SPOILERS AHEAD

The highly anticipated sixth installment to the jumpscare-filled “Scream” franchise had its theatrical release on March 10, 2023.

The “Scream” franchise is known for killing off beloved characters, bloody third acts, and epic betrayals. This movie was no different. 

This movie follows the Carpenter sisters as they navigate a new life in New York City. The sisters and their friends work together to uncover the new Ghostfaces’ identity while trying to stay alive.

“Scream VI” took the goriness to the next level; it was an absolute blood bath. One instance is when Ghostface killed Sam’s therapist.

“Scream” movies always have amazing casts and this was no exception. Courtney Cox, Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Mason Gooding, and Hayden Panettiere all reprised their roles as Gale Weathers, Sam Carpenter, Tara Carpenter, Mindy Meeks-Martin, Chad Meeks-Martin, and Kirby Reed, respectively. As usual, Roger Jackson gave an outstanding performance as the chilling voice of Ghostface. Joining the cast was Dermot Mulroney as Detective Bailey, Jack Champion as Ethan Landry, Liana Liberato as Quinn Bailey, and Devyn Nekoda as Anika Kayoko.

Tony Revolori and Samara Weaving did a great job opening the movie and continuing the traditional way the first kill happens in “Scream” movies. However, it was a shock when Revolori’s character, Jason, took off his mask after killing Weaving’s character, Laura. I would have been very disappointed if the killer was revealed in the first scene so I am happy that Jason was killed in the next scene leaving the true Ghostface a mystery throughout the movie.

Each “Scream” movie’s main antagonist is Ghostface; a masked killer who is usually someone close to the main characters. Typically there are 2 Ghostfaces, with “Scream 3” and “Scream VI” being the only exceptions having 1 and 3 killers, respectively.

My favorite scene was the attack at the Carpenter’s apartment. The tension was through the roof when Danny Brackett was trying to warn Sam that Ghostface was standing above Quinn. The ladder scene where Sam, Tara, Mindy, and Anika attempt to escape the apartment was nerve-wracking.

The ending truly didn’t disappoint. I thought it was fairly obvious that Detective Bailey and Ethan were both Ghostfaces, but Quinn being the third Ghostface really surprised me because she “died” earlier in the movie.

What shocked me the most was that they were Richie Kirsch’s father and siblings. However, upon a closer look, Ethan and Richie really do look alike. Richie was one of the Ghostfaces from “Scream” (2022). His family wanted revenge on Sam for killing Richie at the end of the movie. 

One notable criticism was that Neve Campbell’s Sidney Prescott was not in the movie. Sidney is the main character of the franchise and is still alive, yet was only mentioned in the movie, and never shown. She didn’t return due to disagreements regarding her salary. The movie felt like it was missing something due to her absence.

Another disappointment was how little Gale was in the movie. Gale has been in every single “Scream” movie and has survived five other Ghostface massacres, yet the other characters pushed her to the side. She played a smaller role in the movie, yet the scene where Ghostface attacked her in her apartment stole the show. Her shooting Ghostface through the door, and her tear-jerking line “Tell Sidney he [Ghostface] never got me,” all showed why Gale is such an iconic character.

Overall, “Scream VI” was a thrilling movie with good scares. It was the perfect length and a welcome addition to the franchise. I would rate this movie a 7.5/10 because the plot was above average for a horror movie.