Scream 6
GhostfaceScream1998, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
You CAN Beat the Classics
Written by Blake Williams
Yes, you read that right. “Scream 6” is the best movie in the franchise. Now before you stop reading because “nothing can beat the original,” just hear me out. The original “Scream” is a classic. It started the franchise, created the trend of “meta” horror movies, and has one of the best and most iconic opening scenes in any movie ever. I’m not discrediting the movie in any way, but when you look past the nostalgia of the original and judge these two movies solely based on how good they are, “Scream 6” has the edge. It's scarier, more entertaining, and purely shocking.
One of the biggest complaints that I and many others have about the “Scream” movies is that Ghostface isn’t always very scary. During the chase scenes in the past five movies, the killer/killers are always very clumsy. They trip and fall, they run into stuff, and the characters outsmart them easily. This is forgivable, as the killers in each movie are different people who are not very experienced. In a series like “Halloween,” the killer is always experienced, clever, and knows what he is doing. But in the” Scream” franchise, the killers are just normal people, so it makes sense for them to trip and fall, although it does break the tension. When the main character is running for their life and then Ghostface trips over a chair, it's hard to fear the killer. “Scream 6” changes this. In this movie, Ghostface feels like a real threat. When the main characters are hiding or running away from Ghostface, you feel the tension. When Ghostface takes a man’s shotgun from his hands and then shoots him, your heart is beating out of your chest. Ghostface isn’t a clumsy idiot in this movie, he is genuinely horrifying. This makes for a movie that constantly has you on the edge of your seat, scared that at any moment your favorite character is about to die.
Any time a new “Scream” movie comes out, the opening scene is heavily anticipated. Every movie begins with a cold opening with the sole purpose of making you scream, and “Scream 6” is no exception. While no movie's opening will ever exceed the originals, this one comes pretty close. “Scream 6” goes in a different direction for the opening and it works wonders. It begins like a normal opening to a “Scream” movie, a tense scene that ends in Ghostface killing somebody, but then a twist happens that had my entire theatre room in shock, and it continues into an amazing scene that will have you on the edge of your seat and ends with a line from Ghostface that really shows how terrifying this movie is about to be. I wouldn’t say that it’s better than the opening scene from the original, but it sure does come close.
There’s only one complaint I have about the movie, the reveal of Ghostface. The scene where Ghostface is revealed is good, but once I saw who the killer/killers were, I was slightly let down. It wasn’t super disappointing, it just left me saying “oh, that’s who it is” rather than “WHAAATTTTT!” Although, the reveal does have a couple of cool twists that I was not expecting. The performances are great, Jenna Ortega and Mason Gooding are definitely the standouts. Jenna Ortega does an amazing job all around, when the movie focuses on her character arc and interior struggle, you really feel for her character, and when the focus is on the action scenes or tense scary scenes, her performance puts you on the edge of your seat, fully immersing you in the movie and scared for what will happen next. Mason Gooding has a lot more to do in this film than in the previous one, and his acting shows that he has what it takes to be a major character. Neve Campbell, who played the main character Sidney Prescott in past movies is not in this one, but it does not negatively affect the movie, it actually kind of helps it. The reason given for her not being in the movie makes sense, and it makes you feel happy that her character finally can live in peace after being haunted by Ghostface for years. The new main characters, (also known as the “core four,”) have proven that they have what it takes to lead the franchise without needing to bring back the old characters.
“Scream 6” is a tense, scary, and emotional movie that surprisingly surpasses the original. The new characters, change in location, and darker take on the franchise make this a scream to remember, and a very enjoyable movie. If you like movies that will keep you on the edge of your seat and make your heart beat out of your chest, then this movie is definitely for you.