I just want to start by saying how great it is that this franchise just doesn't have a bad movie. But not only that, to maintain its quality in the sixth instalment is impressive as most other horror franchises have failed miserably with. This simply felt original and fresh which was something its predecessor lacked a little.
The decision to switch it up and move from Woodsboro to New York worked very well. The location being set in a big city makes it feel more unsafe and unsettling. Also referencing Jason takes Manhattan simply by the location was such a "Scream" thing to do.
You could really tell Matt Bettinelli and Tyler Gillet put a lot of effort into the feel of this movie as the set pieces were so intense to watch. Especially the shop scene, you could tell their inspiration was from the Jurassic Park kitchen scene. The ladder set piece was intense as well, although it lacked some logic (who has a ladder in their New York apartment with the perfect length between the two windows).
The development of the core four characters is there and it's great to see them further form their friendships but Samantha's character was the most interesting. The writers continued where they left off with the character dynamic of Billy Loomis as her father. They played with this by making you feel more uneasy and not totally sure about her motives. Also she seems to have replaced Sidney as the face of Scream and it surprisingly works as this film did not miss Sid at all.
However, as with every movie, it isn't perfect. The pacing of the film seemed off as some scenes dragged on a little too long and you could tell this is the longest movie in the franchise. As well as this, because of the shift in tone, this is probably the least funniest and meta Scream movie yet. But having said all that, I still love this movie because it continued the story with originality and gave opportunities for more sequels... or requels.
