Following the success of last year’s reboot “re-quel” Scream (2022), our core four new generation of terrified teens is back. This time, Tara (Jenna Ortega), Sam (Melissa Barrera), Chad (Mason Gooding), and Mindy (Jasmin Savoy Brown) are all in New York City with the younger three trying to enjoy the college experience in the aftermath of their traumatic experience in Woodsboro while Sam struggles to feel normal again or let her younger sister Tara out of her sight, much to her chagrin. As the sisters debate the need for constant vigilance, a new Ghostface killer emerges who flaunts some mysterious connection and access to the previous killers under the mask throughout the years. Now the group finds themselves once again fighting to survive a psychopath.
Scream VI doesn’t attempt to reinvent the wheel in comparison to its predecessor, at least in how the film is structured and what it attempts thematically. The audience knows the “killer in a mask picks off teens and their friends/loved ones one by one while keeping everyone guessing as to their identity and goals.” The rejuvenated iteration of the film set itself apart last year by displaying a level of self awareness when it comes to the at times cynical production of rebooted classic franchises. Communicated through the snarky Mindy, the film has a way of cleverly explaining to the audience exactly what it is doing and intends to do while also throwing just enough red herrings and misdirection into Mindy’s explanation of the “rules” of the horror entry to keep everyone engaged throughout. It’s a level of meta commentary that could easily cross the line into annoyance or hyperawareness, but in the Scream franchise, it manages to be endearing.
Thematically, Scream VI continues what Scream V started in exploring more substantive social themes through the murderous rampage of its villain and his pursuit of his targets. Last year, it was obsessive internet fandom while this year, the focus turns to another, more sinister internet underbelly, that of conspiracy theories. Following the string of murders in Woodsboro, Sam has become the target of online conspiracy theorists who insist that she was the real killer and framed and set up her ex-boyfriend turned Ghostface Richie Kirsch. As she deals with the trauma of surviving a murderous plot and coming to terms with her father’s killer past, she must also deal with slanderous, anonymous accusations that catch on to the point where people confront her in the street about them. This plot line echoes our own society’s issue with online truther movements that have resulted in harm to innocent people numerous times. The exploration here is topical and, due to the aforementioned incidents, the attached deadliness of the issue isn’t a cinematic exaggeration as much as a mirror into our own behavior.
Scream VI takes everything that works with its predecessor and ups the ante on kills and gore to maintain its horror frights. The story beats are similar to the first sequel in the franchise Scream 2 which may be a problem for some viewers in terms of its predictability and satisfactory reveal of who the killers are and why they are hunting our protagonists in NYC. There are also some parts where the film seems to take a daring chance with some of its decisions (I can’t say what to avoid spoilers but if your audience was like mine, you’ll know when it happens), which may also undercut the film’s impact. Despite this slightly lack of originality in that aspect of the film, Scream VI is largely entertaining and the cast of characters continues to endear themselves to the audience while creating their own path within the franchise. Fans of a good horror flick and/or the Scream franchise specifically are sure to leave the theater satisfied.
Image: Paramount Pictures
