REVIEW: 'Scream VI'
Ghostface takes Manhattan (in suitably brutal fashion)
The Scream franchise has always been an interesting case. In this day and age, a horror franchise making it past entry number three without collapsing or running out of ideas is something of a rarity, but Scream has miraculously made it to six (!) since its debut back in 1996. While the high highs of that revolutionary first film are yet to be reached again, each consecutive entry has successfully preserved the franchise’s key ingredient: fun. Yes, even at its worst, these films can still deliver a breezy, campy time, and Scream VI is no different.
Following the events of 2022’s Scream, we now find the aptly named “Core Four”—Sam (Melissa Barrera), Tara (Jenna Ortega), Mindy (Jasmin Savoy Brown) and Chad (Mason Gooding)—finally out of Woodsboro as they attempt to start a new life in the Big Apple. But as is the case with these films, trouble always finds its way back to our heroes. Sam is now falling victim to avid conspiracy theorists accusing her of the tragic events of the last film, all while bouncing from therapist to therapist to deal with the (literal) ghosts of her past haunting her on the daily. Oh, and the Ghostface killings have begun once again, but you already knew that.
Right from its grisly, layered opening sequence that somehow manages to rival Scream 4 in its meta-ness, the film immediately promises a type of Scream film we haven’t seen up until this point. As Mindy tells us in the obligatory “explaining the rules” scene, legacy sequels have to go bigger to bring in an audience, and go bigger this entry most certainly does, as directing duo Radio Silence (Matt Bettinelli-Olpin & Tyler Gillett) amp up the scale, the stakes, and everything in-between. Nearly every sequence involving the iconic mask stalking our main characters is one of the franchise’s best, from the claustrophobic nightmare of the subway scene, to the nerve-shattering excellence of the protagonists being forced to traverse a ladder between two apartment buildings.
Speaking of the kills, they’re easily where Scream VI is at its best. Ghostface as a character is a force to be reckoned with, as the masked killer slashes through New York and does not hold back in the slightest, keeping you guessing right up to the final unmasking, which while a tad underwhelming given the overly-cryptic buildup isn’t enough to completely sour the overall experience. The kills here are some of the most gruesome and visceral to come out of the franchise, and this intensity is mainly thanks to Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett’s confident direction, which brings the franchise into a new generation while still honouring its campy roots, and it’s never afraid to poke fun at itself, as has been the case with past entries.
Many have argued that the Scream films have worn out their signature meta sense of humour, but Scream VI proves that it’s still as relevant as ever. The film consistently takes jabs at anything it can, from the tropes of modern franchise fare to the current state of movie fandom (even featuring a fun little nod to Letterboxd at one point). Much like the state of the franchise itself, it’s extremely refreshing to see that it hasn’t run out of steam when it comes to its signature sense of humour. Even when poking fun at how studios love to bring back legacy characters, the film does this exact thing, with Courteney Cox once again returning as series staple Gale Weathers, and to the delight of many fans, Hayden Panettiere’s Kirby Reed makes her grand return investigating the Ghostface killings as part of the FBI, and she’s on top form here just as she was in Scream 4.
In fact, the entire cast brings their A-game here. Jenna Ortega, hot on the heels of her career-boosting appearance on Netflix’s Wednesday proves herself to be the new face of the franchise going forward as Tara Carpenter, and the same can be said for Melissa Barrera as her sister Sam. The sisterly bond the two share is the glue that holds the emotional core of the film together, and they shine just as bright in the quieter moments as they do in the sequences where they’re forced to fight for their lives. The theme of sibling bonds carries over to Mason Gooding and Jasmine Savoy Brown as Chad and Mindy Meeks-Martin, where Mindy’s snarky ‘filmbro’ personality acts as a perfect pairing to Chad’s protective alpha-male disposition. New additions including Jack Champion (of Avatar: The Way of Water fame), Liana Liberato, and a particularly delightful Samara Weaving really make an impression despite not having as much screen time, but it’s with the Core Four where the cast really soars, proving to be a suitable baton-pass for the iconic trio of the first few films. They’re a real breath of fresh air for the franchise and act as proof that any future films that may be in the pipeline are in safe hands.
Equal parts suspenseful, gory, and morbidly good fun, Scream VI is yet another win for this long-running franchise. Though despite not being able to reach the level of quality of the original film (but let’s be honest, what can?), it’s still another very well-crafted entry in a franchise that is most certainly showing no signs of slowing down any time soon. But when you have a directing duo as confident as Radio Silence at the helm, is that really a bad thing?