SCREAM VI (2023)

Genre: Horror/Thriller
Director: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett
Cast: Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Mason Gooding, Hayden Panettiere, Jack Champion, Liana Liberato, Tony Revolori, Samara Weaving, Henry Czerny, Devyn Nekoda, Josh Segarra, Dermot Mulroney, Courteney Cox
Runtime: 2 hrs 2 mins
Rating: M18 (Violence and Coarse Language)
Released By: UIP
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 9 March 2023

Synopsis: In the next installment, the survivors of the Ghostface killings leave Woodsboro behind and start a fresh chapter in New York City.

Movie Review:

It’s more of the same, really. We are introduced to a group of friends (usually teenagers), and you tick off the stereotypes in the group. There’s the lead (usually the girl with the brains), her best friend (the loyal one), some random guys (you can have a mix of dim witted hunks or quick witted nerds). Sometimes, you also get siblings in the mix. Then, a masked slasher appears and begins terrorising the group, and they are killed off one by one. Everyone is a suspect, and the person behind the mask is usually someone who has been traumatised by a past wrongful action. Bonus points are given if the scriptwriter weaves in how the killings are tied to a special occasion or anniversary that inspires the killer.

Did we just sum up the plot of the latest Scream movie? Basically, yes. And if aren’t already aware, the premise has been similar for the past five instalments of the series. But yet, audiences keep coming back for more and it’s likely that this sequel that takes place in New Yorkis going to bring in big bucks – which means you can expect Scream VIIin the near future.

A follow up from last year’s Scream which was branded as a relaunch of the series, we see Sam (Melissa Barrera) and her half sister Tara (Jenna Ortega) trying to start a new life in The Big Apple. We don’t blame them, because what they went through in the fictional town of Woodsborowas pretty intense. If you forgot or didn’t watch the last movie, the killers were fans of the Stab movies, the franchise set within the Scream universe.

Back to the latest title - a new masked killer shows up (fans would know him as Ghostface), and things get bloody again as the body count begins to rise. Sam and Tara, together with their friends, can only start wondering who the next victim is. Amidst the scary thought, they must also race against time to stay alive and find out who the bad guy is.

Not a terribly exciting premise, we hear you say. But trust us, the moment the killings begin, you’d be hooked and start guessing which of these characters is responsible for the murderous rampage. Could it be Tara(played by Ortega), whom reminds us of the cold hearted Wednesday in the recent hit TV series? Or could it be Sam herself, who has since become a cold blooded killer like her father (Skeet Ulrich appears in a cameo appearance, reprising the killer character from 1996’s first Scream movie). Or could it be any of the disposable supporting characters? What about nosey talk show host Gale Weathers (Courtney Cox) or special agent Kirby Reed (Hayden Panettiere), characters from past instalments? Someone’s gotta give us a clue soon.

Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett return to direct this 122 minute movie, and it’s got enough thrills and spills to keep you at the edge of your seat. There are some truly nail biting sequences that are executed in a gleefully anxious way that will have you wishing you’d never be put in such a situation in your life. The movie’s gotten bigger, and features more slashing and blood. All these point to a sign that Scream is officially a franchise.

Movie Rating:

(WIth bigger setups with a generous amount of blood and gore, Scream is officially a franchise and it's here to stay)

Review by John Li