Scream VI, 65, Champions, History of the World Pt.II | See It or Skip It

Salt Lake City, Utah– (See It or Skip It) This weekend has Everything, Everywhere, All At Once when it comes to entertainment to watch, but will you be left screaming for joy or in horror? I’m here to help you sift through the watches!

Scream VI

Ghostface takes Manhattan in the sixth installment of the Wes Craven franchise. Yes, this is now a franchise, and as such, there are rules to survive. Melissa Barrera returns as Sam Carpenter, the daughter of Billy Loomis, along with her sister Tara, played by Jenna Ortega, and Mindy and Chad Meeks-Martin, their two friends who survived the last film. Leaving Woodsboro for the city seemed like the perfect idea to get away, but when Ghostface killings begin again in New York City, Sam will be challenged with not only protecting her sister and her own life, but now she is a suspect herself.

The kills are brutal, the story deep and with more meaning than any other installment before, but the meta-commentary of the horror genre feels like it’s run out of gas. I loved Sam and Tara’s relationship and how their story is expanded with grief and accepting the past. Both performances really sell the emotional beats of “Scream VI.” There are some incredibly suspenseful moments, particularly one on a subway train, that will have audiences gripping their seats. The mystery of who the killer is was set up decently. For me, I guessed it fairly quickly, but that never really disappoints my overall enjoyment of the movie.

There is some overacting from supporting characters that is a little unintentionally funny and felt out of place for the tone they were going for, and I don’t think enough has been done on the side of meta-commentary that hasn’t already been explored in even the last “Scream” film. But still, this is a stronger story with more violence, more gore, and is a cut above its other sequel siblings.

See It or Skip It: See it!

65

Adam Driver stars as a space bus driver who accepts a long mission to shuttle people across the galaxy. After an unforeseen asteroid field crashes the ship, Adam Driver and the sole survivor of the wreck must find a way to get off this planet. That planet? Prehistoric Earth, 65 million years ago. What begins as a very interesting premise fails in logic and proper action, but still has some positives.

This was clearly shot during the pandemic, and with the COVID restrictions, those movies in production during the past few years—especially independent films—were affected. Driver decides to go on this mission for his sick daughter, who is mostly shown through holograms and videos. His motivation to get off the planet comes from this girl who doesn’t speak the same language as him. He still insists on giving full monologues to her, expecting her to understand him. That’s when the film became more silly to me.

I love a good dinosaur movie, but these creatures were, for the most part, shrouded in darkness. The action was close-up, handheld, and tough to follow. When you could see the dinosaurs, they looked pretty good, and “65” does a good job of making these dinos distinct from certain other franchises.

This is by no means a bad movie; it’s just limited, and you feel that. Not enough character building, not enough action, but just enough to not consider it a waste of your time. I’d say this is more of a riskier see it, but if you love Adam Driver and are curious, it couldn’t hurt. Otherwise, wait for streaming.

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Champions

Woody Harrelson returns to his basketball roots in this comedy film that toes the line between a family film and one for more adult children and parents. He plays Marcus, an assistant basketball coach with a bit of a temper. After a particularly hostile game, he gets in a drunk driving accident, forcing him to take a plea deal to avoid jail time. The judge sentences him to coach a special needs basketball team, which feels like a layup for him. But that competitive edge pushes him to connect with his players more than ever before in this charming sports film.

Loved seeing Kaitlyn Olson on the big screen, and I wanted to see her and Woody Harrelson turn on the comedy more. The players are all fantastic and hilarious. Compared to other sports films centered around special needs, I would say this gives much respect and opportunity to all the actors, and the film succeeds because of them. “Champions” is one to see with family, but be warned, there is some sexual content in it. Just cover your kid’s eyes like the good ol’ days, and you’ll be fine.

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History of the World Part II

Mel Brooks’s comedic masterpiece “History of the World” returns with Part II on Hulu. In this episodic series, we are taken through time in a collection of historical sketch comedy featuring a star-studded lineup of comedians worth a watch.

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Make sure you watch The Oscars Sunday, March 12th at 6:00 PM on ABC4.com, you can print our your own Oscar ballot via Rotten Tomatoes here to join in on the fun!

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