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Scream VI Achieves Perfection in an Unrivaled Franchise (Review)
Scream VI is a brilliant, visceral film that continues to prove the franchise is the strongest horror property of our time.
After committing to more than two decades of precise social commentary and absolute horror, the newest entry of the Scream films (Scream VI) maintains its status as a legendary franchise by redefining its own successful blueprint with a perfect sixth entry. Yes, perfect.
While the 2022 relaunch of Scream was tasked with ushering in the next era of stories, the clear creative freedom of the sixth entry finally achieves something very rare within a long-running franchise by exponentially increasing the intensity without sacrificing any character development along the way (an unfortunate obstacle that Blumhouse's Halloween trilogy faced). This, as a result, makes each of the six returning cast members an even more effective addition to a franchise that's always been known for creating impeccable character-driven stories amid the blood-pumping brilliance.
In Scream VI, the directorial team of Radio Silence primarily focuses on that specific asset by choosing to elaborate on the trauma of iconic characters from the past who are still deserving of more attention (Gale Weathers and Kirby Reed in particular) while leaning into their new, richly expanded world by giving Scream (2022) survivors a stature that's just as compelling as the original trio.
Utilizing the Powerful Legacy of Scream with Kirby and Gale
Legacy is practically everything when it comes to modern storytelling due to audiences' desires to follow an overarching plot — and Scream, the franchise itself, was practically built on the idea of legacy, going all the way back to Sidney Prescott's off-screen family trauma and a commitment to pursue survivors' stories through Scream 1-5.
The new entry places its nostalgic character spotlight on Gale and Kirby this time, giving the film a massive shake-up that, in ways, removes any sense of security after the shocking death of Dewey and the recent absence of Sidney. For Gale and Kirby in particular, the two fan-favorite characters have both previously appeared to be under-utilized in their own respective eras, with Gale never earning her call from Ghostface (until now) or leaving Kirby for dead ahead of the final act despite being a clear standout of Scream 4. Scream VI finally revises this missed potential (rather directly and efficiently) by offering commentary on adept legacy characters who have bottled up an untapped, complex history with Ghostface encounters – particularly extending a genuinely satisfying role to Kirby, played by the extraordinarily talented Hayden Panettiere (who stands out as total MVP in this new chapter).
As a young detective (teasing plenty of off-camera ambiguity between films), Kirby now apparently channels her previous traumas into combating others like former Ghostface killers Jill and Charlie, giving her plenty of robust dialogue to reflect on the intensity of what she's been through. Where other franchises might bring in familiar characters for flashy sequences or limited to cameo-like importance, Kirby's revamped narrative makes a bold impression by reintegrating her into the forefront franchise with plenty of thought-provoking, updated changes to the naive high school student that we were introduced to more than a decade ago.
On the other hand, the Scream VI version of Gale certainly shows that the legacy scream queen is just as cutthroat and cunning as she was in the original. However, now, the film still takes the time to delicately address her current life with a poignant perspective that has yet to be depicted. In fact, this very well-rounded presentation of Gale (courtesy of Courtney Cox) might just be the strongest and most sincere spin on her that we've seen since Scream 2, with a few informative conversations surrounding her family, love life, and inability to remove herself from all things Ghostface. Sure, Gale certainly isn't always in the fray for the right reasons, but in essence, that's what separates her from the pack throughout her now record-setting single-continuity appearances.
Despite the already prominent addition of Gale and Kirby, the film is literally overflowing with adoration for the in-universe legacy outside of the pair, being one of the first to directly tie films together by masterfully curating a "shrine" for Ghostface, including more than two decades of connectivity. Longtime fans have always hoped for more reference to previous entries, motives, or events, despite the easier path to spotlight the original film – and in Scream VI, the film goes as far as naming each killer, revealing their belongings, and adding a real-crime obsession that feels very eerily influenced by our current reality. All things considered, by embracing everything that came before (where other entries tend to avoid it), the newest Scream film polishes its timeless reputation and keeps solid genre art intact for future generations.
