We’re certainly not in Woodsboro anymore. Scream VI finds our new protagonists have made the move to the Big Apple and are ready to leave the horrors of the previous year in their rearview mirror. But in typical Scream fashion, one doesn’t simply leave Ghostface behind.
This film is determined to set itself apart from the rest of its franchise, and not just in terms of location. It’s no secret that the Scream films have a formula. Whether you view that as a positive or negative attribute is an entirely different ordeal, but this film does seemingly put in the work to try and reinvent the meta-horror wheel (at least a little bit). With arguably the most interesting opening sequence of the series, Scream VI firmly establishes itself as the bloodiest installment yet. One of the major critiques of Scream (2022) was the distinct lack of heart-racing chase sequences that the franchise is famous for, but this movie definitely ups the ante on this front. The new setting is actually incredibly beneficial in this regard as well. Some have claimed the move to New York is a last-ditch attempt to revitalize the franchise but nonetheless the so called “core four” getting stalked in highly populated public spaces make up some of the tensest moments of the film. The audience is forced to watch these characters get brutally attacked while oblivious bystanders do nothing to prevent it. Shout out to the scene where Ghostface literally holds up a convenience store with a shotgun in the perfect combination of heart pounding and campy, aka the Scream specialty. 
Another major divergence for the franchise: it’s evident from this film that Scream is truly no longer Sidney Prescott’s (Neve Campbell) story. Admittedly the previous film didn’t feature her as a main character either— introducing sisters Sam (Melissa Barrera) and Tara Carpenter (Jenna Ortega) as the new leads— but she still had a role to play in Ghostface’s schemes. This film has something of a Sidney shaped hole, as it marks the first movie in the franchise that Neve Campbell declined to return for. However, one can hardly fault Campbell for standing her ground amid failed salary negotiations. The good news: it appears she is still on good terms with directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett who have expressed their willingness to welcome her back in the future. The bad news: the Scream VI story didn’t really have a need for her character anyway— something of a bittersweet moment for fans.
Not to bring myself into things— although a review on a Scream movie is probably the best medium in which to be a little bit meta— but even as a longtime fan of the series, I couldn’t help but be a bit shocked at just how positive the reaction to Scream VI has been. Horror sequels, especially as of late, have not exactly been topping the box office charts but this film currently has the highest rating of any Scream sequel on Letterboxd, and not by a small margin either. Scream has seemingly outwitted the fatigue that often accompanies these long-standing franchises… but how?
One of the major triumphs of this installment is that it gets the audience to care about the characters. Scream (2022) felt bogged down by its attempts to give half a dozen new characters backstories worth caring about. Scream VI focuses on the “core four:” previously mentioned sisters Sam and Tara, and twins Mindy (Jasmin Savoy Brown) and Chad (Mason Gooding). The twins, relatives of original horror expert Randy Meeks himself, feel a lot more fleshed out in this movie. While they’re both comic relief characters, there is a little bit of depth there from having survived Ghostface once already. Melissa Barrera is definitely the star though, providing a realistic, nuanced performance of Sam and all of the insane amounts of trauma she’s dealing with. Even with the significant development in the new characters, it would be remiss not to the note the familiar faces that also appear in this film: Kirby (Hayden Panettiere), fan favorite from Scream 4, makes her first reappearance and of course Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox), the only character in all six installments, wouldn’t miss an opportunity to get the inside scoop on Ghostface. At this point, it’s pretty ridiculous that Gale’s still willingly showing up at these crime scenes, but her chase scene was the highlight of the movie so it’s hard to complain too much. 
While it’s easy for me to get caught up in the excitement of singing this film’s praises, it isn’t perfect by any means. While Scream VI is a highly effective slasher, the stakes still felt a little low. The action was good, but some of these characters were bouncing back from injuries they had no business surviving. Scream movies have always toed this line, but this movie firmly steps over it. The greatest appeal about slashers is the anxiety that comes from not knowing who will survive. That feeling dissipates when it’s apparent that the characters aren’t in any real danger.
The best thing about any Scream movie is that it always knows exactly what it is. Self awareness is what has managed to keep this franchise alive for so long when other similar ones (i.e. Halloween, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, etc., etc.) have long since deteriorated. Every cliché and predictable plot point has already been directly addressed by the characters; it’s pretty hard to critique a movie that does it for you.
4/5 Stars