AndrewC 🎅🎄’s review published on Letterboxd:
So, right off the bat, I'll freely admit that most of the reason I'd give this a five-star rating is because I'm just such a huge fan of the Scream franchise and Scream VI is yet another stellar entry but even on its own, this is one of the best and biggest slasher sequels that have been made in a long time. I definitely think this one is more flawed in its story, certain creative decisions, and its killer reveal(s) compared to the similarly excellent fifth entry, but these things can also be overlooked for me because this is the definition of a sequel that is leaner and more focused on the horror and action. The lineup of set pieces in Scream VI are legitimately breathtaking and the film is, for me, easily the best of the whole series, especially since I feel the relative lack of elaborate chases and attacks in the last one is one of its only drawbacks.
More than just that though, the rest of the film is also just excellent. I do think you have to be a major fan of the series overall to love it, but I am so I did, and the way Radio Silence, James Vanderbilt, and Guy Busick handle it all is terrific. As always with the Scream franchise, the writing is razor-sharp, it moves quickly, and the satirical elements are all done brilliantly. Most impressively however, is that Scream VI builds amazingly on the foundations left by the its predecessor and really cements the new cast as the focus of the franchise going forward. Put simply, the "Core Four" here are all great and are really what makes the entire movie work as well as it does, so much so that I didn't miss Sidney Prescott one bit and Gale honestly could've been left out as well. The cast (especially Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega) also do bang-up job and my complaints about the film overall are honestly just minor. In fact, the thing I liked least was having to watch it in 3D (at a fan screening) since I think that actually detracted from the movie overall. Again, this is mostly because I am such a massive Scream fan and I definitely recognize that, but Scream VI is honestly all I could've hoped for and I really cannot wait to see where else Radio Silence goes next since they're the perfect fit.
