Movie Review: Scream VI

 

After the major box office success of the 2022 're-quel', Paramount Pictures wasted no time in greenlighting and producing another sequel to the Scream franchise in just about a years time. The Scream formula by this point is like a well polished knife and if the series is to continue drawing in audiences it needs to take all the new elements introduced and further utilize them in a way which feels relevant and fresh. One such way the sixth installment manages to accomplish this is by basing the film in the city that never sleeps. The end result of Ghostface's murder spree in New York is a film which strongly continues to push this franchise forward while slightly struggling to keep it's legacy relevant to it's plot.

Directed once again by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett and co-written by James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick; the Radio Silence gang are back behind the creative wheel of this sixth installment in the series. A lot of the core cast who survived the prior film return here barring Neve Campbell who sadly declined to star due to pay disputes. The returning cast included Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Mason Gooding and Courtney Cox. Hayden Panettiere also reprises her role as Kirby Reed from Scream 4 in this film too. 

The narrative behind Scream VI follows Samantha and Tara Carpenter attending Blackmore University in New York City as they try to move on from the traumatizing events they endured the year prior in Woodsboro. Despite surviving the murder spree, Samantha's reputation since that fatal night has deteriorated with online conspiracies painting her as the real Ghostface killer. While trying to deflect the unflattering reputation she's earned, Sam and the gang soon learn that a new Ghostface killer has arrived on Blackmore campus and is targeting them and their friends. This Ghostface killer is far more determined to kill Sam as well and it's up to the gang along with returning Gale Weathers and Kirby Reed to stop them before they all end up bloody and mutilated victims

What I really enjoyed about this films story is it did a great job on further developing these new characters. The prior Scream had a heavy task in not only introducing these characters but juggling their relevancy in line with legacy characters that fans were wanting to see once more. Scream VI doesn't have as much of an issue here because it puts far more focus on Samantha and Tara as they try to define a new relationship after everything they went through. The way these new characters get to shine a lot more in a new setting along with a far more brutal Ghostface killer results in a really strong story. I do feel the legacy stuff does feel a bit more shoed-in in this films case than it did last time though and it's the only thing which probably weighs it down. I get this franchise is all about making call backs to all the prior films but it does feel slightly more separated from the stakes and motivations this time around. That being said I did really enjoy Hayden Panettiere's reprising her role a Kirby here and I'd argue she had way more relevancy to the story than Courtney Cox ended up having by the end.

In terms of tone and pacing, the film does have a great structure when it comes to delivering the scares and kills as well as character driven moments. Ghostface has a clear vendetta against the Carpenter sisters in this film and the stakes are set clearly with how personal this becomes for them and their friends. There's a smart mixture of emotions layered within the scenes of the movie and it's easy to recognize that quality this time around. The Ghostface kills in this film feel far more distinct and brutal here as well. There's a clear showcase here for a Ghostface who is more creative with how they will attempt to dispatch their victims and it makes the film way more enjoyable to follow because of this. 

In the end, it appears the move to New York gave this entry in the Scream franchise a lot of momentum and opportunity to capitalize on. A lot of key development is given to the new cast who are leading the franchise going forward and Ghostface is given new set-ups and sequences to deliver scares and kills which help keep the film feeling fresh. The only negative I can really draw on the film is how separate the legacy elements of the story feels and it has me considering how much better the movie might have been if it didn't feel a clear need to reference so much of the prior films when the plot doesn't require it in all honesty.