“Scream VI” premiered in theaters on March 10, 2023, as the sequel to the successful “Scream” (2022) that scared and shocked fans when it premiered in January of last year.
Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, who directed the film “Ready or Not” in 2019, return as the directors of “Scream VI” after directing the previous film in the Scream film franchise.
There are more returns in the film as actors Jenna Ortega and Melissa Barrera come back as the sister duo Sam and Tara Carpenter, along with Mason Gooding and Jasmine Savoy Brown coming back as the favorite twins, Chad and Mindy Meeks-Martin.
The film also marks the return of Kirby Reed, played by Hayden Panettiere. This is the first time Panettiere has played the role since her appearance in “Scream 4” in 2011. Courtney Cox reprises her role as Gale Weathers, one of the original survivors, and Roger L. Jackson returns as the voice of Ghostface.
However, “Scream VI” marks the first film in franchise history that does not feature all three original survivors, with Neve Campbell not reprising her role as Sidney Prescott and David Arquette not returning in his role as Dwight “Dewey” Riley.
Overall, the film is enjoyable to watch and has its positives and negatives. Some of the positives include the performances. The acting is good, especially by the main actors. I could really feel the emotions they were showing on the screen.
Another positive is how different this film is compared to the other films. The setting is quite different with the characters moving to New York City to help them recover from the chaos that happened in the previous film.
The tone of the film is also different, which is great. It feels grittier and more brutal, especially the killings. “Scream VI” also features amazing suspenseful moments along with great chase scenes, which were lacking in the previous film. There are also nice homages to other Scream movies, which are amazing as they give the film a nostalgic feeling, especially for the fans of the franchise. Finally, the plot twists serve their purpose in shocking viewers, especially with the killer reveal.
However, a negative in “Scream VI” is the motive for the killings, which diminishes the plot twist a little bit. Once the motive is revealed, my first reaction was to roll my eyes.
“Scream VI” is not the best film in the franchise, but it’s not the worst in the franchise.
“Scream VI” is still showing at the AMC East Pointe 12 theater in El Paso, Texas, for those who prefer a big-screen experience.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.
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