Scream VI Review

Plot: In the next installment, the survivors of the Ghostface killings leave Woodsboro behind and start a fresh chapter in New York City.

Film: Scream VI

Directors: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett

Writers: James Vanderbilt, Guy Busick

Starring: Jenna Ortega, Mellissa Barrera 

Scream 6, like the sequel to the original film, sees the franchise leave Woodsboro and follow the ‘core four’ to college in New York. Tara (Jenna Ortega), Sam (Mellissa Barerra), Chad (Mason Gooding) and Mindy (Jasmin Savoy Brown) make up the returning cast and I really enjoyed having them back, Chad is right at the core of the film for me, replacing Dewey (David Arquette) as the heart of the franchise. Sidney is also absent from this instalment but Gale (Courtney Cox) makes a return, despite promising not to write about the events of Scream 5, she did, and in doing so has shined a spotlight on Sam in particular and put all the characters in danger. 

New additions to the cast are Sam’s love interest Danny (Josh Segarra), yes, she’s risking that again, Mindy’s girlfriend Anika (Devyn Nekoda), Chad’s roommate Ethan (Jack Champion), Sam and Tara’s roommate Quinn (Liana Liberato) and her dad Detective Bailey (Dermot Mulroney). Also making a return from Woodsboro is Kirby Reed, (Hayden Panettiere) rounding out a very full cast of suspects. There was no waste even in a cast this big, I like an ensemble, and everyone had their part to play but my favourite was Kirby as Scream 4 is up there with my favourites and her character kept me guessing the whole time. 

Obviously, New York never disappoints where a filming location is concerned and this is no exception, the big and tall buildings make more some of the most intense moments of the entire franchise. If you have seen the film already, you’ll know I’m referring to the ladder scene, very reminiscent of a scene in the film Nerve, but with the added danger of being chased by Ghostface. 

I genuinely think this probably is the most extreme Scream film yet, the kill scenes were more gruesome and even the scenes that didn’t end in a kill, like the chase through Gale’s apartment, was so suspenseful that I was truly on the edge of my seat. After seeing some very tame ‘slasher’ films lately, it was refreshing to see something that really made my stomach twist at times. The aesthetics are also just beautiful, the Scream franchise continues to be self-aware in the best way and all the nods to past Ghostface killers and their crimes is pure fandom heaven.   

For me the Scream films are very much alive and easily have the steam to keep on going. My only gripe with the new franchise is that they are seemingly following the original films, so we’re not getting anything technically new, but I don’t really care that I guessed at least some of the big reveal quite early on, that’s not what it’s about. Scream has been a comfort movie of mine for a long time, and this is still one of my favourite franchises of all time so if you need me I’ll be waiting patiently for the Scream 7 trailer to drop.