Ironically, this felt like exactly the inverse of Scream 5. Its meta take on the franchise felt unsatisfactory, as opposed to the previous installment’s clever requel subversion. On the other hand, where I complained about lack of interesting set pieces last year, here they abound. The NYC setting helps, with the highlight being an instantly iconic subway scene, but other scenes are effective too (a bodega, an Upper East Side apartment, and an old movie theater come to mind).

What both have in common? They are intensely entertaining. Ortega makes for a great modern-day scream queen, but Barrera (who I’ve been hyping up since In The Heights) is the stand-out here; it’s an interesting and fresh arc, and she sells it really well. 

Clearly the best and most consistent horror franchise, of that I have no doubt. Bring on another one!