Scream VI Review

The latest installment in the series gets off to a great start by not annoying me with its name. Seeing the “VI” incorporated into the title makes me wonder why they that wasn’t done with a “V” beforehand. Requels getting their own space I guess.

I was really excited to see this after my enjoyment of last year’s entry. But I was concerned that a year is a mighty quick turnaround, reminiscent of 80s slasher sequels being pumped out. Did the team behind V have enough time to make a decent sequel with all the requisite Scream parts? Did they have a plan?

I’m not sure on the second part, but they have made a decent sequel. Not as good as I’d hoped mind you.

Being realistic, the bar for a slasher requel sequel is low. No one’s really expecting the original. So for VI to be a decent entry is enough. Relocating the action to NYC is interesting and spices things up, which alongside a more determined and confident Ghostface makes for some thrilling and tense sequences. The kills themselves are rarely particularly inventive, but that’s not really this series’ MO; they’re still violent and can cause a few winces.

I’m not going to mark the film down for not being scary. I pulled on that thread with the previous film, but I’ve come to realise that a Scream film, for me, is very much about the whodunit and the tension. What is actually scary is how the story itself seems scared to make certain decisions. I’d like some more conviction in what to do with characters in a film where they go out of their to explain how everyone is expendable.

I don’t expect everything in a horror film to line up perfectly. Nor do I expect characters to always make the best decisions. But I did find myself wtf-ing a few times. Discussing a Scream film at time of release is treacherous, so I’ll go no further for fear of spoilers.

With the concern of such a quick turnaround put to rest, but not without some issues, Scream VI keeps the franchise going whilst trying a few new things. The marketing was certainly strong. There are rumours around the next chapter being on a similar schedule already, which concerns me. After two quick entries, perhaps Ghostface needs another rest. VI may still be good fun, but I’d hate to see the series burn out.