Review: 'Scream VI' tones down the comedy, ramps up the gore

SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — Scream VI
3 out of 5 Stars
Director: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett
Writers: James Vanderbilt, Guy Busick, Kevin Williamson
Starring: Melissa Barrera, Courteney Cox, Jenna Ortega
Genre: Horror
Rated: R for strong bloody violence and language throughout, and brief drug use

Studio synopsis: Following the latest Ghostface killings, the four survivors leave Woodsboro behind and start a fresh chapter.

Review: When the original “Scream” was released in 1996 I was on something of a sabbatical from horror films. I hadn’t given up on the genre, but I was distracted by other sparkly things in the cinematic universe I wouldn’t see the original trilogy until after all three films were released. I, for the most part, like the films and enjoyed the intelligent way the films poked fun of genre tropes while still utilizing them. By being self-aware, the franchise was able to bring a sense of newness to what was otherwise formulaic.

I really liked 2022’s “Scream,” the fifth installment in the franchise. I thought the mix of legacy and new characters worked incredibly well and the running commentary on contemporary horror fandom was intelligent and incredibly funny.

“Scream VI” takes place the weekend of Halloween, shifts the action to New York City, tones down the comedy, and ramps up the violence. Samara Weaving gets the opening spotlight but anyone familiar with the Scream formula (or “Psycho”) knows how her 15-minutes as Laura Crane is going to end. This leads directly into the first of the film’s many red herrings.

All of this happens before we see Tara Carpenter (Jenna Ortega) briefly as she makes her way to a costume party and sit in on a particularly strange therapy session with her sister Sam Carpenter (Melissa Barrera) who provides a quick recap of “Scream” 2022 for those who may not remember (or never saw) it.

Tara is hellbent on ignoring the past. Sam is consumed by it. Both are joined in their trauma recovery by “Scream” 2022 survivors Mindy and Chad Meeks-Martin (Jasmin Savoy Brown, Mason Gooding) who have also relocated to New York City.

More legacy characters (expected and a surprise) and handful of new faces are introduced as fresh Ghostface murders hit the news. Blood and guts abound as the body count grows.

Diehard gorehounds will probably be perfectly satisfied with the considerable and frequent carnage, but the wit that defined the franchise’s best moments is notably absent from most of the narrative. The film gains a bit of swagger in the last act, but it arrives too late to really impact this chapter (assumption always being that a sequel is in the works).

There’s a section of the film that takes place on a subway train that is a bit of fun as every passenger is dressed up like the featured villains from variety of big and small horror franchises. But it’s something of a distraction, rather than a moment that really propels the story forward.

I prefer “Scream VI” to “Halloween Kills” and “Halloween Ends,” but it pales in comparison to 2022’s “Scream” or the original trilogy that came before it. It does suggest a new direction that may or may not infuse the franchise with a new sense of purpose.