The Scream franchise has evolved within the past couple of years by adjusting to the meta-commentary of contemporary horror movies and the countless sequels, remakes, and requels of past franchises. What the previous Scream film did so well is the fact that it used what made the original films great and added something fresh for the new generation who didn’t grow up with these movies but also acknowledged the characters that made the franchise popular. Scream VI sets up the foundation of the previous film as we follow the “Core Four” involved with another Ghostface murder while also focusing on legacy characters like Gale Weathers (Courtney Cox) and Kirby Reed (Hayden Panettiere). Despite the absence of fan-favorite character Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell), it doesn’t hinder what makes this installment just as gory and suspenseful as the earlier films. Scream VI tackles its themes on horror franchises by poking fun of its own without being too silly, thus becoming one of the best entries so far.
Scream VI follows our group into New York City, where they leave behind their town of Woodsboro following the events of the last film. Sisters Sam (Melissa Barrera) and Tara (Jenna Ortega) have moved to the Big Apple along with twins Chad (Mason Gooding) and Mindy (Jasmin Savoy Brown). Despite things going back to normal, there’s some tension between Sam and Tara as they try to forget what happened to them back in their old hometown. As these four start fresh in a new city, a string of murders by a new Ghostface puts them on high alert as they try to survive the murderous rampage of the masked killer. With Ghostface at large, the group must now rely on some old and new allies to stop this killer before they become Ghostface’s next victim.
What makes this installment come together really well is the chemistry with our Core Four. What is great is that the four main characters end up staying connected through the entire film’s run rather than separate them like in prior films in the franchise. It is a different atmosphere for a slasher film to take a group of characters and never have them split up, which works for this movie to keep the story focused on them. It keeps the audience invested in these characters and the new ones that surround them, hoping that they would come out alive somehow. With the new characters like Mindy’s new girlfriend Anika (Devyn Nekoda) and roommates Quinn (Liana Liberto) and Ethan Landry (Jack Champion), we learn a lot about them and how they connect with the story.
Having the film take place in New York also helps expand on the world of Scream while also keeping the heart and soul of the iconic killer intact. These new locations does help create some fun ways for the characters to interact with Ghostface. The set pieces in this installment would give anyone some anxiety, leaving little room to breathe after each scene. The film even draws so much from the franchise’s history to build on its character-driven story. Even the kills feel a lot gorier than previous entries, which makes it seem like no one is safe from Ghostface. Speaking of Ghostface, the film also brings out a more deadly version of the killer using a slightly different mask but all the more effective to show that this psychopath is no pushover.
The legacy characters like Sid and Dewey helped make the franchise what it is, but the film does a great job of not letting us forget them while also passing on the torch to the younger cast. The only characters who return from previous entries are Gale and Kirby who help drive the story and support our main four leads. The film is paced well and never runs out of steam throughout its run time. Despite Sydney not making a return in this film, Scream VI does leave room in mentioning her character, knowing that she still exists in this world but not focusing on her and making it more about Sam and Tara.
With so much tension and kills in Scream VI, it is safe to say that this may be one of the best entries in the franchise so far. What directing duo RadioSilence has done is prove that there is more meat left in the franchise that doesn’t involve the original characters by giving audiences enough to care about the Core Four. The ultimate climax may get somewhat absurd for some, but it still doesn’t slow down what makes Scream VI a great installment to the iconic franchise. The film stands out on its own and helps build what is possibly a bright future moving forward for Scream. It aims to please horror fans in many ways while delivering a worthy sequel that is to die for.
Scream VI releases in theaters on March 10th.
