Commentary: ‘Scream VI’ Reveals How Originality Is Key In Horror

When the slasher genre arrived in theaters, it took the scene by storm. Tropes immediately emerged regarding ruthless killers stalking unsuspecting prey. Filmmakers eager to jump in began looking for any way to stand out from the pack. They tried differentiating characters, weapons, settings … anything and everything to be different from their predecessors. Scream changed all this by turning the focus inward and examining the genre itself. But after so many installments, it was becoming more difficult for the series to be original, which is all the more impressive that Scream VI managed to succeed.

The film picks up where its predecessor left off. Tara Carpenter (Jenna Ortega) begins college in New York City alongside her friends. Her sister, Sam (Melissa Barrera), tags along to protect her, but she’s under fire from a social media conspiracy as some believe she is the real culprit responsible for the killings in the previous movie. Unfortunately, a new killer emerges to make her pay. After torturing her and her friends, it’s revealed that the killer is actually a trio of family members related to the killer from the previous Scream.

All over the film are attempts at originality. The easiest new elements are a change in setting as the film moves to New York as well as its emphasis on social media and conspiratorial thinking. There’s also a kill scene involving a ladder stretched between two buildings and shrines honoring the franchise’s past killers. The film even opens with a fake killer revealing his identity after the first murder, something no other Scream film came close to attempting. This flip of the script embodies a drive to do something different from its predecessors. After decades of slasher movies, storytellers are constantly trying to evolve to give audiences something new. This challenge will only increase as time goes on.

Scream VI is now streaming on Netflix.