Featured Graphic by Destiny Mizell
Story by Larry Rincon
From legacy to new beginnings, “Scream VI” has it all. The “sequel requel” honors a lot of the
original “Scream” movies from plot to characters. However, what sets this film apart from others in the series is the increasing amount of female lead roles.
“Scream VI” — which came out during the first full week of Women’s History Month — further revolutionizes the franchise by adding more female leads.
Film Summary
The horror fans who enjoy these meta-slashers can rest assured that “Scream VI” is as meta as the rest. Becoming a sequel to the requel means new rules arise.
As Mindy Meeks-Martin (played by Jasmine Savoy Brown) put it in the film, a franchise changes and adds to the rules they have to follow. A franchise means that a bigger budget results in more gruesome murders. It means legacy characters are expendable, characters like Gale Weathers do not matter anymore.
The primary target is Sam Carpenter (played by Melissa Barrera), but no one is safe. The film follows the aftermath of the Woodsboro killings of 2022 in “Scream V”. Sam Carpenter,
and Tara Carpenter (played by Jenna Ortega) have moved to New York in order to leave behind their past with Ghostface. However, the past returns as a new Ghostface starts hunting Sam.
The film mimics the way “Scream 2” shows Ghostface following the characters to university. The biggest difference is that the second film takes place in Ohio and this one takes place in New York. “Scream VI” borrows sub-elements from other films in the series as well. The way evidence is planted with the first official Ghostface murder is a copy of the fourth installment when a character was framed.
The Queens of “Scream VI”
There are many interesting elements that make this film a great slasher, but it is important to look at the individual performances of the many
actresses of the film.
Starting with legacy character Kirby Reeds (played by Hayden Panettiere), fans of the Scream franchise can relive their “Scream 4” memories as Kirby, a now FBI agent, helps the
new characters find and kill Ghostface. Reeds essentially replaced Sidney Presscot (played by Neve Campbell) in this film. Her return, however, was a fan-favorite moment as people in the crowd cheered her on.
The next strong femme lead wore a shirt quoting just that. Mindy Meeks-Martin moved alongside her twin brother to New York with the Carpenters. Even though she once again failed to figure out Ghostface’s identity from the start, she still manages to be the voice of reason. Her love for horror comes in clutch as she explains the rules of a franchise.
It’s only fair to mention the current queen of fear herself; Jenna Ortega does a killer
job at portraying Tara Carpenter. Her frail, hospitalized character in “Scream V” was a force to be reckoned with this film. Tara wanted to live a normal life and leave the past behind, but by the end of the film she embraces escaping death time and time again. Having Tara and Sam work together to take down Ghostface was crucial to establish Tara’s independence and strength.
While Ortega may be the queen of fear, Melissa Barrera as Sam Carpenter is by far the
killer queen for this movie. The small taste of blood she got at the end of the previous
installment is explored even more in this film. The uncertainty of whether or not she would end
up like her father Billy Loomis, the first Ghostface, puts viewers on edge. Her character shines through with the way she distinguishes herself separate from her father. The role reversal between her and Ghostface was easily one of the best moments in the film. While her tactics align with Ghostface’s, she clarifies she is nothing like her father.
What’s Next?
“Scream VI” has set the stage for a new era of “Scream”. With a new set of characters and
potential for more, it will be exciting to see more performances by the established cast. If a
seventh installment does get made, it will be interesting to see what form Ghostface imitators
take. The only expectation is that the film will be as meta as these past few have been.
To contact Lifestyles Editor Destiny Mizell, email [email protected]. For more news, visit www.mtsusidelines.com, or follow us on Facebook at MTSU Sidelines or on Twitter at @Sidelines_News.
