Following 2022’s Reboot of the Scream franchise, Scream VI, released March 9th, has been met with killer reviews from audiences and critics alike. Many of the criticisms fans had with the series’ prior instalment Scream (2022) were directly addressed and repaired. Scream VI sets out to up the ante from previous films, promising more suspense, more gore, and far more bloodshed from a Ghostface self-described as “unlike any [we’ve] seen before,” and oh boy does it deliver.
Disclaimer: Spoilers ahead, and trust me, you’ll want to see this one spoiler-free.
From the very first moments of Scream VI, the New York setting creates a tense atmosphere that differs from that of the franchise’s films set in Woodsboro. Samara Weaving (who previously collaborated with directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillet on 2019’s Ready or Not) makes an excellent opening kill, setting up for one of the best opening scenes in the Scream franchise. Masterfully keeping fans on their toes from the moment the kill is complete, to the opening title screen several minutes later. Gillet and Bettinelli-Olpin have done a masterful job in subverting expectations from the film’s iconic Opening Scene Kill formula from allowing Tara, Scream (2022)’s opening scene victim to survive, right down to the unexpected bait and switch of killers in Scream VI’s opening.
Once the film really gets into motion and we are met with our familiar protagonists, Sam and Tara Carpenter (portrayed by Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega respectively), and the rest of the “core four” and their friends, we get to dive into the characters far more than we had seen in last year’s addition to the franchise. Mindy and Chad (Jasmin Savoy-Brown and Mason Gooding) are no longer just ‘the twins’ but are allowed time to develop as three-dimensional characters. Barrera’s Samantha Carpenter feels like a real person this time around. Following criticism that Barerra’s portrayal was too bland in Scream, Barrera, and her character Sam, are given far more depth than last year’s film, allowing the character to really win over fans. We’re also given far more time to see the survivors interact, Tara who shared only one scene with most of her fellow survivors in last year’s film, is now able to build those connections on screen, making the potential threat of their deaths far more impactful.
Another chief criticism of Scream (2022) was regarding the chase scenes, or lack thereof. The Scream franchise has many iconic scenes, but second to the opening kills, the franchise’s chase scenes are the most iconic. Think Gale being chased through college halls in Scream 2 or Sydney’s iconic chase through the Woodsboro film sets in Scream 3 – these complaints were heard by directors Bettinelli-Olpin, Gillett, and writer James Vanderbilt as Scream VI leaves little to be desired in the way of chases. From a fantastically tense and claustrophobic chase into the bodega (featured prominently in early trailers) to the final chase scenes in the film’s Third Act, these chases are executed with a particularly Scream-like flair, very reminiscent of the original film.
Speaking of tension, Scream VI has some of the best, anxiety inducing sequences of the entire franchise. A personal highlight for me has to be the Subway scene where Ghostface hides in plain sight as the survivors are surrounded by Halloween goers in Ghostface masks on the train. The scene’s climax feels well-earned and extremely well placed within the pacing of the film. Another incredibly tense and creative scene surrounds the protagonists’ attempts to escape their apartment via a ladder through a window into the opposite building. With injured characters trying their best to stay balanced and crawl across and a vengeful, sadistic Ghostface making survival seem extremely slim, the scene is an incredible entry into Scream’s Hall of Fame kills.
As a fan of the originals who grew up watching the Scream movies as much and as often as I could, this film feels just right. While I do wish the ‘core four’ were more killable at times, their chemistry and dynamics on screen are just too good for their uncanny survival skills to be a real issue with the film.
Scream VI is a perfect example of a film made with love and respect for its predecessors, with references to each prior and the directors’ unique and creative flair added for good measure.
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