Scream VI Spoiler-Free Early Review

Going into a new Scream film blind for the most part is always the best way to go into them as it makes the experience even better and their reveals all the more surprising. That being said, this review will be very careful not to give anything away and contain absolutely zero spoilers in order to preserve that experience. Scream VI takes place shortly after the events of Scream and follows sisters Sam (Barrera) and Tara Carpenter (Ortega) along with twins Chad (Mason Gooding) and Mindy Meeks-Martin (Jasmine Savoy Brown) who have since left Woodsboro behind and moved to New York to start a fresh new chapter. Unfortunately for them, a new Ghostface killer surfaces, and a new spree of bloody murders begins with their friend group once again at the center.

Scream VI continues this franchise’s hot streak, delivering another entertaining, fast-paced, and suspenseful installment that fans will absolutely love. Without even giving the slightest hint away, the film feels stands out compared to past films in that it actually shakes up the formula and isn’t afraid to take risks that constantly subvert the expectations of audiences. Whether they pay off or or not remains to be seen but nevertheless, it breathes new life into this franchise and does things unseen in a Scream film. It’s clear that the filmmakers listened to feedback from the last film as this film feels even closer to the Craven films. The film is one of the gorier, scarier, and more intense entries with the kind of carnage that is sure please gore hungry fans and a more ruthless Ghostface, while still maintaining the clever meta sense of humor that fans love and also finding an even smoother mix of the two.

The first installment taking place in New York City, the new setting is used to its full potential. The big city offers up lots of exciting chases and memorable set pieces that rank up there with the best in the entire series, many of which have been hinted at or shown in the marketing. It offers a refreshing change of pace after solely spending time in Woodsboro the last two films and opens the door for more adventures in the big apple or different locations. Meanwhile, this is also the first Scream film without the involvement of Neve Campbell or feature the character of Sidney Prescott and while her exit behind the scenes still hurts, this film manages to work just as well without her thus proving that the franchise doesn’t necessarily need her at the forefront to be successful. It does a great job at developing the new cast as they proved that they are more than capable to lead this franchise should it continue without the involvement of Campbell.

Due to the nature of the film, it’s tough to talk about specific members of the cast but the entire cast here all bring their A-game. Barrera is even better this time around and owns the role of Sam while Ortega continues to impress as Tara. The sisters are once again the central focus as their chemistry continues to be the highlight because of how believable they are as sisters and this film will only make that connection grow stronger. Brown is once again a major highlight as Mindy and it’s an absolute joy seeing Hayden Panettiere return as Kirby and how well they handled her return. Cox chews up the scenery once again as Gale with the character being brought into the story very naturally. Without giving away too many specifics, the new cast all do well with their respective parts. In the end, the biggest standout here is Gooding’s Chad who’s given a more significant role and is without a doubt the heart of the film so much so that it is easy to see him becoming an even bigger fan favorite.

As great as Scream VI is, it was not without its issues and missteps. Despite this being the longest film in the series yet, it feels slightly rushed at times. Focusing a lot of time on the returning cast, the newer cast members feel a bit wasted. Again, without giving anything away, most of the film’s problems lie in its third act where it does lose itself. But other than a few issues, this is still easily one of the best films of year so far and very much on par with most of the other sequels in this franchise. In fact, it could end up becoming some viewers favorite since the original.

Scream VI is an excellent installment in the Scream franchise that deserves to and will most likely make a killing at the box office. For audiences who didn’t like the last film, this one is well worth a shot.

still courtesy of Paramount Pictures

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Connor Carey

www.connorsmoviereviews.com/