Although 2011’s Scream 4 didn’t become a total flop, it underperformed pretty badly compared to the box office receipts of the first three movies. This meant the franchise spent more than a decade away from theaters, though a 2015 TV series kept the series alive.

2022’s Scream - aka Scream V - acted as a mix of sequel, reboot and remake. Whatever one calls it, the film managed to make inroads with audiences once again, as it more than doubled the US gross of Scream 4 despite the lingering multiplex malaise from the COVID pandemic.

Given the 2022 flick’s reasonable success, the producers quickly greenlit another movie. Thus Scream VI hit screens March 2023, barely 14 months after its predecessor’s release – and given it did even better at the box office, one expects a seventh film before too long.

One year after they dealt with the violent escapades of “Ghostface”, the young survivors move from Woodsboro to Manhattan. However, they can’t escape their past.

A renewed Ghostface threat wants to finish the murderous ambitions of the now-deceased perpetrators who brought about those prior events. This means that even in the Big Apple, sisters Sam (Melissa Barrera) and Tara (Jenna Ortega) need to worry about the notorious Woodsboro threat.

For its eighth entry back in 1989, the Friday the 13th franchise shifted the action from the usual remote settings to Manhattan. This attempt to reinvigorate matters didn’t work, as the movie snared the series’ lowest box office receipts to that point.

I suspect the producers of Scream VI knew this dicey precedent and perhaps worried it would doom the movie. As mentioned, VI did fine and avoided the “Manhattan Curse”, at least financially.

Creatively becomes a different issue. The 2022 Scream never became a bad movie, but it seemed superfluous and like an unnecessary extension to the franchise.

I actually kind of liked Friday 8, though I guess most fans hate it. I thought the change of scenery gave the series a shot in the arm, and that becomes the case with Scream VI as well.

Not that VI reinvents the wheel. Even with the big city setting, it still feels like a Scream movie.

That means the usual self-referential material and nods toward the absurdity of horror movies in general. It also ensures a slew of red herrings and general ridiculousness.

Like I said, 2022 Scream seemed like a competent film, but it never really demonstrated a legitimate purpose. It felt like a contrived attempt to reboot the franchise but also one that brought back old characters for that nostalgia element.

A sequel should feel equally artificial and unneeded, but VI manages to become a more creative and involving effort than its immediate predecessor. Not that it dazzles, but it gives us a clever enough effort to succeed.

Again, the change of location gives matters a shot in the arm. Finally fully free of Woodsboro, VI uses the big city setting in ways that add verve to the proceedings.

Happily, it avoids most NYC clichés. We don’t see the characters as they traipse around tourist locations like the Empire State Building or the like.

Granted, we do find New York staples like the subway or bodegas. Still, these add flavor and don’t feel as trite as scenes staged in Times Square, for instance, might.

The movie’s ultra-meta framework does threaten to consume it at times. Nonetheless, VI stays on the right side of clever most of the way and manages to become a fairly involving slashing/thriller.

Nothing entry in the franchise will ever offer the invigorating creativity of the first Scream, but VI still works nicely on its own. It becomes one of the series’ best entries.

Footnote: an extremely meta scene appears after the end credits conclude.

Scream VI appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 2.35:1 on this Blu-ray Disc. The movie offered a quality presentation.

Sharpness worked well. Only minor softness ever marred the image, so the movie boasted accurate delineation most of the time.

No signs of jagged edges or moiré effects materialized, and I witnessed no instances of edge haloes. Print flaws also failed to mar the proceedings.

To the surprise of no one, Scream VI mainly went with amber/orange and teal, though we got some purple and a few other hues at times as well. The image reproduced the colors as intended.

Blacks seemed dense and deep, while shadows offered appropriate smoothness and clarity. The Blu-ray displayed the film well.

Downconverted to Dolby TrueHD 7.1, the film’s Dolby Atmos soundtrack added oomph to the proceedings, as the soundscape opened up matters in a positive manner. Music offered nice breadth and filled the channels in a consistent manner.

