--- title: "Scream VI" year: 2023 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/scream-vi" fi1m_id: "scream-vi" imdb_id: "tt17663992" tmdb_id: 934433 wikidata_id: "Q112183099" fi1m_score: 65 critics_score: 66 critics_reviews: 15 published: "2026-09-10" updated: "2026-09-18T08:38:09.325413+00:00" region: "US" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Scream VI (2023) Directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett · 2h 03m · MPA R · Horror, Thriller, Crime ## Identity Scream VI - **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/scream-vi - **Type:** Film - **Fi1m ID:** scream-vi - **IMDb ID:** tt17663992 - **TMDB ID:** 934433 - **Wikidata ID:** Q112183099 - **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt17663992/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/934433, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q112183099 **Fi1m score: 65** · Critics 66 from 15 reviews *In a sentence:* The killer has finally got hold of a shotgun and still insists on ringing first > The sixth *Scream* takes the killer to New York and gives him a shotgun, and two of its set pieces are the series’ best in years. The talk between them is tired, and the mystery it builds towards is its weakest. ## Synopsis After the Woodsboro killings, sisters Sam and Tara Carpenter (Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega) have moved to New York, where Tara is at college with the twins Mindy and Chad Meeks-Martin (Jasmin Savoy Brown and Mason Gooding). Sam is in therapy and is being blamed online for the last murders. Then a film studies lecturer is killed in an alley, a Ghostface mask is left at the scene, and the phone calls begin again. Detective Bailey (Dermot Mulroney), whose daughter Quinn (Liana Liberato) shares the sisters’ flat, takes the case, and Kirby Reed (Hayden Panettiere), a survivor of an earlier spree, arrives to help. Directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett. ## Review Sam and Tara Carpenter (Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega) have left Woodsboro for New York. Tara is at college with the twins Mindy and Chad Meeks-Martin (Jasmin Savoy Brown and Mason Gooding), Sam is in therapy with Dr Christopher Stone (Henry Czerny), and the internet has decided she was the real killer last time. Then a film studies lecturer is lured into an alley, a mask is left beside her, and the phone rings. Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, who directed the 2022 film, are back with the same writers, James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick. It is the most violent the series has been, and in two long stretches the most frightening since Wes Craven’s original in 1996. It is also the most talkative, and the talk is where it goes wrong. Between the set pieces the film explains itself, explains the series, explains what a franchise is, and then explains its own solution at length. It runs 123 minutes and would be sharper at 100. Take the two stretches first. Ghostface follows the sisters into a bodega and, for the first time in six films, produces a shotgun. The aisles are a body wide, the shelving gives way, and Brett Jutkiewicz keeps the camera at the sisters’ height so we never see round a corner before they do. Later, on Halloween, the four board a subway carriage full of people in horror costumes, several dressed as the killer, and the lights fail between stations. Jutkiewicz lights it with the carriage’s own strip lights, so the frame goes black every few seconds and comes back with the passengers rearranged, and Jay Prychidny cuts on the flicker rather than against it. Avery Plewes’s costumes do the rest: half the carriage is a suspect. We sat rigid, counting masks along with Tara, and we cannot remember a slasher sequence in years that held its nerve so long without a cheap sting. This Ghostface is fast, patient and happy to shoot, and Roger L. Jackson’s voice on the line has dropped the playfulness and kept the contempt. Michele Laliberte gives him rooms worth stalking: the sisters’ flat with a window facing another across the alley, which the film puts to use with a ladder; the bodega with its steel shutter; and, for the last act, a derelict cinema fitted out as a shrine to every previous killing. It is the best set in the film. It is also where the film stops being about people and starts being about its own back catalogue. Barrera has grown into Sam, a woman who knows what her father was and is frightened of what that makes her, and she plays the fear as stillness. Ortega is the livelier presence, and Tara’s wish to be an ordinary student at an ordinary party is the film’s one recognisable human want; the sisters arguing in their kitchen is the best-written scene without a knife in it. Hayden Panettiere returns as Kirby Reed, older, armed and welcome. Dermot Mulroney’s detective, Liana Liberato’s Quinn, Jack Champion’s Ethan and Josh Segarra’s neighbour Danny are placed exactly where suspects are placed, and the film knows we know it. Neve Campbell is not in this one, the first without her, and her absence is felt in every scene that needs an adult. The trouble is the mouth on it. Mindy’s speech about what a franchise now demands is meant as a joke on the film we are watching, and