The reviews are warm and closely bunched, with most critics landing on a version of the same verdict: this sixth entry does what the series has always done, and does it with more care than usual. The praise clusters around the death scenes, described as intricate, gruesome and funny in roughly equal measure, and around the extended opening set-piece in 1968, which is singled out again and again as the high point. Many also note the tone, self-aware and gleefully daft, and the decision to spread the curse across a family tree, which several find a smart tweak to the formula. Tony Todd’s final appearance is mentioned in nearly every review with affection. Reservations are mild and scattered: The Hollywood Reporter finds the family drama drags at times, Collider thinks the lead performance is stretched thin, and Radio Times is entertained but noticeably cooler than the rest. Nobody dislikes it.
E
Empire
13 May 2025 · Jamie Graham
80*
The critic finds it a fun reboot of the franchise with a smart script and peppy direction that delivers splattery mayhem and affectionate nods to prior entries. The extended premonition set-piece opener stands out as a thrilling highlight, alongside a touching farewell to Tony Todd.
Read the full review →V
Variety
13 May 2025 · Todd Gilchrist
80*
The film maintains the series' balance of unsettling but silly while expanding its scope across generations with inventive kills. It is clever, unpredictable and fun, offering a transfusion of creativity that ensures the franchise lives on.
Read the full review →T
Total Film
13 May 2025 · Becky Darke
75*
The critic praises the film as a worthy addition to the horror franchise, with elaborate set-pieces, blood-soaked spectacle, knowing nods, humour and a sharp script that satisfies fans. The meticulous murderous mayhem and callbacks to the series are singled out for praise.
Read the full review →R
Radio Times
★★★ · Jeremy Aspinall
60
The review calls it a slick and ghoulishly entertaining reboot of the franchise that makes a welcome return after 14 years. It singles out the dazzling 1968 opening sequence for praise while noting the eye-watering carnage and gallows humour throughout.
Read the full review →S
Sight and Sound
15 May 2025
The critic finds the film filled with gallows humour and fan-friendly callbacks, including the logging truck, as it extends the franchise's structure of premonitions and freak accidents across generations. It singles out the generational bloodlines premise, dark comedy in the death sequences, and Tony Todd's final appearance for particular note.
Read the full review →The jubilantly gory horror franchise returns with a hugely entertaining sixth installment which sets up an entire family tree for the slaughter. Directors class the joint up while refusing to let their movie take itself too seriously, with decadence in the film-making that realizes the campy premise's full potential, especially in the stunning opening set piece.
Read the full review →H
The Hollywood Reporter
13 May 2025 · Frank Scheck
The critic finds the sixth installment delivers exactly the expected grisly fun through ingeniously designed Rube Goldberg-style fatalities that heighten everyday anxieties. It singles out the superbly choreographed opening sequence and Tony Todd's final screen appearance as highlights, while noting the film gets bogged down at times by a tedious family-dynamics plotline.
Read the full review →N
The New York Times
15 May 2025 · Critic’s Pick · Beatrice Loayza
The sixth installment might be the most self-consciously silly of the bunch, and it is all the better for it. The critic highlights the gleeful direction and the compelling tweak introducing inherited trauma across generations.
Read the full review →This gruesomely inventive sixth instalment in the Death-comes-knocking horror franchise could well be for those with a strong stomach. The film’s entertainment value remains at all times gleefully visceral; it is carnage for connoisseurs, with intricate sadism in the set pieces and a half-century gap twist between sprees of extreme gore.
Read the full review →The review celebrates the film as potentially the best in the series, praising its inventive, gory, and funny kills with perfect comic timing and suspenseful set pieces. It notes the added emotional depth from the family storyline but emphasizes the pure cinematic spectacle of the deaths.
Read the full review →D
Deadline
13 May 2025 · Gregory Nussen
80*
The critic praises the film's inventive and gruesome deaths, noting it offers the expected mix of slapstick and carnage while adding a genetic twist to the curse. They highlight the heartfelt moments and nods to previous entries, calling it a raucously good time with some of the franchise’s best kills.
Read the full review →D
Den of Geek
13 May 2025 · ★★★★ · Rosie Knight
80
The review highlights the film's inventive set-pieces, strong performances especially Gabrielle Rose and Tony Todd's farewell, and its balance of terror and humor, calling it a witty, hilarious, and grotesque popcorn flick. They praise the practical effects and new lore.
Read the full review →N
NME
14 May 2025 · ★★★★ · Jordan Bassett
80
The critic praises the film's self-awareness and comical tone amid gory set-pieces, calling it a deliriously daft celebration of the franchise's silliness. They single out the inventive kills and Tony Todd's cameo for praise.
Read the full review →C
Collider
13 May 2025 · 7/10 · Emma Kiely
70
The critic finds the film one of the franchise’s best thanks to its gnarly, creative death scenes and the tension built before each kill. They single out the strong family dynamics and Tony Todd’s farewell scene for praise while noting the lead performance can feel overstretched.
Read the full review →Ordered by the weight we give each publication, then by score. Scores are normalised to 100; * means inferred from an unrated review. Summaries are ours, not quotations; follow the links for the reviews themselves. How we rate