Scream VI-2023
Director Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett
Starring Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Courtney Cox
Scott’s Review #1,465
Reviewed February 14, 2025
Grade: B
When I spontaneously decided to watch Scream VI (2023) one cold winter night while traveling for work, I had forgotten which of the franchise’s previous installments I had seen.
I had seen Scream (2022) and knew enough to know that it was a sequel to that film containing many familiar characters.
It felt like dining on comfort food, which was the perfect fit. I suspect that’s why others will choose to see this film.
While it is not vital to have seen any or all of the previous chapters, it is helpful because Scream VI contains a hefty dose of historical references and character revisitation. This is a joy for fans craving continuity and past character tie-ins.
More than one character comes back from the dead.
The plot follows a new Ghostface killer who targets the survivors of the Woodsboro murders in New York City. Neve Campbell did not reprise her role as Sidney Prescott due to a pay dispute, making this the only Scream film not to feature her.
I was very impressed with the first and last sequences, as a trio of killers is unmasked in the bloody and wild conclusion. The writing is clever, crisp, and filled with twists and turns.
The mid-section has issues, though.
Fans of the franchise need no explanation, but new viewers should know that the revealed killer or killers always have a motivation based on revenge.
Usually, someone had an affair with someone else, resulting in death or the drive to create a slasher film based on real-life events surrounding the drama.
Other key elements are sinister telephone games, cat-and-mouse puzzles, and knowledge of horror films, which, with a right or wrong answer, could either keep one alive or seal their deadly fate.
The pleasure in watching Scream films is the whodunit, as the killer always wears the Ghostface costume when killing off characters and toying with them first.
Yes, a pattern is followed, but the nods to slasher films of the 1970s and 1980s made the 1996 Scream debut such a masterpiece that the 2023 Scream honors.
Two characters banter about which installment of Friday the 13th and Nightmare on Elm Street is the best and why.
Now, over twenty-five years later, Scream has its history to delve into, which it does. Our main character, Sam Carpenter (Melissa Barrera), is the illegitimate daughter of the original killer, Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich), who makes a cameo.
The killers’ hideout is filled with photos, masks, knives, and other memorabilia from previous films, which is beautifully captured and a pure delight for legacy fans.
As the 1996 film did so well, the incredible opening sequence features a film professor (Samara Weaving) of slasher films receiving a mysterious call and being lured into peril. In a neat twist, the killer is then killed by another Ghostface.
A terrific ladder scene in the middle portion of Scream VI is also superior, as a pleading victim attempts to cross from building to building before Ghostface catches them.
Filmmakers showcase not one but two LGBTQ+ couples (one male and one female) and enough diversity (Asian, black, Hispanic) to be noticed, so it feels pretty inclusive.
Otherwise, the intro and finale are the most notable high points.
The film is bogged down terribly by its over two-hour running time, which made me tune out now and then. The filler is unnecessary and makes the film feel too hefty as it veers off course in redundancy.
Suspension of disbelief is at max capacity, especially during a laughable scene when a character is stabbed on a busy subway, unbeknownst to other subway riders.
Scream VI (2023) is a pleasant vehicle that wins by incorporating more horror history than ever, increased blood and violence, and following a successful pattern that it knows well.