Intelligently Exploring the Next-Gen Trauma of Scream (2022) Survivors
It's been said repeatedly, but horror (in several ways) is cinema's primary vessel for trauma, which has always been heavily attached to the Scream franchise. During the events of the fifth film specifically, we're introduced to the new Woodsboro cast, who each contain their own family complications to tease. However, after surviving vicious attacks, the sixth film really amps up their internal and external struggles. Following a similar path to Scream 2, Scream VI now caters to each of the "core four" survivors as well as their own ways of coping with the Ghostface attacks and still shockingly finds the time to create a balance of heartfelt moments for each of them (along with its already hefty cast).
When we're reintroduced to Sam, the daughter of the OG killer struggles to differentiate her recent (aggressive) impulses from her sense of identity, further expanding on her fears of following in her father's footsteps. To highlight her ambitious reintroduction even further, Sam is now a hated figure (a diametrical opposite of Sidney's public persona) that constantly has her acting on the defensive, whether it's her own sister intending to punish her or strangers accusing her of masterminding the fifth film's bloodbath. As Scream VI progresses, Sam's visible struggles with emotions like guilt and fear play a pivotal part in the narrative's strengths – giving Sam much more depth, heart, and even a protective nature that hasn't been seen in the Scream universe. A worthy and original final girl indeed.
In addition to our feared heroine Sam, the return of her younger sister Tara gives the seemingly sweeter sibling a little more bite this time around after overtly avoiding the horrors she experienced in the fifth film. And mind you, her prior attacks by Ghostface were nearly life-ending compared to the others. As a result, the contrasting emotional performances offered by both Jenna Ortega and Melissa Barrera amplify their conflicting coping methods and fractured sisterhood by breaking new ground for Scream family turmoil. The film's second pair of siblings (Mindy and Chad) thankfully find themselves with meatier, sincere roles in this new film, too – having previously sidelined their emotional reach in light of filling more humorous components to the meta-franchise.
This time, Mindy and Chad are at least a little changed by the killing spree, causing Mindy (Jasmin Savoy-Brown) to exhibit a twinge of tangible caution to her lighthearted nature and making Chad (Mason Gooding) a more emotionally in-tune character than many assumed to be possible. By the time the film comes to an adrenaline-fueled conclusion, the remaining members of the core group (if any remain, no spoilers included here) have just enough strong writing behind them to create even more substantial stories, which is exactly the kind of murder-mystery longevity that a Scream title is required to embody.
Legendary Chase Sequences, Authentic Suspense, and a Desire to Fight Back
In addition to timeless characters and the exploration of trauma, Scream has always been known to keep audiences on the edge of their seats with esteemed cat-and-mouse chase sequences, including Sidney's 'Stab 3' set encounter and Gale's silent studio sequence setting the standard for excellence. In Scream (2022), fans became vocal about their desire to witness more unsettling chase scenes, leaving a bit of room for improvement when it came to embracing the franchise's fiercest strengths.
Having obviously listened to that request and taken it a step further, Scream VI is so confident in its ability to achieve an increased intensity that the film has even marketed pieces of its biggest moments – fully knowing that there's still enough fuel in the tank to shock and appease its viewers. Not only does the sixth film make an effort to add at least one familiar chase, but a plethora of options (properly utilizing its cramped NYC backdrop in tone and set pieces) to prove that there's still deep-rooted admiration for previous Scream formats. However, Gale takes what might be the best prolonged Ghostface encounter of the franchise, with an intense gut-punching confrontation that includes introspective meta-infused dialogue and nail-biting action until the very end.
Finally, the all-important kills in Scream VI are especially brutal – and not in a sense where we're inorganically departing Scream for Terrifier terrain but still elevating their previous accomplishments with unsettling slayings. For example, the instantly iconic Scream VI opening reminds viewers that even with his traditional tactics, a knife-wielding Ghostface can surpass other horror staples when implementing impactful, unique death scenes and cutting dialogue (or, of course, several stomach-churning attacks).
But where the sixth installment really makes its visceral genre mark is when its large group of protagonists chooses to fight back, and this film has the most hardened selection of survivors that the franchise has ever seen.
Scream VI
10/10
With a brilliant focus on persevering, pulse-pounding tension, and top-tier slasher capabilities at its core, there's plenty of skill behind this perfect chapter of an influential franchise.
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