Scream VI (2023)

Scream VI (2023)

 

6/10

 

Starring          

 

Directed by

 

The first thing to get out of the way is that Scream VI does not have Neve Campbell in it, so there’s no Sidney Prescott. This is the first time a Scream movie has been made without its iconic character.

I enjoyed the movie, it was fun, thrilling, and very fast-paced. Things started happening right from the get-go. As usual with Scream movies, there’s a first death, and the first female character you see on screen is likely the first victim. The movie didn’t waste any time—it just picked up from where it left off in the previous installment and jumped straight into the action.

As you’d expect, the movie pays respect to its predecessors, borrowing a lot of elements from earlier Scream films while sticking to the classic Scream rules. Some of the settings will give you a sense of nostalgia. And, of course, it wouldn’t be a horror movie without the clichés: characters behaving oddly and getting killed, events unfolding a little too conveniently, and the bad guy never truly being dead until he’s dead dead.

I honestly don’t know how they’ve managed to keep this franchise going for six movies, but credit to the makers—it’s impressive work.

After the events of Scream 5, sisters Sam and Tara are now living in New York with their roommates. The story kicks off when they get a call from the police about a murder. At the crime scene, Sam’s ID is found along with a Ghostface mask. They’re asked to come in for questioning, but before they can, they’re attacked by someone in a Ghostface mask outside their home.

At the station, we meet Kirby (a character from Scream 4 (2011)), who’s now an FBI agent working on the case. Gale also reappears, though she’s gone back on her promise not to tell the story of what happened in Scream 5, this time, she’s doing it for the money.

Things don’t go smoothly for the sisters, as they’re constantly pursued by the killer. And as per the usual Scream formula, anyone who isn’t a main character but is a friend of the main characters is bound to get stabbed. Some survive, and some don’t.

Like every Scream movie, there’s a connection between the killers and the main characters. Even when the killer is stopped, you’re left with the feeling that some distant family member or connection will eventually pick up the knife and come after the girls again.

The absence of Neve Campbell (Sidney Prescott) comes down to money. I hope that if they continue making more movies, they pay her what she deserves. While I enjoyed this installment and the fresh faces, I still missed Sidney.