Scream VI

Directors: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett
Starring: Melissa Barrera, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Jack Champion, Henry Czerny, Mason Gooding, Roger L. Jackson, Liana Liberato, Dermot Mulroney, Devyn Nekoda, Jenna Ortega, Tony Revolori, Josh Segarra, Skeet Ulrich, Samara Weaving, Hayden Panettiere, Courtney Cox
Running Time: 122 min.
Rating: R

★★★ (out of ★★★★)   

Ghostface takes Manhattan in Scream VI, a bigger, more brutal follow-up to the 2022 requel rightly credited with resurrecting the franchise after some underwhelming entries. And high expectations accompany it, mostly due to a drastic shift in setting that moves the action from Woodsboro to New York City. With the series currently riding high on momentum, the idea makes perfect sense, and while the execution isn't flawless, it's still a worthy next chapter that marks an official torch passing to the next generation of characters.

The "Radio Silence" duo of Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett resume directorial duties, proving their last outing wasn't a fluke by again hitting the right balance of thrills and meta humor we've come to expect from the stronger entries in the franchise. As for Neve Campbell, she's hardly missed, since it's hard to imagine a version of this story where Sidney Prescott doesn't feel shoehorned in. Even if her reasons for opting out are entirely valid and future appearances could still be in the cards, the timing couldn't be better for focusing entirely on the new cast. Utilizing legacy characters has always been a challenge since their impact tends to lessen the more you lean on them. This wisely centers around two fresh faces who in short time have built just as strong a connection with audiences.

A year following the Woodsboro killings, sisters Sam (Melissa Barrera) and Tara Carpenter (Jenna Ortega) are now living in New York City attending Blackmore University with twins Mindy (Jasmin Savoy Brown) and Chad (Mason Gooding) when another string of murders indicate Ghostface (voiced again by Roger L. Jackson) is back. Leaving previous killers' masks behind while seemingly framing Sam for the crimes, those "core four," along with Mindy's girlfriend Anika (Devyn Nekoda), Sam and Tara's nosy roommate Quinn (Liana Liberato), Chad's awkward roommate Ethan (Jack Champion), Sam's secret boyfriend Danny (Josh Segura) all emerge as suspects. 

On the case is Quinn's dad Detective Bailey (Dermot Mulroney) and FBI Special Agent Kirby Reed (Hayden Panettiere),who returns after surviving the 2011 attacks. Gale Weathers (Courtney Cox) is also back, attempting to help despite having penned another book exploiting the sisters' recent ordeal. With a traumatized Sam still coming to terms with her lineage as Billy Loomis' (Skeet Ulrich) illegitimate daughter, she attempts to protect a fiercely independent Tara, as the new killer looks to Woodsboro's past for inspiration. Bolder and more dangerous, Ghostface leaves a bloody trail, targeting Sam as the final victim.

For horror fans, the NYC setting was bound to invoke numerous comparisons to the much maligned Friday The 13th Part VIII, which mostly took place on a boat, failing to fully capitalize on its urban surroundings. This stands in stark contrast, as apartment buildings, congested streets, restaurants, bodegas, subways and parks are all put to use, with the filmmakers making good on their promise to have the action differ from anything that came before. It has a tough opening to follow after the last entry, but kicks off with a shocking Ghostface swerve that'll have you do a double take. The story then sort of settles back into what we'd typically expect, while still managing to be clever and subversive.

The strained sibling relationship between Sam and Tara evolves, but an increased focus on the former's trauma elevates Sam to main protagonist. In a timely, inspired twist, she's essentially becomes a public pariah, with online conspiracy theories and misinformation circulating that she's the killer. Things have gotten so bad that even her therapist (Henry Czerny) wants nothing to do with it. Tara responds by wildly partying to bury the pain and move on, continuing to resent her sister's overprotective ways. But if the last film belonged to Ortega, it's Barrera who owns this one, effectively filling Campbell's shoes.

