I was very excited to see Scream VI. Scream VI is deemed the final chapter. If that is true remains to be seen. Look at Saw: The Final Chapter and The Final Destination. Both went beyond their final chapters. If this is a huge hit, there may end up being a Scream 7. For the first time in the franchise’s history, Scream VI moves to a new setting, New York City. This is the first film not to take place in Woodsboro at all. The movie follows Samantha Carpenter (Melissa Barrera), Tara Carpenter (Jenna Ortega), Mindy Meeks-Martin (Jasmin Savoy Brown), and Chad Meeks-Martin (Mason Gooding) as they now live in the Big Apple and are the four survivors from the events in the last movie, Scream. Also, Gail Weathers (Courtney Cox) is in NYC working for a news station and Kirby Reed (Hayden Panettiere) is back as well last seen in Scream 4. Scream VI stars Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Mason Gooding, Courtney Cox, Hayden Panettiere, Josh Segarra, Jack Champion, Liana Libertato, Devyn Nekoda, Tony Revolori, Samara Weaving, Henry Czerny, and Dermot Mulroney.

Scream VI is the bloodiest and over the top Scream yet in the franchise. Its kind of like how the longer the Fast and the Furious goes the more outrageous it becomes. I enjoyed Scream VI and I enjoy the Fast and the Furious franchise. Over the top does not bother me at all. It has always been fascinating with long running franchises how things evolve over time. Looking back at the earliest Scream movies, they seem tame compared to the recent ones including Scream 4. I would say the first three Scream movies were tame and the last three Scream movies got bloodier and bloodier. This will be a spoiler free review given it just opened.

The opening sequence was unique and put its own spin and twist on what is expected of the opening sequences in the Scream franchise. Just like the prior movie Scream also known as Scream 5, this movie pays respect to the history of the franchise and acknowledges the legacy. Even though Sydney Prescot (Neve Campbell) is not in the film and that was known shortly before filming started on Scream VI, Sydney was still part of the film. There was still acknowledgement of her and her legacy.

It was said before Scream VI opened that it was going to be the bloodiest yet. That is true and this probably has the highest body count in the franchise. The first Scream opened on December 20, 1996. This franchise is over twenty-five years old. There have been significant gaps between films. After Scream 3, Scream 4 opened eleven years later. It was eleven more years until Scream 5 was released. Scream 5 and Scream VI have breathed new life into an aging franchise while paying respects to the legacy of the franchise. I found Scream VI refreshing for the franchise. I think the change in scenery helped make this a solid slasher movie. Adding New York City to the mix really brought something different to the franchise. It made the film bigger and crazier. It is New York after all. It had cool twists and turns.

Scream VI has the same plot as the other films in the franchise. As they say its about the journey not the destination. The journey was a wild and crazy ride. I was invested the whole time. Sometimes the film gave me some anxiety and horror films are supposed to do that. I wasn’t sure who would live and who would live to be honest. I was more surprised of who did live as opposed to who died. Personally, I always enjoyed the plots of the Scream franchise and think they are solid movies. I think they are a little more than just slasher films. A strong suit of this movie is the bonds of the characters specifically Samantha, Tara, Mindy, and Chad. They survived the horrific events of the last movie, and they stick together in this movie. Some of the strongest scenes were them supporting each other. It was nice to see them have such a solid friendship. It was something different. The original three, Sydney, Gail, and Dewey Riley (David Arquette) had a bond. They were in all the prior films. That was different than the bond between the main four in this. It helped get invested in the characters. It makes the audience hope the four of them can survive this again. It also adds tension to the movie, not knowing if they will all survive. Also, there is an explanation to how Kirby is alive given her fate in Scream 4.

Scream VI is a solid movie and one of the best in the franchise. If this truly is the final chapter in this franchise, it is a great final chapter. The big question will be, is this really the end or will there be more films? That will be answered once the Box Office numbers come in. I would not be surprised if the movie opens big and the studio announces a Scream 7. This could be the final chapter for the current characters and have a completely new group in another film. The ending is open ended enough for it to continue if there winds up being more. It also has a good ending for the franchise as well. It could go either way. Whatever happens, Scream VI is a wild and crazy ride and it is a lot of fun.