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Scream VI
Movie

Scream VI

2023 • Horror, Mystery, Thriller

Woke Score
6
out of 10

Plot

After surviving the latest Woodsboro murders, a group of teens move to New York City, hoping for a fresh start, only to find a new killer picking up where the last Ghostface killer left off.

Overall Series Review

The latest installment moves the action from the small town of Woodsboro to New York City, following the 'Core 4' survivors as they attempt to start over, only to find themselves targeted by a new Ghostface killer. The film continues the meta-commentary tradition of the series, shifting its focus from horror movie tropes to modern issues like toxic fandom, online conspiracy theories, and 'vilifying the victim.' The central tension revolves around the main protagonist's struggle with her personal legacy as the daughter of an original Ghostface killer. The narrative is driven by a diverse, primarily female ensemble of survivors who demonstrate exceptional competence against the physical and psychological onslaught, while the antagonists are revealed to be characters motivated by a perceived grievance against the protagonist. The violence is consistently high, and the moral framework is relativistic, which is typical for the slasher genre.

Categorical Breakdown

Identity Politics8/10

The main 'Core 4' group of protagonists is intentionally non-white, featuring two Latina sisters and two biracial (Black-White) siblings as the center of the narrative. The story centers on the Latina protagonist being subjected to a massive online 'cancel culture' campaign and conspiracy theory that frames her as the real villain. The primary antagonists are revealed to be white characters whose motive is rooted in a sense of grievance, which explicitly codes them as a 'toxic fandom' stand-in.

Oikophobia4/10

The main characters leave their home town of Woodsboro for New York City to escape their past, implying the American small-town setting is toxic due to the cycle of violence associated with it. The new setting, New York, is initially seen as a place for a fresh start but is quickly depicted as a chaotic and unsafe environment where the murders are barely noticed by the authorities. The narrative does not lecture on civilizational self-hatred but frames the small-town legacy as a corrupting force.

Feminism9/10

The core group of survivors consists of three highly capable young women and one male, all of whom face extreme violence, with the women consistently driving the action and saving themselves. One female character, Mindy, self-identifies the group as having a 'Strong Femme Lead' structure while providing the required meta-commentary. The new male characters are either immediately murdered, portrayed as an awkward sidekick, or revealed to be the incompetent and malevolent killers.

LGBTQ+7/10

A main surviving character, Mindy Meeks-Martin, is an openly lesbian woman whose girlfriend is a supportive, normalized presence within the main group of friends. The sexual identity and relationship of this main character are presented as a simple fact of her life, not requiring a dedicated coming-out narrative or political lecture, but existing as a clear element of representation within the core heroic ensemble.

Anti-Theism4/10

The film focuses entirely on the conventions of the horror genre, the dynamics of trauma, and the social critique of online culture. The narrative does not contain any characters or plot elements that praise or critique traditional religion, nor does it feature any anti-Christian imagery or dialogue. The core moral structure is subjective and based on the nihilistic motivations of the serial killers, which is standard for the slasher film genre, inherently lacking a transcendent moral law.