Movie Review - Scream VI

Director: Matt Bettenelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett
Genre: Horror/ Mystery/ Thriller
Runtime: 122 minutes
Year: 2023
Starring: Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Courtney Cox, Hayden Panettiere, Tony Revolori, Dermot Mulroney, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Mason Gooding, Jack Champion, Liana Liberato, Josh Segarra
 
Description: In the next installment, the survivors of the Ghostface killings leave Woodsboro behind and start a fresh chapter in New York City.

Review: The survivors of the Woodsboro attack have moved to New York, but a new Ghostface is also coming to make this city unsafe.

“Scream”(2022), really just the fifth installment in the series, had a double feature. As the characters in the film state, it is a ‘requel’, a sequel and reboot merged together. It worked as a fresh start, but was just as much a continuation of all the previous parts. This way, fans, both old and new, could get something out of the film. With “Scream VI”, Woodsboro is officially in the past. This small town is traded in for New York.

With the change of scenery, the so-called formula is dressed up just a little differently again. New York is a busy city with much more going on. This makes the situations more exciting than usual. A crowded subway, a small shop or sneaking into a house in broad daylight to kill someone. It’s all possible. Ghostface hasn’t been this ruthless in ages and the murders are more bloody than before.

Right from the opening scene, you expectations are played with. You know how a Scream movie opens, but this time we go longer than usual and are presented with a fun twist. After that, “Scream VI” takes its time to provide character development for the four survivors of the previous movie. They all deal with the traumatic experience differently. The sister duo, Tara and Sam, played by Jenna Ortega and Melissa Barrera, impress the most.

The sixth installment in the series manages the balance between honoring the old and taking a new direction well. The meta and satirical tone is still present, which I always liked about all the films, such as the “rules of the game”.

“Scream VI” is a bit more serious than some of its predecessors and the film makes a statement that the old characters are no longer needed to continue this franchise. Enjoyable watch, solid enough, fun twist at the end, a bit over the top maybe. But if you liked the previous films, you will have a good time watching this too. And I think there are move Scream films to follow after this sixth installment.

Rating: 3/ 5