The sequel to the requel is set in the city, where the series finds fresh ways to heighten old scares. Scream VI Movie Review: An impressive and more intense follow-up to last year’s reboot
In the story, Samantha and Tara Carpenter are attacked by a new Ghostface in New York City after moving there from Woodsboro. When the killer goes for the Core Four (the three sisters and the twin's Chad and Mindy), Sam finds herself in the crosshairs and is suspected of being a killer. Will the four kids and their companions make it out alive? And what exactly is Ghostface's endgame with all this bloodshed?
Review:
After more than a decade, the Scream series returned in 2023 with a revamp, and it was immediately praised by both audiences and reviewers. Unfortunately, sequels seldom measure up to the standards established by the first installment. Yet, Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett change that dynamic in the sequel. Both the subject matter and the approach are more serious in this one. The last one had murderers who were devoted fans of the Stab film series, but this one had a far more solid motive. Samantha (Melissa Barrera) and Tara Carpenter (Jenna Ortega) are related, and that's why Ghostface is on a murdering rampage.
The film's tone is established in its twisted and powerful opening scene, in which many characters are killed off in rapid succession. It's nice to see that the story doesn't follow the same formula of a female victim who is home alone and opens the door to a psychopath only to meet a grisly end. The next scene, involving the murder of a film professor who specializes in slasher films, is excellent.
Scream VI is hardly mindless slasher fare, despite its blood and gore. There are allusions, and the most interesting bits are the ones when Sam is reminded of her lineage as the daughter of the original Woodsboro Ghostface murderer Billy Loomis, which shows a darker side to her. There are a lot of violent deaths and exciting chase scenes as the heroes struggle to get away. The Halloween setting is so hectic that it makes one feel like they're being smothered, and there's a passage on a subway train where Mindy (Jasmin Savoy Brown) and Ethan (Jack Champion) were left behind that will make you gasp.
Kirby Reed (Hayden Panettiere), now an FBI agent, and Gale Weathers (Courtney Cox), who has been absent for some time, return to surprise fans of the franchise. The supporting cast is strong, but the primary performers—Melissa Berrera, Jenna Ortega, Jasmin Savoy Brown, and Mason Gooding (as Chad Meeks-Martin)—really carry the show. There are a few chuckles to be had from the natural and unforced banter and caustic exchanges between characters like Gale and Kirby.
The movie lags and seems sluggish at times, which weakens the tension of the tale. Overtheatrical effects, including a reference to Stab within Stab, mar an otherwise effective climax. Its climax is a little too complicated, and it would have been stronger if it were shortened slightly. The film keeps you guessing until the very end, and the reveal of Ghostface's true identity will surprise you, but not wow you.
On a whole, Scream 6 is an improvement over the reboot and a good horror film in its own right. The violence and action are executed well enough that you can forgive the plot flaws. If you like blood and scary stuff, you will like this ride.
Movie Monday: ‘Scream VI’ Makes Box Office Noise
I scream you scream, we all scream for Scream VI.
That's not quite accurate. Neither the readers nor the authors of this site were likely chomping at the bit for a new Scream film. Box office projections for the weekend, however, suggest that there were plenty of viewers. The North American gross for Scream VI was an estimated $44.5 million. It not only topped the box office for the weekend but also for the whole series.
Scream VI earned a whopping $67.1 million worldwide, $22.6 million of which came from outside the United States. I don't believe the movie will end up losing money, no matter how much blood we see on screen.
After a busy weekend at the movies, Scream VI was able to claim the top spot. There were three new wide-release films competing with two established ones.
Creed III, one of these survivors, is winning over audiences at the box office. With this weekend's earnings, the grand total now stands at $101.4 million. It's just the second movie ever to gross over $100 million since its premiere in 2023.
65, starring Adam Driver, is a new science fiction picture that opened in third place with a disappointing $12.3 million. The next highest-grossing film was Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, with $7 million. As of this writing, Quantumania has made $198 million in the United States, which is just a few ice cream cones short of the elusive $200 million mark. Solid results by almost every measure. But for a massively hyped, astronomically priced Marvel film? Not really.
Only hours after making an appearance at last night's Academy Awards, Cocaine Bear gulped down an additional $6.2 million, bringing its total to $51.7 million. It earned $5.20 million in its first weekend, putting it in sixth place, ahead of both Jesus Revolution ($5.2 million) and Champions ($5.15 million). And for that keeping track of how much money Jesus Revolution has made so far, it's already made $39.5 million in North America, making it the ninth highest-grossing movie of the year.
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