Scream VI

I consider myself to be a casual fan of the Scream franchise but, since I thoroughly enjoyed the last installment, I have been eagerly anticipating Scream VI.  I had the chance to see it last night and I loved it...for the most part.  The four survivors of the recent Woodsboro killings have relocated to New York City so Tara Carpenter (Jenna Ortega), Mindy Meeks-Martin (Jasmin Savoy Brown), and Chad Meeks-Martin (Mason Gooding) can attend college and Sam Carpenter (Melissa Barrera), who is struggling because of an online campaign to paint Richie Kirsch (Jack Quaid) as the victim and her as the killer, can keep a close eye on her sister.  However, a new Ghostface has also appeared in New York which puts the four survivors and their friends, Quinn Bailey (Liana Liberato), Ethan Landry (Jack Champion), and Anika Koyoko (Devyn Nekoda), in danger.  Ghostface begins killing people close to the Carpenter sisters and leaves a different mask used by the previous killers with each victim, prompting survivors Kirby Reed (Hayden Panettiere), an FBI agent, and Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox), a renowned journalist, to join Detective Bailey (Dermot Mulroney), Quinn's father, in the investigation.  They eventually discover a shrine to Ghostface, filled with artifacts from every killer, where a showdown ensues.  I enjoyed so much about this movie!  It leans heavily into the mythology of Ghostface and this time the meta-commentary involves the tropes used in horror franchises where expectations are subverted (the cold open with Samara Weaving and Tony Revolori accomplishes this brilliantly) and anyone can be a victim (even legacy characters!) in service to the IP.  The kills are even more brutal with lots of blood and guts and there are some thrilling set-pieces, including a tension filled sequence on a subway train, an nerve-wracking escape between buildings across an alleyway, and a violent shoot-out in a bodega.  The performances are great with Barrera as the stand-out as Sam grapples with the trauma of what she had to do to survive.  Finally, there are lots of fun Easter eggs from the previous movies as well as other horror movies (my favorites are the red balloon from It and the twins from The Shining).  Having said that, I did find the third act reveal to be anticlimactic because it really strains credulity.  Still, it is a fun and entertaining slasher movie and I highly recommend it to fans of the genre.