With a script that digs deeper into the psychology of Sam, Barrera knocks it out of the park in a tough, sympathetic portrayal that carries the picture through its highs and lows. Ortega again impresses, particularly when it comes to her realistic registering of genuine fear and terror when confronted by Ghostface. A thrilling sequence where the shotgun wielding killer hunts both in a bodega is a highlight that finds the actresses at the top of their respective games.With Campbell and David Arquette gone, Courtney Cox carries the torch for the original legacy cast, even as she goes through the usual paces as Gail. Aside from an excitingly staged apartment showdown with Ghostface, there's just not much left for her, which isn't a travesty since Cox still excels in serving the character's diminished purpose. 

Considerable mileage comes from Panettiere's return as more hardened Kirby, whose role as an FBI Agent is larger than you'd expect, with her motives generating curiosity and suspicion. The same could be said for the others, as any one or more could easily be Ghostface, whose warehouse shrine to Woodsboro's history hugely factors into the plot and eventual reveal. The intrigue in determining the killer is still ridiculously fun and this ending might be the craziest yet. As usual, it rarely holds up to logical scrutiny, but the enjoyment in speculating who's behind the mask makes up for it.

The only obvious flaw involves Ghostface, who's never been this ruthlessly violent, but strangely claiming few victims. The far lower body count could stem from a desire to subvert expectations, but too many targets miraculously survive certain demise. Hesitation to kill off anyone in an extremely likeable cast is understandable, but sometimes it has to be done, especially when the characters openly tout how all bets are off under these "new rules." Sometimes the only thing that really raises the stakes and suspense for subsequent encounters are deadly consequences, which are in shorter supply here. Aside from that, there's little to complain about.

Scream VI will ultimately be remembered for two masterful set pieces. The first involves an unbearably tense ladder escape with a gruesome payoff and another finding the group in crowded subway full of masked Ghostfaces. Clocking in as the longest entry yet, a slight trim wouldn't have hurt, but it's offset by the performances and those sequences, which rank among the series' best. Should the franchise stay this course, there's reason to believe even better sequels could await. And that's a resurgence few saw coming, especially for the sixth installment of a decades old horror staple.      

Fall

Director: Scott Mann
Starring: Grace Caroline Currey, Virginia Gardner, Mason Gooding, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Jasper Cole, Darrell Dennis
Running Time: 107 min.
Rating: PG-13

★★★ (out of ★★★★)

Supposedly, the big pitch for Scott Mann's Fall was that it's Buried or The Shallows in reverse, with two women stuck atop a 2,000 foot tall radio tower in the desert. It's an intriguing comparison that could be either good or bad depending on your opinion of single location thrillers. But even as a self professed admirer of the subgenre, it's hard to be blind to their faults, mainly because most of them don't have enough ambition or new ideas to withstand multiple viewings. They're often the ultimate cinematic junk food, providing pulse pounding entertainment throughout, until you've forgotten about it a half hour after the credits roll. Whether it be a parking garage, swimming pool, ski lift, ATM booth or anything else you could envision being trapped on, under, or in, many of these entries get grouped in with the lowest level horror titles, unfairly or not. Few strive for more, which could come down to the script, budget or just not having the right talent behind the camera.

Fall is a fascinating case study in that for long stretches it actually distinguishes itself as wildly different, shot in a style that's legitimately terrifying and facilitates the story unfolding in front of us. Impressively walking a tightrope between being patently absurd and almost unbearably intense, it's probably best experienced on the largest IMAX screen possible, even if seeing it in that format could  be a vertigo-inducing nightmare for both acrophobiacs and those convinced they have no fear of heights. But while boasting a great concept and flirting with greatness, it occasionally succumbs to some of the pitfalls that have held back similar thrillers. And yet even taking that into account, this still gets the job done way better than most.  