it lands once. The film then does everything the speech predicted, in order. The mystery, which we will not describe, is set up with so many pointed glances that guessing is no sport, and the reveal arrives as a speech in a room, longer than any the series has managed, with a motive that would not survive a second’s thought. Brian Tyler and Sven Faulconer score all of it with drones and a sting on every door, and after the quiet of the subway it feels like being shouted at. We felt the air go out of the film in that last room, and we sat waiting for it to end. Craven’s first film had the joke and the knife in the same hand. This one has sharpened the knife and let the joke go blunt. It is better staged than the 2022 film and worse plotted, which for a slasher is roughly a draw. See it for the shop and the train, with company if you can find it, and sit through the speech. It carries an 18 and earns it. *Fi1m score 65, published 10 September 2026.* ## What the critics say Most critics like Scream VI, and the praise lands in the same place almost every time: the set pieces. The subway sequence is named again and again as the film’s best stretch, with the opening murder and a bodega attack close behind, and several reviews credit the move to New York with giving a tired formula some fresh danger in crowds. The performances are the other reliable strength, particularly Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega as the Carpenter sisters. The reservations cluster around the meta humour, which even admirers find worn thin, and a sense that the film has little to say beyond the fact that the franchise must continue. The spread is wide. The i Paper dissents hardest, finding an anaemic self-parody with skin-deep characters, and Screen Daily sees a by-the-numbers slasher leaning on nostalgia. Nobody argues it is frightening; the case for it rests on craft and pace. ## Straight answers **Is Scream VI worth watching?** *Scream VI* is worth watching for slasher fans who will forgive a talky, over-explained mystery for two of the series' best set pieces, and we scored it 65. The bodega and the subway carriage are as frightening as anything in the series since the first film. Between them it lectures, and the final reveal is a long speech in a room. **How long is Scream VI, and what is it rated?** *Scream VI* runs 2h 03m and is rated R by the MPA in the US. It is a horror and thriller film. **Where can I watch Scream VI in the US?** *Scream VI* is streaming on Netflix, Paramount+, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV and The Roku Channel in the US, and it is also available to rent from Apple TV and Amazon Prime Video from $3.99. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service. **How violent or frightening is Scream VI, and is it suitable for children?** *Scream VI* carries an 18 certificate in the UK and is the most violent film in the series, with a Ghostface who now uses a shotgun as well as a knife. It is not for children, and two long stretches held us rigid. Squeamish adults should know the kills are frequent, though the film's biggest fault is talk, not gore. **How does Scream VI compare to Scream?** *Scream VI* is better staged than [*Scream*](https://film.one/film/scream-2022) (2022) and worse plotted, which for a slasher we call roughly a draw. The sixth film has the stronger set pieces, in a bodega and a blacked-out subway carriage, and a more contemptuous, faster Ghostface. The fifth has a better opening and David Arquette; both talk far too much about sequels. **Do you need to have seen the other Scream films before Scream VI?** *Scream VI* follows straight on from the 2022 film, with the same sisters and twins, so seeing that one first helps, and the plot leans on the series' history in a last act set in a shrine to earlier killings. A newcomer can follow the thrills without homework. Kirby Reed's return and the absence of Neve Campbell mean more to those who know the earlier films. **What should I watch after Scream VI?** After *Scream VI*, try [*Scream*](https://film.one/film/scream) (1996, Fi1m 86): Craven’s original, where the phone call and the punchline still arrive together. Then [*The Cabin in the Woods*](https://film.one/film/the-cabin-in-the-woods) (2011, Fi1m 80): Another horror film about horror films, with jokes that land. **What order should I watch the Scream films in?** Release order is the safe choice for Scream, and it is the order [our collection page](https://film.one/collections/scream) lists them in. *Scream VI* is number 6 of the 7 Scream titles on Fi1m; before it comes [*Scream*](https://film.one/film/scream-2022) and after it [*Scream 7*](https://film.one/film/scream-7). [The full order.](https://film.one/collections/scream.md) ### Reviews we read (22) - **Empire**, Olly Richards (80/100, inferred): The critic notes it is tough without Sidney but praises the directors' distinct nastier style and creative sequences like the train of Ghostfaces. It is seen as inventive and entertaining, best when having fun rather than rewriting rules. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/scream-vi/) - **The Guardian** (80/100, inferred): The film is a standout slasher sequel with plenty of fun, gory set pieces and a smart tonal balance that keeps it sprightly despite franchise fatigue. The directors find their groove immediately, delivering surprising twists and strong sibling dynamics among the cast. