Nobody is safe from Ghostface, not even in the Big Apple. Scream VI released Mar. 10 2023 to theaters and is the latest entry in the legendary Scream series. Continuing the story from Scream (2022), the rated R movie has a rating of 77 percent on Rotten Tomatoes and made 44.5 million in its opening weekend, setting a franchise record. Even with its new elements, it carries the feel of a classic entry with its perfect blend of horror and comedy.

Actors Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Mason Gooding, and Jasmin Savoy Brown return as the characters they portrayed in Scream (2022), Courtney Cox as Gale Weathers, and Hayden Panettiere as Kirby Reed, who was last seen in Scream 4. 

Sam, Tara, Chad, and Mindy, the “Core Four” as they call themselves for surviving the last horrors of Scream (2022), now live in New York City as they attend Blackmore University. Tensions rise for the Core Four and their friends as a new Ghostface killer begins a vicious murder spree, setting the stage for yet another whodunnit mystery we all know, love and expect from the franchise. However, this new version of the masked icon is unlike any other, using far more brutal methods of killing their victims than before.

Even without the presence of Neve Campbell’s Sydney Prescott and David Arquette’s Dewey Riley, their absence and the reduced focus of legacy characters that do appear allow the new characters and their actors to stand on their own instead of safely relying on nostalgia as Scream (2022) had. 

One thing that the Scream series is known for is its meta-commentary on the state of slasher movies from the time they are released. Scream VI pokes fun at how films from long running franchises feel the need to raise the stakes in each passing installment in order to maintain viewer interest.

Though the kills are not entirely used for satire, the brutality of them gave a lot more weight to each one, adding on to the fear of what this Ghostface is capable of. Viewers should be aware that the violence may be bothersome to those who are squeamish to gore.

Another aspect that the series is known for is comedy in between the horror. However, where the humor in VI truly shined was in a few scenes that had jokes that didn’t take away from the terrifying events that were occuring, recapturing a similar feeling that the iconic final scene that the first movie had. The combination of relevant commentary to today’s horror movies with the balance of horror comedy make for another great chapter to the Scream saga. 

Although some may be turned off by the heavier violence, ‘Scream VI’ is a must watch horror comedy, especially for fans of the series who want a modern Scream experience with the essence of the classic one. For those who do see it, be sure to stick around for the end credit scene as there is a very big surprise.