Review contains spoilers.
Thankfully falling on the right side of remake-reboot film history last year, the meta horror-slasher franchise Scream showed no signs of bleeding out after a successful return, despite being more than a decade out of the game. A terrific reintroduction to a series defined by its potent mix of horror and comedy with the film's meta-contextual elements giving it the sharp edge we have come to know and love, Scream 5 combined new and old to help move the IP forward in an exciting way, leading us to this: Scream 6, the first entry set outside the fictional town of Woodsboro. Can this latest instalment carve up similar success, or does it send its IP kicking and screaming to the grave?
Attempting to move on from the events of the previous year that put them at the mercy of a new Ghostface, Sam and Tara Carpenter have moved to New York City - but are each processing their trauma in different, and perhaps not too healthy, ways. When a new spate of killings causes a renewed wave of paranoia, and with the killer leaving nods to the past at each crime scene, all Ghostface rules are off and the sisters are left fending for their lives. Starring Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Jasmin Savoy Brown and Mason Gooding, alongside franchise legacy players Courtney Cox and Hayden Panettiere, Scream 6 may be the most brutal one yet.
From the very opening kill, Scream 6 announces itself as something new; a block-busting exercise in terror where all bets are off and the rulebook is out the window. Established no more so than with the well-executed change in location, Scream 6 sets itself apart from its predecessor by evolving the franchise beyond the confines of Woodsboro into the Big Apple.
With the stakes dramatically increased, there's an expansive brutality to the chapter which is captured fantastically by the directing talents of Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin. Hand-in-hand with cinematographer Brett Jutkiewicz, the team deliver some of the finest kills and most stylish set pieces of the entire series to date - Gale's apartment chase and the ladder sequence, in particular, register in the upper echelons of Scream moments. By indulging in the freedom they have earned from a successful passing of the torch, Scream 6 is able to commit to more than a handful of inventive and thrilling moments that brings true excitement and a sense of fun to the instalment, managing to distract from the plot's frustrating tendencies...
Self-awareness is an important factor that has made Scream an enduring series, its playful probing of horror tropes a refreshing tonic in a genre that can quickly feel stale and repetitive - but for Scream 6 to wilfully ignore its own messages of character survival, there's a problem. Every main character has a bloody run-in with Ghostface and, despite early warnings that no life is sacred within the rules of a franchise, all of them live to tell the tale - even those with a few dozen stab wounds. Such a hesitancy to dispatch main characters undermines the all-important meta-contextual levels that have been crucial to the franchise's success while further underwriting the step-up in brutality that renders it meaninglessly - they'll be able to get up and dust themselves off no matter how much blood is lost.
While it is deeply frustrating and ultimately weakens the overall film, it is understandable why the writers are so hesitant to lose these characters - the ensemble is so incredibly solid. Those unimpressed by Barrera in the previous film may change their tune with this most well-rounded and grittier version of Sam, cemented further by the re-established chemistry with on-screen sister Ortega, who continues to be the new Scream's MVP, possessing both an innocence and fire that makes her depiction of Tara such a resonant one. Alongside screen twins Jasmin Savoy Brown and Mason Gooding, whose comedic strengths bring a needed levity to the brutality of this slasher sequel, the core four are indeed a strong bunch.
Likewise, the returning players are fantastic. Courtney Cox makes the most of a reduced runtime with the ever-iconic Gale Weathers; from her always-impressive comedic timing to the emotional undercurrent of her own trauma, Cox once again commits to the role and ensures her status as one of the best characters in the genre. And while Panettiere's Kirby returns to the screen with a less established reputation, she is a superb addition whose experiences bring an enriching layer to the film and the wider final girl arc. For those fearing Neve Campbell's absence from the series, Sidney's presence still hangs over the film - but she is never missed in a way that is detrimental to this sixth outing.
Scream 6 features some of the series' highest highs but similarly includes some of its most frustrating attributes, making decisions - particularly regarding characters' survival - that undermines its very existence as a meta-horror. Scream as a creation should be above these practises that wouldn't make much adjusting to overcome, becoming the superior slasher it is so close to being. Still, these frustrations aside, there is still more than enough fun in this gnarly chapter, thanks to the stylish direction and solid cast who sink their teeth into the material. And even though this Ghostface unveiling may be the most predictable yet, to paraphrase a well-known saying, "the real treasure was the brutal killings we received along the way".