'Scream VI' Review: A Brutal, Playful Good Time
Ghostface makes his highly anticipated return to the silver screen with scream vi, a sequel that not only delivers the chills and thrills fans have come to expect, but proves this franchise doesn’t need its legacy characters to thrive.
One year after the events of 2022’s Scream, the survivors of the Ghostface attacks in Woodsboro have relocated to New York City to attend college in an effort to escape and move on from their traumatic past. These survivors include Sam (Melissa Barrera), Tara (Jenna Ortega), Mindy (Jasmin Savoy Brown), and Chad (Mason Gooding). For the sequel, the cast has some notable new additions including the likes of Dermot Mulroney, Josh Segarra, Jack Champion, Liana Liberato, and Scream 4’s Hayden Panettiere returning as Kirby. As is always the case, new additions translate to new suspects.
It’s clear from the clever and inventive opening scene that relocating the franchise to New York was an inspired choice, the new backdrop creating an immersive new atmosphere for the franchise’s iconic slasher to inhabit. In addition, Ghostface hasn’t felt this terrifying in ages. The kills are brutal and gruesome, the chase sequences are far longer and more exciting, and the guessing game of who the killer or killers may be has never been more fun and addictive. We’re given a Ghostface who’s motivation is endlessly intriguing, especially considering the fact they seem to be obsessed with killers of the series’ past.
Directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillet, who helmed the previous film and the underrated horror comedy Ready or Not, continue to prove that they were the ideal fit for the franchise, taking over from the late Wes Craven. They’ve got a firm handle on tone, never veering too far into horror or meta comedy, maintaining what has made this horror series so indelible and beloved, while reinvigorating it in the process. Helping matters are writers Guy Busick and James Vanderbilt, who have written a sharp screenplay that delivers the laughs and emotional drama in equal measure. The meta commentary is still intact, but the character work is what truly shines here, especially in regards to our “core four”.
This sequel makes the smart choice of focusing on the aftershocks of the events of the previous film, showcasing how each of the survivors are coping in their own respective ways, some adjusting better than others. Sam is struggling with her sanity and PTSD, especially after learning she was the daughter of one the original film’s killers, Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich). Delving into her trauma and newfound celebrity status is one of the most compelling aspects of the film, Barrera delivering a standout performance as Sam has essentially gone into hiding and has trouble connecting with other people, including her own sister. The prickly, strained relationship between Sam and Ortega’s Tara is fascinating to watch play out, the former trying to face her trauma head on to move past it, while the latter is numbing herself and refusing to acknowledge it.
The new additions to the cast blend in with our established cast seamlessly, Panettiere’s Kirby a welcome sight for sore eyes in particular. Panettiere smartly plays the character ambiguously, showcasing a friendly and inviting side, while also conveying enough shades of darkness to evoke doubt and suspicion. Also returning for the sequel is Courteney Cox’s Gale Weathers, who once again is on the hunt for the scoop of the new Ghostface killer, while also helping the survivors flee his bloody knife. Cox is especially good here, not only showing how her past encounters with the killers has made her a bonafide force to be reckoned with, but how her losses, especially Dewey (David Arquette), have turned her heart considerably cold. This is a sequel that utilizes its legacy characters well, while allowing its new ensemble to continue to shine.
However, not everything works in this follow-up. While the meta commentary has always been an endearing staple of this franchise, it feels a little overdone here, some scenes going on far too long and over-explaining what this new killer’s motive may be. Also, while most of the humor in the film works, there are some one-liners and exchanges that simply don’t work and fall flat, particularly with some of the the beloved phone calls between Ghostface and his future victims.
There was certainly reason for being apprehensive about a sequel coming out so soon after its previous entry, but Scream VI proves that this franchise is very much in good hands, delivering an exciting, brutal new entry that will keep audiences guessing. The Scream franchise continues to be one of the horror genre’s most consistently entertaining IPs, cementing Ghostface as an iconic slasher who’s blade has never dulled.