This review contains spoilers for ‘Scream 6‘, only read it if you have watched the movie and are fully aware of this spoiler warning.
In the year of 1997, Wes Craven introduced Scream to the world, along with franchise-lasting characters such as Neve Campbell’s Sidney Prescott and, of course, the iconic masked slasher known as Ghostface. Scream 6 is officially the first instalment in the franchise to not include Campbell’s Sidney Prescott, who has been the main protagonist throughout the series so far, for reasons that we won’t be getting into for this review. However, the sixth Scream instalment manages to still stay true to the lore, even without the main hero being present, now focusing more on Sam (Melissa Barrera) and Tara Carpenter (Jenna Ortega).
Scream 5, also known as Scream, introduced the Carpenter sisters to the audience for the first time, being named Carpenter as a direct reference to John Carpenter who wrote movies such as Halloween, the iconic series that stars the even more iconic killer known as Michael Myers. Sam Carpenter is revealed during Scream 5 to be the biological daughter of the first movie’s killer, Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich), which ultimately ended up twisting the usual formula of Sidney Prescott being the main target for Ghostface, as Sam Carpenter seems to be Ghostface’s new favourite in both the fifth and sixth instalments of the Scream franchise.
Scream 6’s Opening Sequence – Wait, What?!
Let’s start this review officially by talking about the opening sequence, which was by far one of the most surprising openings out of all the Scream movies up to date. Tony Revolori plays Jason Carvey, who is almost instantly revealed as Ghostface, moments after killing Samara Weaving’s Laura Crane.
This whole scene changes the typical format of the opening kill, by revealing who Ghostface is, and also by not displaying the movie’s title card once Ghostface lands his final swing of the knife at his/her victim. However, it is quickly revealed that Revolori isn’t the true Ghostface of the movie, and is just a mere copycat who is killed off during the opening by one of the three true masked killers known as Ghostface.
This surprising opening sequence, which Scream fans would not have been expecting in the slightest, is a perfect way to let its audience know that things aren’t going to be as predictable this time round, with twists and turns plus plenty of rule-breaking to come.
The true Ghostface is even heard saying “who gives a f**k about movies?” at one point during the opening sequence, which is also surprising due to the fact that Ghostface killers are usually obsessed with the horror genre and/or Scream’s meta Stab movies.
Plot: Cliché or not Cliché?
Usually, when watching a Scream movie, the plot is often cliché and predictable, just as it was originally intended by Wes Craven who specifically included tonnes of meta dialogue to point out the obvious, even for those who may not be fully clued up as to what’s going to happen. Scream VI does still stick to characters pointing out horror slasher tropes in a meta way, however, Ghostface doesn’t stick to the rules of Scream/ Stab this time around, which is an amazing turn of events that takes the audience by surprise straight from the get-go.
It’s made pretty clear during the opening of the movie that the new Ghostface doesn’t seem to have the same obsessions or motives as the previous Ghostface killers of the franchise, especially when confessing to the first victim that he/she doesn’t care about the “movies” at all. The storyline itself is both incredibly written and executed by talented cast members such as Jenna Ortega, Melissa Barrera, Hayden Panettiere, Courteney Cox, Mason Gooding, Jack Champion, Josh Segarra, Dermot Mulroney, and the additional cast ensemble.
Several points during the movie will have fans truly guessing who the true Ghostface killer is, which is often quite easy to figure out, however, this time round it truly is a challenge, especially when considering the fact that there are over a handful of prime suspects – even including Hayden Panettiere at one point. What makes this one of the most defining elements of Scream VI is due to Scream always being a whodunnit crime-solving mystery.
Despite the plot of the movie being set in the busiest area of New York City, in all its glory, the film manages to balance the relationships between the characters and the action-packed Ghostface sequences flawlessly.
Breaking Randy Meeks’ Rules
One of the most prominent key points of Scream 6 is that the new Ghostface killers all ignore the rules that were originally pointed out by Randy Meeks during his speeches in Scream, Scream 2, and even Scream 3. Randy’s niece, Mindy, who is played by Jasmin Savoy Brown, even points this out at one point during the film, since meta dialogue is often used by characters in the franchise, making it hard to predict what will happen next.
Although fans are usually keen on the idea of the typical Scream formula being followed, including Randy’s rules, this new take was a fresh and captivating ride that has revitalised the franchise, taking it in a brand new direction. However, as mentioned previously in this review, although rules have been broken, this new instalment still manages to stay true to its roots and the lore of not only the first Scream but literally every single Ghostface that has ever seen the light of day.
No Sidney Prescott, But It Still Works.
It wouldn’t be true if it wasn’t noted that fans were sceptical before going into Scream VI, simply due to Campbell’s Sidney Prescott not being a part of the cast this time around. However, Sidney still has an extremely strong presence during the film, with multiple references and even an update from Courteney Cox’s Gale Weathers who explains to both the Carpenter sisters and the audience that Sidney chose to sit this one out.
Thankfully, the cast and crew have brewed up a sequel that works perfectly fine without the usual involvement of Campbell’s Sidney, as the storyline is most certainly mainly focused on just Sam Carpenter, her family, and her friends, with these new Ghostface killers having no connection at all to Sidney or, in a way, her legacy. This time, it’s all about Sam as the three main Ghostface killers seek out revenge for killing Jack Quaid’s Richie Kirsch.
It would have been nice to have Sidney in the mix, but there are still hopes that Neve Campbell may return for a potential Scream 7, which could also see the return of Matthew Lillard’s Stu Macher.
Stu Macher Teased For Scream 7?
One of the most popular theories, even for Scream VI, is that Matthew Lillard’s Stu Macher from the original Scream is still alive and out there somewhere, waiting to get his revenge on Sidney Prescott.
Well, sadly Scream VI has no inclusion of Lillard’s Stu Macher, but there are literally dozens of references and even one line of dialogue that may suggest he will be returning for a potential Scream 7.
Despite the theories being thrown out of the window, the setups and meta referencing to these theories throughout the movie were a perfect compromise and felt just as rewarding.
Amazing Ghostface[s] Reveal
Last, but not least, is the moment that all Scream fans wait for when watching these movies, which is, of course, the Ghostface reveal that always happens during the final act of each instalment.
The three main Ghostface killers of Scream VI are made up of Dermot Mulroney’s Detective Bailey, Liana Liberato’s Quinn Bailey, and Jack Champion’s Ethan Landry – who are all revealed to be Jack Quaid’s Richie Kirsch’s family members.
Liberato’s Quinn Bailey actually takes fans by surprise, since her involvement doesn’t seem that important during the first act of the movie, with Quinn even being killed off by Ghostface during an intense Ghostface scene, which was all an illusion, of course, as she is revealed during the finale to be Richie’s sister.
This new Ghostface reveal works perfectly with the new set of protagonists in the mix, Sam and Tara Carpenter to be exact, as the Bailey family, formerly known as the Kirsch family, are seeking out revenge solely on Sam Carpenter and have no care in the world about Sidney Prescott, the Stab movies, or even the horror slasher genre. So, for the first time in the series of Scream films so far, fans were genuinely surprised by the killer’s motive this time round.
RATING: 4/5
Scream VI is now playing in theatres worldwide.
