and those in the know are remembering that a previous film did something similar targeting Drew Barrymore). But, this time the slashing Ghost Face is unmasked, and is followed home, checking with his roommate, both students of horror films, only to find that… (The hapless professor is played by Samara Weaving, with her Australian accent.)

And then we move on to the core of the franchise, the two sisters who survived last time, Sam (Melissa Barrera) and Tara (Jenna Ortega) with their friends Chad and Mindi, still fearful, Sam trying to protect her younger sister who wants to be independent. And there are their roommates, Quinn and Ethan.

As might be expected, and what fans hope for, there are various attacks by Ghost Face, that ominous mask with its open mouth, literal jaw drop, the cowl and cloak adding to the sinister presence. But, this time they are helped by the father of Quinn, a detective, played by Dermot Mulroney.

There are plenty of scary slashing is (which some audiences might find too much), but the screenplay keeps going, sometimes with some humour, but some tense moments when the sisters have to climb across a horizontal ladder between two tall buildings, when the group travel in the New York subway at Halloween when almost everybody is disguised with masks, several of them sinister Ghost Face.

And, for the old-timers, there is Courtney Cox again as Gale Weathers, the sisters resenting her book, but her helping in the investigations, especially finding an extraordinary abandoned cinema which is full of memorabilia from the franchise. And, there is Kirby, Hayden Panerttiere, from the last film, FBI agent.

One of the factors is the screenplay referencing itself and the franchise as well as horror film conventions, Mindi, something of an expert, elaborating how the sequel should go and what to expect. She does make a point about what Ghost Face should be like this time and, if you have listened carefully, you will not be surprised to find who Ghost Face Is, though you will be to surprised at all the connections with the previous film as well as climaxes in that franchise memorial cinema.

But, having solved everything and tied up loose ends, where could Scream VII go?

1. The popularity of the franchise, over many decades? Reasons for popularity? The mask, the killers, slasher movies, the victims?
2. This film following immediately on the events of the previous fifth episode, the killings, the characters, motivations?
3. The New York setting, the city, College, bars and diners, apartments, the theatre museum for the franchise? The streets, the importance of the sequences on the subway? The musical score?
4. The “In” dialogue, discussions about the franchise, the initial discussion with the associate professor, her courses on horror films, the conventions of horror films, favourites? Mindi and her speeches about the conventions of the horror film, sequels, how characters change, those who have legacy of characters and their appearance and disappearance, and Ghost Face being the opposite – giving enough indications for astute viewers to know who really was the killer?
5. The slasher aspects, killings, too gruesome for some audiences? Conventions of the slasher thriller? (And the effect for those watching the 3-D version?)
6. The prologue, echoing the previous film with Drew Barrymore, a seeming central character, Samara Weaving and her reputation, associate professor, in the bar, the phone call, the charming caller, getting her out of the diner, into the narrow lane, the change of voice, the attack and her death? The revelation of Jason, his motivation, in the class, his assignment, sharing the room with Greg, returning home, Greg’s absence, the phone call, tantalising Jason, the repetition of the method, hot and cold in the search, the fridge, Greg in the fridge, the killing of Jason?
7. The return to Sam and Tara, audience awareness of their family, the Loomis family, their father as killer? The previous film, college, the friends, Mindi and Chad? The murders, the revelation of the murderer is, working together? The aftermath, Tara and the reuniting with Sam, Sam as protective, over-protective, Tara, the party, ready to go off upstairs, Sam coming to rescue her, Chad and his defence? Tara and her reactions?
8. Quinn, sexual relationships, sharing the apartment, putting her foot in it, her father in the police?
9. The expected conventions of the screen franchise, and continual reference to the franchise and to the Stab movies? Gale Weathers coming back in, her writing the book, antagonism by the sisters, Tara punching her, the clash with Kirby, her discovering the theatre, their all visiting the theatre, all the mementos and memorabilia of the franchise? The weirdness of the converted theatre?
10. Detective Bailey, Quinn has his daughter, his coming in on the investigations, dismissed from the investigation, yet his continuing, his deadly motivation for revenge? The interactions with Sam and Tara?
11. Sam and Tara, the deaths, bringing them closer together, Sam and Danny, his apartment across the way, their meeting, the importance of the ladder across between buildings and their attempts at escape? His warning Sam not to trust anyone? Not allowed into the theatre? Yet his arriving with the police?
12. The attack on the house, Quinn and her death, her father’s reaction in grief? Ethan, sharing the room, initial accusations, his seeming innocent, and his alibi with his study meeting?
13. The phone call, the threats, Gale, the sequence of the attack on her, her boyfriend, the apartment, Ghost Face getting in, her fighting back, the various escapes, the knives, her being wounded, his escape, Sam and Tara rescuing her, going to hospital? Defining Ghost Face?
14. The absence of Sydney, her presence in the previous films, her being referred to verbally?
15. The decision of the group to go into hiding, on the subway, fears and threats, Mindi, her having been wounded in the initial attack, on the subway with Ethan, cut off from the others? Mindi and her relationship with Anika, Anika trying to escape across the ladder, her death? Falling from the ladder? The attack on Mindi in the subway? The hospital?
16. Going to the theatre, eerie, the presence of Ghost Face, the several people wearing the mask? The attacks, slashing, Chad wounded? The two sisters, fighting back, Tara hanging, Sam letting her go be giving the knife? Sam and her being haunted by her father’s appearance and comments?
17. The unmasking, Ethan and his malice, Quinn and her attacks, the motivation of Bailey? The true story of the theatre, Henry, the previous killer, his obsession with the franchise, the collectibles, the theatre, his own film showing? Henry as Bailey’s son, and the brother of Quinn and Ethan? Motivation?
18. Kirby, her presence, wounded in the past, her obsession, not with the FBI, rivalry with Gale? The sisters suspicious of her? Her coming to save the day?
19. This is to say, truly bonded, the memories of the past, facing the future, Danny and Sam, Tara and Chad, Gale recovering – and where can the franchise go now?