Best friends Becky (Grace Caroline Currey) and Hunter (Virginia Gardner) are scaling a mountain with Becky's husband, Dan (Mason Gooding) when he suddenly loses his footing, falling to his death. Now nearly a year later, a depressed, alcoholic Becky has isolated herself from family and friends, including estranged but concerned father, James (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), who never thought Dan was right for her. But when vlogging adrenaline junkie Hunter reemerges to invite Becky join her in climbing the decommissioned 2,000 foot B67 TV tower in the desert to move on from Dan's death, she very reluctantly agrees. 

Bringing Dan's ashes to scatter when they reach the top, a trembling Becky completes the treacherous climb with Hunter, but when the rusted ladder breaks off below them, they're stranded, looking 2,000 feet down. With no cell reception, food or water and fighting the elements, they come up with numerous plans to somehow signal for help, to no avail. Hours turn to days, and as weather changes and vultures smell blood, their prospects for survival rapidly dwindle. When panic sets in and tensions rise, they're faced with a perilous situation that's suddenly become insurmountable.

There's arguably more set-up than necessary to start, making you wonder how much tighter or different the film could have been if it began with the climb rather than the abundance of personal drama leading into it. But regardless of those scenes' execution, it's easy to understand why Mann and co-writer Jonathan Frank made this call considering the only alternative would probably be awkward flashbacks throughout that slow the action. The screenplay at least dispenses with the narrative background early and some of the later scenes do try to address the already lingering questions and plausibility issues present right out of the gate. 

Aspiring influencer Hunter's unhealthy obsession with them doing this seems to go far beyond views and likes or simply helping her friend get past a traumatic experience. And of course we wonder what Becky could gain from again putting herself in the type of scenario that killed Dan, only more dangerous. Even under the most optimistic circumstances, it seems she'd be better served by therapy instead, which is exactly what Hunter's treating this as. Becky's clearly in a dark place, not to mention a big bundle of petrified nerves who wouldn't exactly make the ideal partner for a death defying adventure. Luckily, whatever is lost in credibility, the film makes up for in suspense since you can literally feel her fear when she climbs up the rusted, rickety ladder as bolts fly off with each step.

It's a given that Hunter's social media obsession and the use of their cell phones will play a role once they're up there, but even that doesn't materialize quite as you'd expect. There's also a personal revelation of sorts that isn't exactly a huge surprise, but handled well enough to throw a compelling emotional wrench into the dynamic. But the real story is the stomach-churning cinematography from MacGregor and the performances of Currey and Gardner, both of whom bring their A games to what had to be physically demanding and draining roles. 

Currey turns any initial misgivings about the Becky character around quickly, emerging as a tough, sympathetic lead while Gardner goes all in as the wild girl, marking a stark departure from much of what she's previously done. Both of them undergo a believable transformation that does hold up despite the increasing incredulity of events. They really sell it, leading into a last act development we've seen before, but rarely executed as well. Mann sets the groundwork to pull it off in way that doesn't seem insulting or cheap, which is noteworthy considering how many similar titles have misplayed this same hand as a predictable story crutch. Working within the confines of a PG-13 rating, there's minimal gore, as vulture attacks are the closest it gets to flirting with horror, remaining a straight ahead survival film throughout.

After a somewhat underwhelming start, once the climb begins and the gravity of their predicament kicks into overdrive, the film soars, before eventually coming to more of a sudden stop than an end. Still, Mann's decision to utilize an actual tower rather than rely on green screens or digital sets is why this looks and feels so authentic, resulting in astonishing shots that will generate genuine discomfort and anxiety, bringing you right up there with them. Whatever CGI was used isn't a distraction and little of it looks fake or staged in the slightest, making it perplexing that the special effects were already being called out by some as below par before this was even released.

If Fall ever frustrates, it's mostly for the right reasons, knowing that it was probably just a few tweaks away from not being mentioned in the same breathe as the inferior titles it'll likely be compared to. But it's nonetheless a big success, even if at times the filmmakers involved don't seem fully aware of what they have, or more accurately, all it had the potential to be. Those moments it fulfills that promise make for a thrilling watch, provided you take slow, deep breathes and hold on.