The legendary masked killer is back on screen and has viewers gasping every second of the
way. The sixth installment of the American slasher film series, Scream VI has made its way to movie theaters. Scream has always featured a ghostfaced serial killer calling, terrorizing, threatening and killing several teens and adults with a long knife, but to completely understand Scream VI, we must reflect on the original Ghostface killer in the original Scream movie, Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich).
Loomis is the father of Sam and Tara Carpenter (Melissa Berrera and Jenna Ortega, respectively), the main characters and victims of Scream (2022), the fifth film and soft reboot of the franchise. Sam was majorly affected when she found out she was the daughter of a serial killer and even doubted her own sanity multiple times in both Scream (2022) and Scream VI.
In the new Scream, Sam and Tara try to recover from their past dealings with the Ghostface
killer, trying to start fresh in New York City. The movie opens with Sam in therapy, to which she confesses liking killing and saying, “It feels right.” There was something ominous about these scenes. Sam shows a different, deeper side to her. Her therapist even stopped treating her after her confession. Meanwhile, Sam continues to be the overprotective big sister of Tara, rightfully so. The new Ghostface killer calls within no time with death threats and a vengeance.
Action unfolds in the movie as Tara, Sam and their close friends try to decipher who to trust
while a masked killer preys on them one by one. The new Scream killer is more aggressive, more violent and more determined to kill than ever. The filmmaking style remains the same as the other Scream movies; it’s cliché and predictable, but it’s entertaining as ever. Scream has its own, unique style that many are fond of. They continue this in the latest Scream but amplify it even more, as I found this one more entertaining than any of the Scream‘s yet. The theater was full of whispers.
Tara and Sam have developed a lot since the last Scream. They appear stronger and more
ready for what’s to come. They seem to have unwavering trust between each other regardless
of what happens. From Scream (2022) to Scream VI, there has appeared to be a lot of
character growth in the two together and individually.
Tara has become extremely stronger mentally and physically, and so has Sam; however, as
said before, Sam’s character showed a lot of darkness in the latest Scream. Throughout
different parts of the movie, Sam would “see” her dead father Billy Loomis. In all her conversations with her father, he is persuading her to kill and reminding her of who she is. (Hint:
A serial killer’s daughter!)
A lot of viewers seem to overlook Sam’s mental health in the latest movie, but I happen to think
it’s the biggest hint at the next movie’s plot… or killer!
The sisters develop new close friends who call themselves “The Core Four”. They work to
uncover the killer’s identity and share a passion for horror films; further, they lighten the film by
making jokes about actually being in one. They play key roles in uncovering the masked killer
and each endure their fair share of trauma.
In the midst of these four, a romance transpires between Chad and Tara, which builds
graciously through the film. Sam has a love interest across the hall from where she lives, which
made for an obvious suspect to some. Despite him seeming to genuinely care for Sam, he held
a big question mark the whole film.
When the killer was finally unmasked, I was half in awe. It was different from what I was
expecting, but I was not at all surprised. It was an amazing ending with more twists than I can
count. There is even a scene when Tara sees the darkness in Sam I’ve been referring to.
Despite the help from different characters, the masked killer always seemed to come back for
more. Consistent to the other Scream endings, it appeared the Ghostface killer had nine lives.
The movie was extremely gory and scary but a good time overall, providing laughs left and right
for different types of audiences. The film kept several elements consistent from past Scream
movies, making sure to include scenes honoring horror films and celebrating a common love of
them, which I think is a good, genuine and fresh touch. They also brought back classic characters Gale Weathers (Courtney Cox) and Kirby Reed (Hayden Panettiere).
Scream VI took old and new elements of Scream movies to lay the foundation for this
twisted story that shocked me in more ways than one. It tied up all the loose ends yet left me
with one lone question… Will Sam be the next killer?
Photo Credit/Paramount