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/mar/08/scream-6-review-ghostface-manhattan-horror-sequel) - **Evening Standard**, Charlotte O'Sullivan (75/100, inferred): The critic finds Scream VI to be gory, tense and funny top-quality fan service that keeps secrets well and gives juicy roles to women while offering modern cultural observations. She notes it gets silly at times with recycled twists and is never as scary as the original but still recommends continuing the series. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/scream-vi-review-courtney-cox-jenna-ortega-b1065576.html) - **Financial Times**, Jonathan Romney (75/100, inferred): The sequel returns to form with novelty from the New York relocation and lively execution that stays one step ahead of the formula. It is genially smartarse, highlighted by a cannily orchestrated subway scene. [Read](https://www.ft.com/content/bf05917b-1691-483c-a058-cd36451ed220) - **Vulture**, Bilge Ebiri (68/100, inferred): The self-referential jokes have grown tired, but the horror set pieces stand out as mean and effective, particularly the subway scene and opening murder. Despite reservations about endless sequels, the film grips enough to satisfy series fans. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/article/movie-review-scream-6-yet-another-scream-movie.html) - **The Hollywood Reporter**, Frank Scheck (65/100, inferred): The film delivers the expected gory kills and meta commentary on horror tropes but feels like more of the same rather than cutting-edge. It praises elaborate set pieces like the subway sequence and some witty dialogue while noting the franchise's durability with fans. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/scream-vi-review-jenna-ortega-1235343483/) - **Radio Times**, Terry Staunton (3/5): The critic notes that Scream VI gives the franchise a new lease of life with a fresh New York location and strong performances, particularly from Jenna Ortega, while maintaining the meta elements and twists. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movies/scream-vi-review/) - **The Telegraph** (50/100, inferred): The film continues the tired formula of the franchise but relocates to New York and offers one or two surprises along with some strong set pieces amid the gore. It feels like Murder, She Wrote with added blood and meta commentary. [Read](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/scream-vi-like-murder-wrote-added-gore/) - **Screen Daily** (40/100, inferred): The review describes it as essentially a by-the-numbers slasher that relies on nostalgia and gore, with the franchise showing cracks despite fan appeal; it notes some interest in the legacy of trauma but finds this drowned out by familiar elements. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/scream-vi-review/5179949.article) - **The i Paper**, Geoffrey Macnab (30/100, inferred): The critic calls the film anaemic self-parody that has squeezed the blood out of the franchise, with skin-deep characterisation and repetitive shocks. Slick set pieces and strong performances from Barrera and Ortega are praised, but the overall verdict is that a fresh formula is needed. [Read](https://inews.co.uk/culture/scream-vi-review-time-kill-off-this-anaemic-franchise-2195310) - **Los Angeles Times**, Katie Walsh: The critic calls it a tasty new slice of horror that hits the spot with big-city frights and moves the franchise forward. Praises the brawny style, the subway sequence as suspense filmmaking, and Melissa Barrera as the evolved final girl. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2023-03-08/review-scream-vi-horror-melissa-barrera-jenna-ortega) - **The New York Times**, Jason Zinoman: The critic finds that meta commentary and Ghostface return but the weight of franchise obligations ultimately drags the film down. Some nicely staged vignettes provide meta commentary on scary movies. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/08/movies/scream-vi-review.html) - **The Times**, Kevin Maher (★★★★☆): This gutsy postmodern horror delivers tense and brutal set pieces, including a standout subway sequence, proving the franchise could run and run. It evolves beyond past entries with inventive danger-in-crowds concepts. [Read](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/film/article/scream-vi-review-this-might-just-be-the-best-instalment-yet-3tpj2829l) - **Variety**, Owen Gleiberman: The critic finds it a pretty good thriller that lives up to the rules of a bigger, showier franchise sequel with fresh ways to heighten scares in New York. Notes strong staging and performances but says it goes on too long. [Read](https://variety.com/2023/film/reviews/scream-vi-review-jenna-ortega-1235545895/) - **Collider**, Ross Bonaime (B+): The critic finds Scream VI a strong entry that functions as a requel to Scream 2, moving the action to New York while honoring the series' history and subverting expectations in fun ways. Praise goes to the new cast stepping up, inventive kills, and the balance of nostalgia with fresh energy. [Read](https://collider.com/scream-6-review/) - **Consequence**, Clint