Scream VI (2023)

Genre: Horror
Directed by: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin
Starring: Melissa Barrera, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Jack Champion
Running Time: 122'
Verdict: ⊗⊗

Quickly released and skipping the number 5, Scream VI adds nothing new except for Roman numerals, and New York as the new location. Somehow, all surviving characters moved from Woodsboro to the big city, for whatever reason. For the most part, this is just another Scream movie but with a novelty setting that is kind of pointless except for maybe one or two scenes. Even in that new setting, hardly anything feels different. There are still parties during a killing spree. Characters are again suspicious of their closest friends, but still keep hanging around them. There is a lot of phone calls and a lot of survived stabbings that should've been fatal. Along with its mild self-awareness, the best part of the Scream movies is trying to guess the killer. This time, movie mostly forces the self-awareness part and neglects the guessing. The ending is not really satisfying nor feels relevant. It is actually a bit silly, even as far as Scream movies go. The movie is not very imaginative and hardly moves the series forward. It obviously wants to continue the franchise further, but with milking the Woodsboro killings dry, the franchise already feels like beating a dead horse. I feel there is still more to get from the Ghostface mythos, but maybe it's time to move away from existing characters, like it already moved from Woodsboro.

Rokin

The Menu (2022)

Genre: Horror
Directed by: Mark Mylod
Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Anya Taylor-Joy, Nicholas Hoult
Running Time: 106'
Verdict: ⊗⊗⊗⊗

It is difficult to describe The Menu through a genre, or even several. It doesn't really blend genres as it quickly skips between them, leaving you puzzled and trying to catch you off guard. It is a horror film with (almost) no gore. It is a thriller with the end revealed early, but still managing to keep the suspense. It is a dark comedy with few punchlines, that relies more on borderline absurd situations. And it is a food movie with surprisingly little food in it. It doesn't excel in any of these genres, but mixes them in a well-crafted ride that engages you, and creates mystery from a very limited palette of ingredients. Maybe in the core, it tries to be a love letter to food and restaurant culture, but that really falls to the sidelines as whimsically dark setting and overarching air of mystery clearly lead the film. Still, the movie sometimes asks you to not to take it too seriously, as some plot points and character choices are hardly believable. Also, The Menu is sort of a "limited setting" film, where a large part of is is set in a single location, and I would love if it played more with that concept. With the exception of the chef, characters are incredibly uncomplex and cliched, but colorful and in most part entertaining. So The Menu is quite unique and fresh, and definitely worth the watch. It is an unexpectedly funny, well acted, solidly written and cleverly directed movie that might not be everyone's cup of tea, but it will keep you interested in it throughout the watch.

Rokin

Halloween Ends (2022)

Genre: Horror
Directed by: David Gordon Green
Starring: Jamie Lee Curtis, Andi Matichak, Rohan Campbell
Running Time: 111'
Verdict: ⊗⊗⊗

While the first two films in this sequel trilogy are similar in tone, Halloween Ends feels a lot different, more colorful but also unfocused and messy. It doesn't feel like a conclusion to the trilogy, but more like (yet) another take on the Michael Myers mythology. The movie starts promising but then it takes its time coming the second act and the actual Halloween night, and even then it is slow to explain its premise. I still don't fully understand why, but Halloween Ends is not about Michael as much as Haddonfield and the general dark vibe that has fallen on the town, (mostly) because of Michael Myers. Still, the town itself doesn't feel properly developed. Except for few main characters, the town is full of black or white characters, or shitty people and not so shitty but complacent people. A lot of the story follows a completely new character, shifting the focus from Laure, her granddaughter and even Michael. But his development is unconvincing, and I feel he didnt't really serve his purpose, in part because of the underwhelming acting, but also because of unconvincing character development. There are also a few love stories, but they don't really come to light, which maybe is a good thing. Still, Halloween Ends is brutal enough and even manages to surprise a few times. And it fits with the franchise, although more among its less conventional movies. It would probably work best as a standalone movie, and not as part of a trilogy. Halloween Ends is maybe the weakest of the new trilogy, but it's still a solid Halloween movie.

Rokin

Nope (2022)

Genre: Horror

Directed by: Jordan Peele

Starring: Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer, Steven Yeun

Running Time: 130'

Verdict: ⊗⊗⊗⊗

 

Nope is a cool, stylish and picturesque quasi horror about cowboys and aliens by a recently retired comedian and freshest black director in Hollywood. Jordan Peele tries to cram a lot of ideas in his films and, while each of them may be very good or interesting, together they don't mix perfectly. Similarly, Nope has a lot of genres in it, and they change from scene to scene. While the film obscures the narrative and focuses mostly on the atmosphere, in retrospect the scenes are not connected that well and story fumbles more than it flows. Some scenes just seem unnecessary or irrelevant. Other scenes are jaw-dropping or amazingly graceful. Like other of Peele's films, Nope is clever, but doesn't really think you are. Building suspension works great, but is eventually diluted with overexplainations and sudden shifts in characters' motivations. Acting is pretty much perfect all around, but there are a few characters that are maybe more eccentric than they need to be. The protagonist however, while played flawlessly by Daniel Kaluuya, is hard to characterize, sometimes being awkward, sometimes disinterested, sometimes perceptive and then usually just the coolest cucumber around. But it's obvious that the performance carries the character, as there is not much that he actually does throughout the movie. And throughout the movie, I have an impression that I'm watching an exceptional film, but I lose that impression the minute after the end. Same thing happened with Get Out and Us. Jordan Peele is a good director and an innovative writer, but I'm still waiting for his exceptional film.

Rokin

Scream (2022)

Genre: Horror

Directed by: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett

Starring: Melissa Barrera, Mason Gooding, Jenna Ortega

Running Time: 114'

Verdict: ⊗⊗⊗

 

This movie tries to be very self conscious, hoping you will find it funny if it notices it's needlessness before you do. This meta approach, which is very trendy, actually carries the film, as nothing else really does. It provides a gallery of new characters ready to be sliced and diced, but also has returning characters that are there for authenticity and occasional raising of the stakes. A new villain in every movie behind the same mask is commendable for a horror franchise, but Scream sticks too much to its own rules to go this far. Ghostface has a larger potential than to always be around the same characters, in the same town. However, the young adults of Woodsboro really deserve whats coming to them, because they keep throwing parties in the middle of a killing spree. Scream occasionally plays with your expectations, but sometimes it just feels superfluous. It also deceives you on a number of occasions, trying to keep you guessing who the killer is. In fact, a lot of the movie is centered around figuring out the killer, without much information. It comes off as silly, as most of the characters are a group of friends, who suddenly start accusing each other of being a serial killer. I guess the silliness is what keeps the movie entertaining, until it kind of shifts to a more traditional, and predictable horror movie territory. Not much is new in Scream, but the same it provides it good enough for a fifth movie in a horror franchise.

Rokin