Scream VI: in cinemas today

Scream VI, all things considered, a must-see for horror enthusiasts and everyone who enjoys a good suspenseful thriller. With excellent acting, intelligent writing, and plenty of scares to keep you on the edge of your seat, it delivers on all fronts.

The new Scream movie is a welcome return to the iconic horror franchise, delivering all the suspense, scares, and self-aware humour that fans have come to expect. The film’s plot revolves around a “new” generation of characters, who are terrorised by a mysterious killer donning the iconic ghostface mask.

With Sam and Tara Carpenter at its foundation, Scream (2022), a self-described “requel” of Scream (1996), rebooted a favourite franchise. Scream VI brought some familiar characters together for a horrifying, astute, and violent horror experience.

Sam Carpenter, played by Melissa Barrera, is the adopted daughter of Billy Loomis, who, with his accomplice Stu Macher in the original 1996 film, was the first serial murderer to don the ghostface mask.

After the most recent ghostface killings left them as the only survivors in their group of friends, Sam, her half-sister Tara, and their pals, twins Mindy (Jasmin Savoy Brown) and Chad Meeks-Martin (Mason Gooding), now find themselves starting a new life away from Woodsboro in New York.

All of them are making efforts to move on with their lives. Sam works two jobs and battles her issues, while Tara and the twins are now attending college in New York City.

Everything seem to be going rather well, despite Tara’s frustration at Sam’s hovering hyper-vigilance. Tara simply wants to live a normal life and put the events in Woodsboro behind her.

“She loves her sister,” says Ortega. “The only issue is now Sam won’t leave her alone for a second. Sometimes you just need your space. It’s interesting to see how Sam and Tara navigate the experience this time around, considering they’re not really in the same headspace as they were in the last film.”

Setting the film in the Big Apple opens up more opportunities for mayhem, according to Barrera. “It makes it that much more suspenseful because everywhere they go — in the subway, on the streets, wherever they are — there are a lot of people. Anyone could be ghostface. And that’s what keeps people coming back to this franchise, that it’s always someone different.”

The movie does an excellent job of balancing its horror and comedy elements, offering plenty of jump scares and tense moments alongside witty dialogue. The filmmakers also pay homage to the previous Scream movies while still delivering an original story.

The cast of the new Scream movie are excellent, and newbies Barrera and Ortega, as well as stalwart Courteney Cox, give believable, thrilling performances. The killer in the movie is as expected, appropriately terrifying, and there are enough surprises along the way to keep viewers guessing right up to the very end.

Scream VI opens at cinemas nationwide on Friday, 10^th March.