Scream VI is a 2023 slasher film directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, written by James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick, with original franchise writer and creator Kevin Williamson returning as executive producer. It will be the sixth installment in the Scream film series, and will be a direct sequel to Scream (2022).

Four survivors of the Ghostface murders leave Woodsboro behind for a fresh start in New York City. However, they soon find themselves in a fight for their lives when a new killer embarks on a bloody rampage.

The film stars Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Mason Gooding, Hayden Panettiere, Courteney Cox, Dermot Mulroney, Henry Czerny, Samara Weaving, and Tony Revolori. This is the first film in the franchise where Neve Campbell will not appear as Sidney Prescott, reportedly due to a contract disagreement.

Scream VI made its debut in theaters on March 10th, 2023, courtesy of Paramount Pictures.

THE GOOD

It honestly feels like I was just at the theater to see last years Scream (our full review here), also known as Scream 5, and someone in the theater who came alone was in full blown Ghost Face. No joke the mask never came off, it was impressive. We had to wait a decade to get last years movie, and just a short year and a couple months to get the all fresh and new Scream VI. So needless to say it felt a little strange going to see another movie so soon, but as a massive fan of all things slasher and a fan of the Scream franchise since its debut in the mid 90’s, I was pumped.

I’ll admit I was a little concerned in terms of where they were planning to take things with this new film, especially after it was confirmed that Neve Campbell’s Sidney Prescott wouldn’t be involved for the first time. But after I was pleasantly surprised by the fresh approach to the franchise with last years film, I kept an open mind and made my way to the theater at the first chance I got. So, did Scream VI keep the momentum going or send the franchise on another inevitable hiatus? Keep reading to find out!

Let me just say this, they can keep making these movies and I will keep showing up. And if I’m Neve Campbell, I am on the phone trying to work my way back in to the mix. Seriously, Scream VI was everything I hoped it would be and more. Slasher franchises have a fairly simple formula, and more than anything else people want a ton of screen time for the iconic killer, especially if you are on the 6th film. My favorite slasher franchise is Friday the 13th, and when the reboot film came out back in 2009 fans were given a hefty dose of Jason Voorhees in all of his hockey mask wearing glory, and I honestly loved it. I mean sure the acting was subpar and the story was recycled crap, but it didn’t matter because I got to see a ton of the T&A the franchise is known for, as well as some fantastic kills. Back to the film at hand with Scream VI, and we have yet another slasher franchise that sticks to the winning formula, but also brings to the table the other elements that make for a great film.

We get a ton of Ghost Face who is as aggressive and relentless as he has ever been, the cast is on point from top to bottom, the story is full of great twists and turns, and I honestly thought the new big city setting was perfectly fitting within the extended story. Scream VI sticks with the meta approach that was a big focus of last years Scream, which is an absolute treat for slasher fanatics. Listening to the characters grill each other on who is more likely to be the killer is so much fun, especially considering the focus on the key elements of slasher films. My favorite slasher franchise Friday the 13th also gets a few solid shout outs which was the icing on the cake for me. Scream VI is also very funny, and had me laughing out loud several times. The film is also extremely technically sound delivering great cinematography, an immersive score/soundtrack, and more than anything else a clear identity that stays true to the franchise.

The first thing I feel like I need to touch on is the primary element that could make or break the film, which is of course the story. Bottom line, Scream VI gets it right, and essentially picks up right where last years film left off. Before seeing Scream I was expecting more of the same which would have been fine, but the writing team found a way to hit the refresh button for the franchise without alienating fans. The Scream films feel like their own version of a slasher multiverse, mainly because you have this unique layered element with the Stab films, and the intense cult following they have created. Within the Scream franchise you have the Woodsboro murders which rocked a community, but because of our obsession with tragedy and the incessant need to cash in on the pain of others, this fictional Stab franchise was created within the Scream films, first introduced in 1997’s Scream 2.

Now this concept was perfect because it fit within the copycat killer element of the Scream films that has kept us on the edge of our seats for damn near three decades. What makes these films unique is the killers are always somehow intertwined with the primary characters in the film, which adds another level of intrigue as well as a few more great twists that definitely caught me by surprise. I thought the pacing was perfect as the 2-hours absolutely flew by. I also really liked how the movie starts out with an intense and immersive opening, which honestly had my excitement level at about a 10 right from the jump, and it never really slows down. And as usual I won’t give away any spoilers, but the story pays homage to slasher franchises in general, but also serves as the gold standard for the Scream franchise in particular and will have longtime fans giddy. More than anything else, Scream VI is exhilarating, hilarious, fast-paced from start to finish, and undoubtedly sets us up for more movies.

In order for a Scream franchise resurgence to be possible, we needed new foundational characters to build on outside of the core cast from the original films. In steps the next generation. The first person I will talk about is one of the hottest actresses in Hollywood today in Jenna Ortega. The wholesome CA native got her big break in 2016 with the Disney series Stuck in the Middle, after chipping away for several years with one-off roles in various shows. in 2021 she took on a lead role in the HBO original drama film The Fallout (check out Andrew’s review here), where she really showed what she was capable of. A year later she starred in slashers Scream and X (our full review here), and by then it was obvious, a star was born. Ortega is fantastic as Tara Carpenter, the first person to ever have an up close and personal encounter with Ghost Face, and live to tell about it. In Scream VI she picks right up where she left off, and once again serves as a reminder that she is more than capable of carrying this franchise as far as it can possibly go.

