So let’s talk about the elephant in the room. I am not a die-hard Scream fan. I recently did a franchise rewatch and discovered that I enjoy all of the movies, even Scream 3, but it isn’t a franchise that I think about often. Scream VI might have actually changed that for me. I was actually pleasantly surprised by just how much I enjoyed this movie, especially since Scream (2022) didn’t really work for me. Just a head’s up, this review won’t have any Scream VI spoilers but will include Scream (2022) spoilers due to the fact that it will talk about who survived the last movie.
In Scream VI, “following the latest Ghostface killings, the four survivors leave Woodsboro behind and start a fresh chapter in New York City.”
Scream VI is exactly what I’d hoped the last film would be, a movie that carries the franchise into the future with a few legacy characters that don’t overstay their welcome or muck up the story. I love Sidney as much as the next person but she, along with Gale and Dewey, were completely removable from the last film. This time around we only have Gale and Kirby who absolutely fit within the story but don’t detract from our new “Core Four”. This allows the audience more time to connect to Sam, Tara, Mindy, and Chad, who are all expanded upon in this entry. You wind up caring about them as much as the original cast in the earlier films. I will admit that I wish they’d left the “Daughter of Billy Loomis” plot in the last film, but it isn’t a total dealbreaker for me. We get far more Jenna Ortega screen time which is always welcome. I will say that Jasmin Savoy Brown’s Mindy is easily my favorite character now in the franchise and I was happy to see her return with more screen time as well.
One of the things I really loved about this movie was its grittiness and the increase of tense moments. (I actually earned Active Minutes on my FitBit because there were scenes that literally made my heart race.) From the setting to Ghostface’s mask, everything feels so much darker. The tonal shift is welcome given that Scream VI is satirizing contemporary horror franchise entries that feel more violent and grittier than their predecessors. I’d liken this to Blumhouse’s Halloween requel films. Normally, excessive violence isn’t my horror cup of tea but it has been a joy watching Ghostface and the Scream franchise evolve into something different than when it started. Sure, we still have the meta-commentary, Nick Cave, and whatnot, but this film proves that horror evolution isn’t a bad thing for a franchise.
Overall, while results may vary for different types of Scream fans, Scream VI was the breath of fresh air the series needed and definitely sucked me to becoming more than just a casual fan. The film hits theaters on Friday, March 10th and I definitely suggest seeing it theatrically if you feel comfortable doing so. It is worth the ticket price and I am planning to try to see it one more time on the big screen.
My Rating: 4.5/5