Scream VI Movie Review: A Fun Slasher Flick for Fans of the Franchise

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One of the most successful horror film franchises is back this weekend! And while the slasher genre isn’t usually my cup of tea, I was excited to check this one out to see how it brought something new to the screen while still leaning into the nostalgia of the previous movies.

Scream VI picks up where 2022’s Scream left off. Following the latest Ghostface killings, the four survivors leave Woodsboro behind and start a fresh chapter in their lives. Melissa Barrera (“Sam Carpenter”), Jasmin Savoy Brown (“Mindy Meeks-Martin”), Mason Gooding (“Chad Meeks-Martin”), Jenna Ortega (“Tara Carpenter”), Hayden Panettiere (“Kirby Reed”) and Courteney Cox (“Gale Weathers”) reprise their roles in the franchise alongside Jack Champion, Henry Czerny, Liana Liberato, Dermot Mulroney, Devyn Nekoda, Tony Revolori, Josh Segarra, and Samara Weaving.

Scream VI Movie Trailer

Scream VI Movie Review: What I Did and Didn’t Like

With a two-hour and two-minute run time, Scream VI isn’t afraid to make fun of itself, which is one of the few things that I really appreciated about the movie. This genre has been done to death (pun intended), so it was nice to see that the filmmakers were able to poke some fun at the tropes and cliches, especially the ones inside of their own franchises. Additionally, there are a few classic horror moments that will make fans of the earlier films smile.

Acting

The cast all do a fine job in their roles and they keep the energy going throughout the more intense moments. Melissa Barrera is clearly the standout of the cast, delivering a solid performance as Sam Carpenter and keeping her character likable throughout the film (despite some clear mental concerns).

Jenna Ortega also gives a great performance here as she continues to ride the wave from her Wednesday success. She’s the perfect fit for the genre and plays off Barrera with ease.

Scream VI Cast — Melissa Barrera (Sam Carpenter), left, and Jenna Ortega (Tara Carpenter) stars in Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group’s Scream VI. / Photo Credit: Paramount Pictures

Script

The plot echoes many of the same themes and elements found in previous installments. However, there are a few fresh ideas that help make Scream VI stand out from the pack.

The story is fast-paced and thrilling as new twists and turns continually keep you guessing who the killer is until the very end. But that being said, I did call it pretty early on.

This is a spoiler-free review. So I’m not going to get too detailed here. But I will gripe on one of the elements that annoyed me the most, the stabbings. There are A LOT of stabbings here. And while that’s to be expected with this genre, what’s not to be expected is people that seem mostly okay after getting stabbed multiple times.

All I’m saying is if you got shot in the shoulder and stabbed in the stomach – perhaps you would seem like you’re in pain instead of just chilling and having a heartfelt moment. There were so many moments of violence that the characters continued on from with such ease I had to double-check myself that this wasn’t some kind of superhero flick.

Ghostface in Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group’s Scream VI / Photo Credit: Paramount Pictures

Overall Thoughts

Although Scream VI isn’t perfect by any means, it’s a fun slasher flick that pays homage to its predecessors while still offering something new. It’s a solid addition to the franchise and will likely please fans of the series.

However, if you’re like me and you’re not a fan of the genre, then this probably isn’t the film for you.