Worthington (B+): Scream VI is a vital, deeply fun follow-up that takes the series in new directions while honoring its legacy, with well-paced action, inventive kills, and strong character work for the core cast. It bounces back from the previous film's weaknesses with a lock on the mystery tone and gags that land for fans. [Read](https://consequence.net/2023/04/scream-6-review/) - **NME**, Alex Flood (4/5): The critic praises the aggressive new Ghostface and the strong chemistry between the Carpenter sisters but criticizes tiresome meta references, exposition dumps, and a confusing subplot. The verdict calls it a bloody, thrilling ride overall. [Read](https://www.nme.com/reviews/film-reviews/scream-6-review-ghostface-jenna-ortega-3409588) - **Den of Geek**, Joe George (3.5/5): The critic praises the brutal set pieces and fresh horror filmmaking in the New York setting but notes perfunctory character development and underdeveloped themes. The verdict highlights the electrifying kill scenes as pure horror perfection. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/scream-6-review-ghostface-most-brutal-kill-scenes/) - **The Ringer**, Miles Surrey (70/100, inferred): Scream VI delivers bloody thrills and creative set pieces in locations like a bodega and subway, while reflecting on franchise IP demands in a meta way that feels cynical. The critic notes the enormous body count and pulse-pounding sequences but sees the film's concession that the franchise matters more than characters as potentially disheartening for future entries. [Read](https://www.theringer.com/2023/03/10/movies/scream-vi-ghostface-slasher-sequel-franchises-ip) - **Deadline**, Pete Hammond: The critic praises the increased violence and body count, swift pacing by the directors, and a well-chosen cast that helps deliver a bigger, more ambitious sequel. Fans will enjoy how it builds on the 2022 reinvention with more Grand Guignol thrills in an abandoned movie palace climax. [Read](https://deadline.com/2023/03/scream-vi-review-horror-franchise-violence-body-count-ghostface-1235282373/) - **Film Stories**, Lauren Miles: The film is good fun with strong suspenseful set pieces in the New York setting but loses some stakes and fails to deliver meaningful commentary like prior entries. [Read](https://filmstories.co.uk/reviews/scream-vi-review-another-ghostface-more-killings/) - **The Wrap**: The critic notes reliable meta-humor, gory murders, exciting set pieces and delightful characters but finds it hard to shake that the film makes a lot of noise without much to say, settling into familiar territory as a consistently thrilling but not particularly impactful amusement park ride. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/scream-6-sequel-movie-review-melissa-barrera-jenna-ortega/) ## Details - **Director:** Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett - **Director:** Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett - **Writer:** Guy Busick, James Vanderbilt - **Cinematography:** Brett Jutkiewicz - **Editor:** Jay Prychidny - **Music:** Brian Tyler, Sven Faulconer - **Production design:** Michèle Laliberté - **Costume design:** Avery Plewes - **Producer:** Paul Neinstein, William Sherak, James Vanderbilt - **Cast:** Melissa Barrera as Sam Carpenter; Jenna Ortega as Tara Carpenter; Jasmin Savoy Brown as Mindy Meeks-Martin; Mason Gooding as Chad Meeks-Martin; Jack Champion as Ethan Landry; Roger L. Jackson as 'The Voice' (voice); Liana Liberato as Quinn Bailey; Dermot Mulroney as Detective Bailey - **Runtime:** 2h 03m - **Certificate (MPA):** R - **Release (the US):** 10 March 2023 - **Genres:** Horror, Thriller, Crime - **Part of:** [Scream](https://film.one/collections/scream.md) · 6 of 7 - **Budget:** $33 million - **Box office:** $169 million - **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Ie2qmAOc6Q ## Where to watch in the US - Netflix: streaming - Paramount+: streaming - Amazon Prime Video: add-on, uhd - Apple TV: add-on, uhd - The Roku Channel: add-on, hd - Apple TV: rent $3.99, hd - Amazon Prime Video: rent $3.99, uhd - Apple TV: buy $14.99, hd - Amazon Prime Video: buy $14.99, uhd *Checked 2026-09-10.* Also available in: AE, AR, AT, AU, BE, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, DE, DK, EC, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, ID, IE, IN, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, MY, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PH, PT, RS, SE, SG, TH, TR, UA, US, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## If you liked this - *Scream* (1996), Fi1m 86: Craven’s original, where the phone call and the punchline still arrive together. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/scream.md) - *Deep Red* (1975): Argento’s giallo: a masked killer, a nosy witness and colours to die in. - *Black Christmas* (1974): The sorority phone calls that started all this, and still the nastiest. - *Ready or Not* (2019): The same directors, one house, one night, and a bride with a shotgun. - *The Cabin in the Woods* (2011), Fi1m 80: Another horror film about horror films, with jokes that land. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-cabin-in-the-woods.md) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/scream-vi