“What’s your favorite scary movie?”

A question that has spanned twenty-seven years of terror, asked by a mysterious figure with a seductive voice, ending with the untimely demise of a familiar face. 

“Scream 6” was released on March 10, 2023, collecting $44.5 million in its opening weekend.

With the sixth installment of the Scream franchise, we saw the return of many familiar victims dating back to the Woodsboro trilogy and fresh meat being placed on the chopping block. 

We see the triumphant return of Scream veterans: Courtney Cox as Gale Weathers and Hayden Panettiere as Kirby Reed. Along with the OGs, the newcomers of “Scream 5” return: Jenna Ortega as Tara Carpenter, Melissa Barrera as Sam Carpenter, Jasmin Savoy Brown as Mindy Meeks-Martin, and Mason Gooding as Chad Meeks-Martin.

Starting with the well-known opening kill trope, we see Samara Weaving’s character Laura Crane, lured into a dark New York alleyway and brutally bludgeoned by the fake-out killer. This would normally lead to the title card of the movie; however, the scene continues, following the alleged killer to his apartment.

This changed the formula of a basic Scream movie, cleverly introducing an unexpected twist at the beginning of the film. 

As we continue following the killer, we learn his would-be accomplice was already murdered, setting a trap and cutting out the movie-lover plot. The new Ghostface makes his stance clear, stating his disinterest in the genre and movies and starting his murder spree. 

A factor of this film that truly changed the audience’s connections with the characters is how story-driven this movie was. Straying away from the classic whodunit plotline, this movie focuses on the fraying overprotective relationship between sisters Sam and Tara. 

This movie heavily reflects its predecessor “Scream 2,” with the college aesthetic and the family ties going back to the last installment. We can see a pattern in the new movies, connecting them to the older films by mirroring the plot and character arcs.

In this film, we see the change of the rules of a requel, to the rules of a franchise. In a requel (remake/sequel), there’s not much room for change without hatred from fans, however, nobody wants a copy of the original. 

In a franchise, there is time for our beloved characters to be introduced, grow, and leave if need be. For example, the characters of Gale and Dewey have had their time to tell their against-all-odds love story, ending their chapter with the death of Dewey and the near death of Gale. 

However, their essence is carried over in the newer characters, such as Chad Meeks-Martin, who is seemingly become the franchise’s “new Dewey,” taking up the mantle of the endearing loverboy who is made a human pin cushion by the time the credits roll. 

Another example of this would be the character of Mindy Meeks-Martin, taking the role of the often irritating movie lover, from the past character Randy Meeks. 

The franchise isn’t aiming at replacing the original, but paying homage to the work in small ways that keeps the nostalgia going. 

Another big difference between the fifth and sixth Scream would be the gore, as we haven’t seen anything as gruesome since the fourth film. You will witness anything from offscreen decapitations to a three-story drop head first onto a dumpster. 

That is due to the fact that this is the first movie in the franchise with more than the average amount of people donning the white mask. 

Though there is a possibility for another killer being built up in the sidelines in the character of Sam Carpenter. The idea was hinted at in the previous film with many comments about Sam’s role in the murders as many bystanders believe she is the culprit due to her deceased father Billy Loomis, the original Ghostface. 

The movie perfectly shows the aftermath when Sam is again faced with possible blame for the current murders by the newcomers. 

Yes, we praise the movie for its realistic gore and brutal killings, but we are left wanting more. The movie is seemingly fearful of saying goodbye to any of the characters from previous installments, even though the rules of a franchise, as Mindy states, that all characters are expendable. 

Multiple times the film leaves characters injured and near death, only to show them still breathing and wheeled out on a gurney. 

Obviously, this is due to the fact that the directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett want the viewers to leave the theater feeling good, not saddened by the deaths of the veterans of the series. As heartbroken as we all would be, we need some characters to be sent off. 

All in all, this movie has already worked its way up our rankings and has been claimed as the new favorite of many people. Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillet have left the series in a great place, leaving us to wonder what may be next for Ghostface.