Next up is Melissa Barrera, who plays Tara’s sister Sam Carpenter. Apart from being sexy as hell if you don’t mind me saying, Barrera is a straight up badass and sort of reminds me of a young Michelle Rodriguez in terms of her mess with me and see what happens attitude. Her character is a crucial centerpiece of the story with Scream VI after the events in Scream, and she is very much up for the challenge. I liked how throughout the film a certain amount of mystery surrounds her character, and this continued right up to the end credits. Does she have a Dexter-like darkness inside her? Perhaps, only time will tell. For my money Barrera was the perfect addition to the Scream franchise, and I look forward to seeing more from her.

Aside from Ortega and Barrera who are without a doubt the foundation of the film, I was once again very pleased with Mason Gooding and Jasmine Savoy Brown, the other two surviving characters from last years film. Brown is very much the witty character who keeps the fun and immersive meta element of the film alive and well, and Gooding proves to be the protector of the group who will do anything for those closest to him. I also enjoyed the dynamic between Gooding and Ortega’s characters this time around.

The supporting cast was great from top to bottom, with Samara Weaving making a brief but irresistible appearance (she previously starred in Ready or Not), Hayden Panettiere returns like she never left, Dermot Mulroney is awesome in his role as a NYC detective and father of one of the roommates, Tony Revolori (Spider-Man: No Way Home, Servant) plays a small but important role, and I knew Josh Segarra, who played the neighbor and Sam’s love interest, looked familiar and realized it was because of his role in the FBI series. He was a nice addition as well. Oh and I loved Courteney Cox in her return as as the hated Gale Weathers, and she was as tough as ever.

I touched on it briefly already, but I was genuinely impressed with the technical elements of Scream VI. Of course with this latest entry taking place in the Big Apple cinematographer Brett Jutkiewicz had a ton to work with, and he took full advantage. The film was immersive and just the right amount of gritty. Plus with slasher films the score and soundtrack tends to be a big part of what makes the franchise so iconic, and they keep the ball rolling here. The music kept me energized from the opening scene to the end credits. Shoutout to composer Sven Faulconer, who worked in collaboration with uber-talented composer Brian Tyler, who has an absolutely insane resume including last years Scream, Yellowstone, F9: The Fast Saga, Ready or Not, Power Rangers (2017), and Avengers: Age of Ultron, just to name a few.

Of course I have to talk about the kills in Scream VI, and they are just so damn good. Ghost Face was out there murdering people like they owed him money, and even picks up a shotgun at one point - a shotgun! Something about the big city brings out the beast in these slasher icons, I mean look at Jason in Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan when he legit punches that dudes head off of a rooftop. Like damn. In all seriousness, the creativity and intensity of the kills was evident from the first 5-minutes of the film, and you could feel each brutal attack with Ghost Face coming in like Adonis Creed throwing haymakers in Creed III (our full review here).

Kills are supposed to be satisfying in slashers, and satisfying they are. I have to give a ton of credit to directing duo Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, who are still relatively new in the industry. The duo had their feature film debut with the indie anthology horror V/H/S (2012), and also directed two segments of the anthology horror Southbound (our full review here), which Bettinelli-Olpin also played a role in. They turned heads with the 2019 horror thriller Ready or Not, which likely landed them the opportunity to also direct last years Scream. Remember their names because these two have a very bright future in the industry. Oh and I personally cannot get enough of the “what is your favorite scary movie?” line, absolutely legendary. Keep it coming!

THE BAD

It should come as no surprise after reading this review that my issues with Scream VI were few and far between, with the good far outweighing the bad. Now if you’re familiar with the Scream franchise, you understand the overall tone and feel of the films which is at times brutal slasher, with a mix of quirky humor. In order to fully appreciate the films, it is important you buy into that trademark approach. With that being said, as I pointed out in the review Scream VI is one of the more brutal and intense films in the franchise, and for that reason I do feel like it should have a wider reach as far as fans and newcomers unfamiliar with the franchise. As with all slasher films, the writing often feels infuriating in terms of the “why would you do that!!” or “are you trying to get killed!”, but that is part of the allure of slasher films and something you have to accept. If the characters always made smart decisions and knew how to effectively survive, that would make for a pretty boring movie with Ghost Face roaming the streets. I do wish I would have re-watched Scream, which is now streaming on Paramount+, prior to seeing this just so the story was fresh in my mind.

THE VERDICT

A fast-paced and innovative slasher that is easily one of the more brutally violent entries in the storied franchise, Scream VI continues the impressive resurgence of Ghost Face and is pure gold for longtime fans. Even though I genuinely enjoyed last years Scream, how much fun I had with this movie still caught me off guard. I just love the feeling I get when an iconic franchise like Scream gets the royal treatment it deserves. I mentioned in the opening that if they keep making these movies I will keep showing up, and I meant that. To say that they have re-energized this franchise between last years film and this entry would be an understatement, and if they play their cards right they could make another 4 movies easily, especially considering the new foundation as far as the next generation of characters.

Scream VI is an absolute treat for fans of the franchise and slasher fans in general, and a movie that is very easy to recommend seeing on the big-screen. I can’t wait to see it again. Also, can we accept the fact that slasher films still make bank and get another Friday the 13th movie already, PLEASE!!