Film Review: "Scream VI"

Horror is a tough genre to deliver effective results in filmmaking.  Recent years have allowed the genre to have a resurgence.  Movies like The Conjuring, The Babadook, and Hereditary (to name a few) reminded audiences why they are successful in the first place. These films' success is thanks to numerous horror classics. The Scream franchise was the first to truly satirize the entire horror genre.  Scream VI hopes to continue this satirization for modern audiences in 2023.  Set after the events of Scream (2022),  the survivors of the Ghostface killings in Woodsboro (Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Mason Gooding) start over in New York City.  Their “fresh start” has plenty of horrors waiting for them around every dark alley.

The biggest strength of Scream VI resides in the direction by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett (Ready or Not, Scream 2022). If you are a fan of the series “meta” commentary on the horror genre, do not worry.  Scream VI takes plenty of stabs at the evolution of horror in recent years.  The difference is that these “meta” winks are not as obvious as they were in previous outings. Instead,  Olpin and Gillett refocus the franchise with a more Hitchcockian approach.  A clear and apparent paranoia looms over the entire film, making the violence more gruesome.

Scream VI’s Ghostface is the darkest and most twisted the character has ever been.  Applying that character to the Big Apple makes for some very scary and exciting sequences.  Thankfully, our four central performances help anchor the story with a heart. Ortega and Barrera are perfect co-leads to this telling. After the events of Scream 2022, both characters are reeling from trauma and violent urges within them. Knowing that a menace could be lurking around every corner, audiences cannot help to root for them to survive. It is the performances of Savoy Brown and Gooding that keep things humorous. Both actors are a perfect counter-balance to Ortega and Barrera, which keeps the audience comfortable but on edge.

Having original cast members (Hayden Panettiere and Courtney Cox) return is where the film runs into problems.  Nothing is particularly “wrong” with these actors' performances, and the story does have a reason for their return.  While they serve a purpose in the story, the characters do not add any unique element. If Gale (Cox) or Kirby (Panettiere) were not in the story not much would change.  The film acknowledges the rules of these “legacy characters” return but does not do anything creative with them.  Thankfully, this is only a slight qualm in the story's overall package.

Clocking in at 123 minutes, the pacing of the film remains air-tight. There is never a real moment for the tension to let up. Some might consider that exhausting, but it works to keep the viewers invested. The city of New York becomes vast and claustrophobic in ways to keep us on edge. That sensation could be the key for some to forgive the narrative's more ridiculous moments. The film's wild third act almost leans into the realm of being a parody.  Some will likely give up once the “twists” start to unfold.  By that point in my viewing, I was able to forgive the lunacy.

Scream VI will deliver exactly what audiences are hoping for, along with some surprises.  Giving fans the darkest Ghostface yet allows for very tense and often thrilling action sequences.  Combined with the new cast, audiences are given characters to root for and connect with.  The legacy characters on the other hand are simply not given much to do. They do not serve an overarching purpose to the story and are not as interesting as the new characters.  Regardless,  Scream VI  takes this franchise in exciting directions.  The direction and thrills of VI make this worth a trip to the theater.