For the sixth time in the history of mankind, a new Scream movie has been released to the world of cinema and horror. The Scream Franchise has been going strong since its dawn in 1996, ultimately making it one of the most successful horror franchises of all time. The fellows over at Radio Silence have been in the lab cooking. After the tragic passing of Wes Craven, the team worked hard to bring back the magic of Scream movies in a 2022 film. The first to not be directed by Mr. Craven. One successful box office run and batch of good reviews later; we have a 6th.
How does it play? Especially without its creator and two original stars attached? Is the meta formula that has built up this franchise stale? So many questions that are burning.
It’ll play, baby.
This is the best Scream sequel since Scream 2 (1997) to my surprise! I say “surprise” because how can you make something feel new-ish in a 6th entry? By golly, they do it!
The core cast members from Scream (2022) or “The Core Four” (Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Jasmine Savoy Brown, Mason Gooding) return in a brand new New York setting that takes the madness to NEW HEIGHTS. The cast really does a great job and caressing the torch that was passed to them. This is their franchise now and you really come to be invested in them! The decision to set this movie in New York originally seemed rather gimmicky to me. BUT it works! It introduces new and interesting set pieces never before seen in a Scream movie. This definitely isn’t the scariest Scream movie, but it is among the most intense. That bodega scene was fucking tuff! So there you go; two things that make this entry feel pretty fresh!
But I need to clear the air about something. I am an enormous Scream fan so what I’m saying can come off as biased. Sure.
But please believe me when I tell you that the Scream movies are about having fun. This is such a fun movie. I have never heard a movie theater cheer and applaud in a horror movie. That’s insane to me. My theater was so pumped and it gave me the answer. It’s fun, it’ll play.
And isn’t that what the Scream franchise ultimately about? Having fun with your movie buddies while watching a horror comedy? Yes. Yes it is.
At the end of the day this is a good, fun movie that so happens to be the 6th entry in a horror franchise. That sentence right there sounds and looks ludicrous, but it’s true! Very stoked to see that Matt Battinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett are working their asses off on this franchise. They care, so I care. Can’t wait to see more.
Verdict: I loved it! Hell yeah!
Bonus Scream rankings: Scream 1, Scream 2, Scream 6, Scream 5, Scream 3, Scream 4.
