Spoilers ahead for Scream VI.
It’s a good time to be a horror fan, as the genre continues to experience a thrilling renaissance. Scream VI recently hit theaters, and has been a critical success that also broke box office records for the franchise. And directors Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin recently explained to CinemaBlend why they included so many fan theories in the new slasher. Looks like they’ve been seeing all the discourse online.
As a whole the Scream franchise is known for being metatheatrical, offering commentary on the state of horror at the time of release. Scream VI did not disappoint in this regard, with popular fan theories even being included throughout the movie’s 122-minute runtime. As you can see in the video above, I had the privilege of speaking with the duo of directors ahead of their bloody sequel’s release, where I asked why so many fan theories were included. Tyler Gillet shared with me:
One of the things that really excited us about this movie is, and it was very much on the page, but I think we’re still surprised by how well the meta conversation is actually baked into the plot of this. There aren’t a lot of side question conversations where they're just referencing things. It feels like the legacy of these movies, fan theories, all of that is very plot specific. It has a reason to exist in the movie outside of a fun way for the movie to wink and nod to the audience.
Some serious points were made. While Scream VI addresses fan theories either subtly or substantially, all of these references are actually vital to the movie’s overall plot. And as a result, there’s both funny moments and legitimate red herrings that make their way into the latest installment of the beloved slasher property.
Later in our same conversation, Tyler Gillett spoke about just how savvy the hardcore Scream fans are. They hold the franchise to a high standard, and want to be surprised by plot twists and terrified by the kills. The Ready or Not filmmaker shared with me:
One of the things that we love about this fandom is that there’s a standard that we have to hold ourselves to because of how detail-oriented and smart the viewership is. That's an amazing thing. To have to achieve at a certain level because you're going to hold us accountable in a really honest way. And that’s a really fun way to create under that.
And the directors of Scream VI did just that. Fan expectations were consistently subverted throughout the movie’s runtime, starting with its wild new opening sequence. In order to keep audiences on their toes, we were also given a Kirby Reed fakeout, as well as a fake death with one of the Ghostface killers. The folks at Radio Silence are Scream fans themselves, so they know how to mess with us.
Scream VI is in theaters now. Be sure to check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. And smart money says it’s only a matter of time before Paramount orders a seventh Scream movie.
