Madison Meeks – Opinion Editor

mvm7037@psu.edu

Scream VI is a film that is a continuation of the Scream film series. The film was released on March 10, 2023. It is a direct sequel to the 2022 film Scream V. The film stars Melissa Barrera, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Jack Champion, Henry Czerny, Mason Gooding, Roger L. Jackson, Liana Liberato, Dermont Mulroney, Devny Nekoda, Jena Ortega, Hayden Panettiere, and Courtney Cox. 

The characters from Scream V that survived the Woodsboro legacy murders have moved to New York City. Their move has embarked them on a scarier adventure than what they were expecting. Ghostface has returned and has been after anyone who was involved in the Woodsboro legacy murders. 

The film takes place one year after the Woodsboro legacy murders. I like the time jump in the film because it allows the story to continue more smoothly than it would if it took place a week after. Also it allowed for the film to be more interesting and not repetitive because there had been five movies before this one. I loved the beginning of the film, where it confuses the audience in believing that the filmmakers have already revealed who is going to be the Ghostface of this film. The film starts out with two college students planning to kill their film professor and dressing up as Ghostface to kill her. This makes the audience believe that these two students will be Ghostface throughout the film. Which leads me to think when watching the film for the first time, the whole point of these films is to keep the audience guessing on who the killer is and why they are doing this.

But the filmmakers are doing this whole introduction scene to throw the audience off. These two students are also planning to go after the two main characters Sam and Tara but are unable to enact their plan. The two fake killers are then killed off by another Ghostface. I was sitting in the theater thinking that there’s another killer so they did this to throw us off. This whole beginning of the movie is just one thing that makes this film the best that has been released this year so far. 

Another part that makes Scream VI the best film released so far this year is the continuation of the characters’ storylines. The character of Sam has already been revealed as the illegitimate daughter of Billy Lomas, who for those who do not know is one of two very first Ghostface in the first Scream films, is trying to forget what happened in Woodsboro. While her sister Tara and her friends Chad and Mindy are trying to enjoy their college life. But they are all thrown back into fighting for their lives while trying to figure out who the new Ghostface is. The storyline and the fact that the film now longer takes place in the same town as the others but takes place in New York City is what makes the film good. But the best part of the film is the reveal of who Ghostface is and I was not expecting one of the characters to be the new Ghostface.

Even though it is only April now and we have at least a half of a year left to watch new films, I believe that Scream VI is the best film released in 2023 so far. The characters, the plot twists, the confusion, the reveal is everything that makes this film the best of 2023 so far.