The Scream franchise is back at it, barely a year after the terrific Scream (2022) revitalized the long dormant franchise. This entry picks up not long after its predecessor with its survivors moving to the big apple. Surrounding by new friends and the bustling city, they each try to come to terms with what happened in different ways, until a new string of Ghostface attacks throws them back into the horror. Ghostface is back, and I had a blast.
There is an inherent tinge of bias here, as I am a diehard fan of the Scream franchise, but based on the pretty universally great reviews I think it's safe to say I'm not in the minority in loving this. It takes the characters that the last instalment added and further develops them to the point where you're so invested in their stories you don't even really realize Neve Campbell is missing. While doing so, it also offers some of the most brutal kills and the best tension of any Scream movie.
Right off the bat it gives my favourite opening since the second, if not the first film, beautifully toying with the viewer in a way I didn't expect. From there on out we are treated to the same bloody meta-fun we're used to, only the New York setting changes the dynamic in a fascinating way. Something about the never sleeping city makes everything more unsettling, as the noise drowns out so much so even in a crowded place nobody is safe. There are two scenes in particular that make incredible use of the setting that I won't spoil, but just know you're in for a wild ride. I maybe could have used more of the meta-fun as this doesn't have as much as the last film or its predecessors, but the elevated tension more than makes up for it.
What I really adore most about this film though is those characters. Sam and Tara are back and each has a lot more depth stemming from the ways in which each copes with the events of the previous film. That leaves Tara trying to move on while Sam is struggling to let go, leading to her often being overprotective and crowding of Tara. This gives Jenna Ortega tons of room to flex her dramatic muscles balancing the horror of the film with the tension stemming from wanting space from Sam. Melissa Barrera similarly nails the dramatic complexity of her character, balancing so many different stresses and emotions in her performance. I wasn't wowed by her in the fifth film but she aggressively won me over this time. Jasmin Savoy-Brown and Mason Gooding returning as the Meeks-Martin twins are amazing, I love them in these roles and I'm so glad they're back, as is Hayden Panettierre reprising her role as Kirby from Scream 4. Her return makes me so happy and I genuinely love her performance and how well she blends with these characters. If I had one character complaint it's that I wasn't over the moon with how they handled Gale, but even that didn't bug me too much. The new characters are mostly fine, a lot of them are unexciting but Dermot Mulroney is pretty great and I really liked Josh Segarra as Danny.
Visually this is also a major treat. The production design bringing NYC to life is great but we also get the best final act location since the first movie and I was in pure awe of it. Everything is captured by cinematography that way outdoes what is expected from a studio horror movie, this movie looks incredible and has some really magnificently thought out shots. I also have to shoutout the directors Matt Betinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett who just continue to nail the tone of these movies, it feels like Scream and that makes me so happy.
So yeah I loved it, if you're a fan of the franchise you'll have a great time and even if you aren't I think there's a lot here to enjoy.
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