Parents' Guide to Scream VI

Movie 2023 R 123 minutes
Scream VI Movie Poster: The entire cast is posed around a giant Ghostface mask at the top, a knife blade at the bottom, and the movie title in the center

Common Sense Media Review

Jeffrey Anderson By Jeffrey Anderson , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 16+

Dense, extra-brutal slasher sequel has strong characters.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 16+?

Any Positive Content?

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  • 1:03
  • Scream VI Movie: Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega appear shocked and disheveled, looking somewhere off-camera
  • Scream VI Movie: Gale Weathers holds a flashlight and appears to be trying to open an iron gate
  • Scream VI Movie: Ghostface wields a knife and seems ready to attack

Parent and Kid Reviews

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age 15+

Based on 27 parent reviews

Parents say that this 1986 movie offers an intense mix of horror and gore, making it suitable for older teens and adults, while many reviewers emphasize that it's not appropriate for younger viewers due to its graphic content and disturbing themes. Although some parents felt comfortable letting their teens watch it, others strongly advised against allowing children under 15 due to the excessive violence, language, and sexual content featured throughout the film.unsuitable for young viewersexcessive violencestrong languageparental caution advisedintense themesenjoyable for teens
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age 14+

Based on 86 kid reviews

Kids say that the movie features excessive gore, violence, and strong language, making it unsuitable for younger viewers; however, many fans of the franchise still find it entertaining and exciting. While some praise its thrilling elements and character development, others criticize the plot and character depth, suggesting it's not the best entry in the series.gore and violencelanguage issuesthrilling elementsplot criticismssuitable age range
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What's the Story?

In SCREAM VI, Tara (Jenna Ortega) and her friends Mindy (Jasmin Savoy Brown) and Chad (Mason Gooding) have moved to New York City following the terrible events of Scream. Tara's older sister, Sam (Melissa Barrera), has tagged along and is putting a crimp in Tara's social life with her overprotectiveness. Nevertheless, they're all sharing a house with some new roommates, Mindy has a new girlfriend, and they're all trying to move on. Unfortunately, the terror of Ghostface isn't finished with them yet, and they start to experience deadly new attacks. Mindy tries to establish the rules this time, while police detective Bailey (Dermot Mulroney) and Kirby Reed (Hayden Panettiere) -- who's now with the FBI -- discover that the new killer is referencing all of the previous killers. So Tara and her friends must prepare for what they hope will be one final showdown.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say ( 27 ):
Kids say ( 86 ):

While this slasher sequel is bogged down by complicated lore and is far more brutal than it is actually scary, the strong characters and an effective mystery come together to make it a cut above. Fans of the franchise will likely want to rewatch the previous five movies before tackling Scream VI, as it has many, many references to them. In the last movie, 2022's Scream, Mindy cleverly proclaimed that they were in a "re-quel," but here her efforts to establish the rules are headache-inducing. Additionally, perhaps as the result of the number of kills getting ramped up, each one lacks the suspense it might have had (with the exception of a terrific, extended sequence on the subway). Still, filmmakers Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett (of the Radio Silence collective) do manage to use their 123-minute running time to more deeply explore the characters and their relationships. We can feel their trauma and their wounds and easily empathize with them. Plus, not only is the mystery in Scream VI satisfying and clever, but it's also a logical extension of the previous movie. There actually was a good reason for another sequel; it's more than just a stab in the dark.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about Scream VI's violence. How did it make you feel? Was it exciting? Shocking? What did the movie show or not show to achieve this effect? Why is that important?

  • Is the movie scary? Does it concentrate more on fright, suspense/mystery, or clever references? What would make the movie scarier -- or less scary?

  • How does the movie depict underage drinking and drug use? Are there realistic consequences? Why does that matter?

  • What is a "meta movie"? Do the Scream movies benefit from being self-aware? What might be missing?

  • How do the characters handle trauma? How are communication and family involved in this process?

Movie Details

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Scream VI Movie Poster: The entire cast is posed around a giant Ghostface mask at the top, a knife blade at the bottom, and the movie title in the center

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