On March 10th, the Scream Franchise released its sixth film, Scream VI. Stars include Jenna Ortega, an upcoming scream queen, Melissa Barrera as Sam, Hayden Panettiere returning as Kirby, Courtney Cox as Gale Weathers, Mason Gooding as Chad, Jasmin Savoy Brown as Chad’s twin sister Mindy, and Dermot Mulroney as Detective Bailey. The film is set in New York City, which is a much different vibe than any other Scream film, and is set a year after the events of Scream V. The story follows Sam and Tara as they recover from the trauma of their first Ghostface attacks in 2022. Tara wants some freedom from her sister’s strict rules on safety, and Sam wants to be freed from the negative public opinion that she has garnered after the internet decided to declare her the true villain behind the attacks in 2022. Soon enough, a new Ghostface emerges in their new town and they, along with their friends and roommates, have to fight for their lives once more.
One of the most interesting features of this film, in my opinion, was the advertisements. People all over social media were raving over the unique style of advertising that this film put forth. Ads like the Scream characters train map or the intense trailer that played during the Super Bowl. There were even Ghostfaces in real life that stood in front of security cameras around the world to advertise the film. One ad that I particularly remember was the scene where Ghostface attacked Sam and Tara in the grocery store. It seemed as if Ghostface was a literal ghost or supernatural in some way because of the way that he moved and fought off everyone. All of the advertisements and trailers were incredibly effective in my opinion because they drew you into the story and made you want answers to what was going on. I don’t think they were misleading either. The film definitely followed through in a sufficient way.
Warning: Spoilers Ahead! Skip to the last paragraph for my final thoughts!
The film opens in an incredibly unique way. It immediately draws you in because of the change in the typical Scream format. Normally, a popular star of the time is introduced as the first victim, in Scream it was Drew Barrymore and in Scream VI it was Samara Weaving. But, after she is killed, instead of showing the title screen, Ghostface takes off his mask and basks in the glory of his first kill. We follow him as he goes back home and calls his partner, but is soon enough killed himself as the true Ghostface of the film is introduced and the title screen plays. I immediately noticed how gruesome this Ghostface was. He was unafraid to kill people in horrible ways and he was much tougher than any other Ghostface we have seen before. This led me to believe that this movie’s Ghostface was likely not a physically weak member of the cast.
As I watched on, I never had a strong feeling about who the killer was going to be. I thought it could be Kirby because she was a little suspicious throughout the film, but especially when Detective Bailey called Sam to warn her about Kirby. Although I was never fully convinced, because, as I mentioned earlier, this Ghostface was incredibly strong, agile, and big. When the killer(s!) were finally revealed, it worked really well for the story. I personally never suspected Detective Bailey, so it was super fun to see that revealed. This was also the first film in the franchise to have three killers which was really special.
Some of the standout moments in the film to me were the relationship between Tara and Chad, the final killing by Sam, and the unique introductory scene. Tara and Chad were an unexpected but great pairing in my opinion. Chad is a sweetheart who truly cares for Tara, so seeing them both happy was great. Now, when Chad was “killed” I was devastated. I really did not want him to die, but I could tell it was coming so I wasn’t super surprised, but I am glad that they saved him in the end. The final killing done by Sam was an intense moment. I’m glad that Sam got to get her revenge and win against Ghostface, but it was definitely building up to something. If there is a next Scream movie, (which, come on, of course there is going to be one) then I guarantee Sam will still be struggling with her bloodthirsty desires. It could be interesting if she even became a Ghostface in a sequential movie, but we’ll see what happens next!
Final Thoughts
Overall, I think this was one of the better Scream movies. The story was really refreshing and not a repetition of stories prior. I think that Scream V was a conclusion for the original stars and series, but this film is the beginning of a new era. The younger cast took the focus but our old friends were still there to connect the old story with the new. The New York City setting was a great choice because it creates a new feeling for the story. The film keeps you on your toes throughout the whole movie. There were high stakes throughout the film which kept you invested in the story, but there were also really sweet and heartwarming moments to balance out the gruesome reality of the film. The characters were well-written and developed well throughout the story. I can’t wait to see more of everyone in (hopefully) future films. I would highly recommend this film to Scream fans new and old as well as anyone who enjoys a good, gruesome, exciting horror movie.