With a mix of lively scenes, the soundfield offered a few chances for fireworks, and it used them well. Various “action beats” appeared in addition to basic scares and created an involving impression.

Audio quality appeared good, with speech that came across as natural and distinctive. Effects also seemed accurate and tight, with clear reproduction of these components.

Music worked well, as the songs/score boasted solid range and dimensionality. This became a more than satisfactory track for the film.

As we shift to extras, we launch with an audio commentary from directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, writer/producer James Vanderbilt, writer Guy Busick, and executive producer Chad Villella. All five sit together for this running, screen-specific look at sequel domains and story/characters, cast and performances, music and editing, sets and locations, stunts and action, various effects, and costumes.

This same crew provided a very good commentary for the 2022 movie, and they continue that trend here. The participants cover a nice array of topics and do so in a brisk and involving manner to make this another solid track.

Seven featurettes follow, and Death Comes to the City runs seven minutes, 56 seconds. It involves Gillett, Busick, Vanderbilt, Bettinelli-Olpin, Villella, producers William Sherak and Paul Neinstein, executive producer Ron Lynch, director of photography Brett Jutkiewicz, and actors Dermot Mulroney, Melissa Barrera, Courteney Cox, Jenna Ortega, Mason Gooding, Jack Champion and Hayden Panettiere.

“City” examines story/characters, the NYC setting and photography. The program mixes useful notes with happy talk.

The Faces of Death goes for 14 minutes, 10 seconds. It offers notes from Vanderbilt, Bettinelli-Olpin, Villella, Gillett, Barrera, Busick, Ortega, Neinstein, Gooding, Mulroney, Champion, Panettiere, Cox and actors Jasmin Savoy Brown, Josh Segarra, Devyn Nekoda and Liana Liberato.

Here we learn about the main characters, cast and performances. It gives us another combination of decent insights and praise.

With More Meta Than Meta, we find a 10-minute, 22-second program. It brings remarks from Vanderbilt, Busick, Cox, Mulroney, Bettinelli-Olpin, Gillett, Villella, Panettiere, Nekoda, Ortega, Brown, Champion, Barrera, costume designer Avery Plewes and production designer Michele Laliberte.

This piece views the self-referential nature of the franchise as well as Scream VI Easter eggs. It proves fairly informative despite more fluff at times.

Bloodbath at a Bodega fills four minutes, 53 seconds with info from Bettinelli-Olpin, Gillett, Villella, Vanderbilt, Busick, Ortega, Sherak, Barrera, and stunt coordinator Alex Cadieux.

We hear about stunts/action, with an emphasis on the bodega scene. “Bloodbath” delivers a decent overview.

After this we locate An Apartment to Die For, a seven-minute, 30-second piece. It features Lynch, Cadieux, Bettinelli-Olpin, Gillett, Villella, Nekoya, Barerra, Ortega, and Laliberte.

“Die” follows the pattern of “Bloodbath”, as it focuses on stunts/action related to a specific scene. It becomes another somewhat fluffy but generally informative reel.

The Night Train to Terror occupies six minutes, 18 seconds. It gives us statements from Nekoda, Busick, Vanderbilt, Champion, Lynch, Laliberte, Jutkiewicz, Gillett, Segarra, Ortega, Plewes, Villella and Bettinelli-Olpin.

Expect “Train” to continue the style of the last two featurettes, as it digs into the creation of the subway scenes. It also seems good but occasionally too superficial.

Finally, Theater of Blood takes up 10 minutes, 52 seconds. Here we hear from Panettiere, Cox, Busick, Vanderbilt, Lynch, Bettinelli-Olpin, Ortega, Brown, Laliberte, Barrera, Plewes, Gillett, Champion, Jutkiewicz, Liberato, Gooding and Mulroney.

Another scene-specific program, “Blood” covers the movie’s climax. We find another mix of useful material and happy talk.

While not a great horror flick, Scream VI likely qualifies as the best since the second in the series. Its new setting adds spark and allows for clever twists. The Blu-ray offers solid picture and audio along with a set of supplements highlighted by a strong commentary. This turns into a pretty entertaining genre effort