Movie Review - Scream VI

Director: Matt Bettenelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett
Genre: Horror/ Mystery/ Thriller
Runtime: 122 minutes
Year: 2023
Starring: Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Courtney Cox, Hayden Panettiere, Tony Revolori, Dermot Mulroney, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Mason Gooding, Jack Champion, Liana Liberato, Josh Segarra
 
Description: In the next installment, the survivors of the Ghostface killings leave Woodsboro behind and start a fresh chapter in New York City.

Review: The survivors of the Woodsboro attack have moved to New York, but a new Ghostface is also coming to make this city unsafe.

“Scream”(2022), really just the fifth installment in the series, had a double feature. As the characters in the film state, it is a ‘requel’, a sequel and reboot merged together. It worked as a fresh start, but was just as much a continuation of all the previous parts. This way, fans, both old and new, could get something out of the film. With “Scream VI”, Woodsboro is officially in the past. This small town is traded in for New York.

With the change of scenery, the so-called formula is dressed up just a little differently again. New York is a busy city with much more going on. This makes the situations more exciting than usual. A crowded subway, a small shop or sneaking into a house in broad daylight to kill someone. It’s all possible. Ghostface hasn’t been this ruthless in ages and the murders are more bloody than before.

Right from the opening scene, you expectations are played with. You know how a Scream movie opens, but this time we go longer than usual and are presented with a fun twist. After that, “Scream VI” takes its time to provide character development for the four survivors of the previous movie. They all deal with the traumatic experience differently. The sister duo, Tara and Sam, played by Jenna Ortega and Melissa Barrera, impress the most.

The sixth installment in the series manages the balance between honoring the old and taking a new direction well. The meta and satirical tone is still present, which I always liked about all the films, such as the “rules of the game”.

“Scream VI” is a bit more serious than some of its predecessors and the film makes a statement that the old characters are no longer needed to continue this franchise. Enjoyable watch, solid enough, fun twist at the end, a bit over the top maybe. But if you liked the previous films, you will have a good time watching this too. And I think there are move Scream films to follow after this sixth installment.

Rating: 3/ 5

Movie Review: Scream

Director: Matt Bettenelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillet
Genre: Horror/ Thriller
Runtime: 114 minutes
Year: 2022
Starring: Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox, David Arquette, Melissa Barrera, Jack Quaid, Jenna Ortega, Mikey Maddison, Dylan Minnetti, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Mason Gooding, Sonia Amar, Marley Shelton, Skeet Ulrich
 
Description: 25 years after a streak of brutal murders shocked the quiet town of Woodsboro, California, a new killer dons the Ghostface mask and begins targeting a group of teenagers to resurrect secrets from the town’s deadly past.

Review: I was thinking it with the fourth film, thought it with the fifth as well: we really don’t need this (and I don’t understand the title, why isn’t it “Scream 5”?). Where I really like the original film, also liked number 2 and even enjoyed 3 even with it not being that great, number 4 just wasn’t good. It was a simple cash grab. But this fifth installment is different.

A requel, as one of the characters in the film explains it, is both a reboot and a sequel. You introduce a whole slew of characters and supplement them with the original ones. The idea is that the original characters don’t survive and the newcomers continue the franchise. Whether all these rules always apply remains to be seen. But the fact is that 25 years after the first “Scream” film renewed the horror genre, this fifth film is constantly self-deprecating. But I still would have named it “Scream 5”.  

This time, main character Sidney Prescott is replaced by Sam Carpenter (honoring director John Carpenter in a way). She hasn’t spoken to her sister Tara for a few years, but she resurfaces after Tara falls victim of a new Ghostface killer, in a somewhat lackluster opening scene. It’s no spoiler that Tara’s group of friends then run into the killer one by one. Sam and her boyfriend Richie would prefer to escape the situation but decide to track down the killer. They seek help from former sheriff Dewey Riley, living alone after his now ex-wife Gale Weathers is the host of a morning show. Sidney has put all the traumatic experiences behind her.

For the most part, we follow the new characters. It takes a while for the old characters to enter the stage. And of those three, it’s David Arquette’s Dewey that gets the biggest and best part. He is excellent.
In putting those new characters at the front, directors Matt Bettenelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillet don’t shy away from bold plot twists and choices, without omitting the humor. Constantly, they play with the conventions of the genre, delaying jump scares and having the characters slam doors of kitchen cabinets of refrigerators with the expectations that there is a murderous creep behind them. In addition, many of the newcomers have links to the original characters. And of those new characters Jenny Ortega and Melissa Barrera, as sisters Tara and Sam, are the strongest and most interesting.

This is the first “Scream” film not directed by Wes Craven, since he passed away in 2015 and I think he would look at this movie with a smile (the even named a character after him). Even though “Scream” can’t avoid some clichés, the film (as are all the others) is very self-aware and does a lot of things right too. And when I thought it was going to be un unneeded terrible sequel, “Scream” is by no means a bad movie. I really enjoyed it.

Rating: 3/ 5

Movie Review - In the Heights

Director: Jon M. Chu
Genre: Musical/ Drama/ Romance
Runtime: 143 minutes
Year: 2021
Starring: Anthony Ramos, Corey Hawkins, Leslie Grace, Melissa Barrera, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Olga Merediz, Jimmy Smits, Gregory Diaz IV, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Stephanie Beatriz

Description: A film version of the Broadway musical in which Usnavi (Anthon Ramos), a sympathetic New York bodega owner, saves every penny every day as he imagines and sings about a better life.

Review: In Washington Heights, Manhattan we see several stories of people who are struggling to make ends meet, love problems, and dreams of getting a better life in the future, among other things.
In 2020, the Broadway film adaptation of Hamilton was a favorite for many. The man behind the music, Lin-Manuel Miranda, would now make a film adaptation of his other well-known Broadway hit, “In the Heights”. Another infectious musical that draws you in from the first song and leaves you with a feel-good feeling.
I’m a musical fan and I’m very happy to see that the genre hasn’t died yet. Lin-Manuel Miranda has a certain style that I don’t always like, but his mix of rap, hip-hop, Dominican swing music and slow pieces really fit perfectly in this setting.
I think “In the Heights” is the type of movie needed in this difficult time, to feel happy and be surrounded by song, dance and music. A feel-good movie, even if you’re not necessarily a musical fan.

Rating: 3,5/ 5