The Scream franchise was meta before meta was cool. And with Scream 6, one of the franchise’s best entries, it manages to out-meta itself in surprisingly fresh ways – especially given that the first Scream arrived way, way back in 1996. That’s 27 years and four dozen-ish Ghostface kills ago.
Look, no one cares about Scream reviews. Is there a single fan who isn’t going to check out a sequel based on what a critic writes? The odds of finding someone who does that are about the same as the odds of the next Ghostface turning pacifist.
So, with that in mind, this review is going to be short, simple, and completely spoiler-free.
2022’s Scream stars Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Jasmin Savoy Brown, and Mason Gooding reprise their roles as Sam, Tara, and twins Mindy and Chad. The foursome moves to New York only to discover that putting thousands of miles between them and Woodsboro doesn’t stop Ghostface from hunting them down. All it does is give the mask-wearing psycho a nifty new location to conduct his/her slash-and-dash killing spree.
And holy cannoli, Ghostface takes advantage of everything NY has to offer.
Mindy lays out the basic Scream/Stab rules but then throws in a few new ones based on sequels, prequels, reboots, rip-offs, etc., etc., etc. Most notably, Mindy reminds everyone that legacy characters are no longer off-limits. Dun dun duuun! Anyone can die.
Any good Scream fan knows not to count out a character just because they’ve been stabbed dozens of times. Also, Scream fans know not to assume a gaping chest wound is fatal. With those rules in place, Scream 6 lets its freak flag fly and relishes in gory, gruesome, and gloriously entertaining mayhem.
Unlike some Screams, Scream VI or 6 – for those who despise Roman numerals – actually manages to keep things scary for the full length of this iteration of Ghostface’s reign. And it’s not just jump-scares and nervous laughter, there’s full-on horror and tension in director Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett’s second film of the franchise.
The core four are terrific, and the acting throughout is of a higher caliber than most slasher films. Courteney Cox’s Gale Weathers provides the requisite connection to Scream’s history, and Hayden Panettiere’s return helps fuel the badass women vibe.
Scream 6 is not just a worthy addition to the beloved horror franchise. I’d place it in the top three offerings of all Scream films, right after the original Scream and 1997’s Scream 2.
GRADE: B+
MPAA Rating: R for language throughout, brief drug use, and strong bloody violence
Running Time 2 hours 6 minutes
Release Date: March 10, 2023
Studio: Paramount Pictures