For those of you who aren't familiar with the Scream franchise, the first film was released in 1996 at a time when the slasher genre was winding down. The Scream films are extremely self-aware, poking fun at slasher tropes and conventions, a trend which the latest film continues. Much of the self-awareness comes from the character of Mindy, who is the niece of original self-aware Randy Meeks. In many ways Scream VI is a mirror of Scream 2 in the same way that Scream (2022) is a mirror of the original Scream. I wonder if this trend will continue with a seventh film mirroring the third.
These new set pieces allow for excellent tension building
The sixth instalment of the slasher franchise relocates to New York rather than the usual setting of small-town Woodsboro, allowing for more dramatic set pieces from the subway to an apartment block. These new set pieces allow for excellent tension building, particularly the flashing lights in the subway. To some extent though I would say that the New York setting isn't used to its full potential beyond these two sequences. The kills, while less than I expected, were pretty brutal in terms of what is shown. The kills aren't creative; it's the usual stabbings you expect from the series. However, at the same time you do wonder how the hell some of the characters lived after being stabbed and shot and spent at least 15 minutes bleeding out.
The attention to detail and continuity is flawless in my eyes. The Ghostface shrine brought back details from Ghost(faces) of Murders Past, paying each film due respect. I even noticed that they added a scar on Tara's hand after she was stabbed in the hand in the last film. Being set around Halloween, the film was filled with references to other horrors, including Ready Or Not which stars Samara Weaving who was the star of the opening scene of this film. I also spied a few references to the Addams Family, which is of course present due to Jenna Ortega (Tara Carpenter in the film) who recently played Wednesday Addams on Netflix.
Even though Sidney is one of the most iconic final girls ever, the Carpenter sisters fill her shoes well
What is a horror franchise without it's iconic final girl? In the case of Halloween, every time the franchise killed off Laurie Strode it suffered to the extent it had to be rebooted many times. Scream's final girl is Sidney Prescott, played by Neve Campbell. However, Neve Campbell stepped back from the franchise for this one following a dispute over her not getting paid what she's worth. Even though Sidney is one of the most iconic final girls ever, the Carpenter sisters fill her shoes well and I didn't find Sidney's absence noticeable at all. A line from Gale Weathers confirms that Sidney won't be coming to NYC and you know what, Sidney deserves her happy ending. Why drag her back again? The "Core Four" from five and six are so entertaining to watch. I think the franchise is in safe hands should we (inevitability) get a seventh film.
The film also brings back Kirby Reed from Scream 4, who's survival was confirmed in a blink-and-you-miss-it moment in the fifth film. Kirby was easily my favourite character from that film so it was great seeing her back. Her return as an FBI agent was a smart move to give a proper reason why a survivor would want to face Ghostface again. All the performances are great, particularly from scream queen Jenna Ortega and Melissa Barrera.
Out of the Scream films, this is probably my favourite bar the original. I love how the films adapt to social commentary on the horror genre and social media, keeping them relatable and fresh yet still feeling like the slasher we all know.
4.5/5
