Reviews
TIME TO GHOST-FACE THE MUSIC: A Completely SPOILER-FREE ‘Scream VI’ Review

To all my Amber Freemans of the world that the lovely Ian wrote about in his latest article, put your “Welcome to Act Three” guns DOWN. Don’t shoot. I liked the movie! I would go as far even to say it’s a pretty good movie!
But it isn’t without its fair share of issues.
As was prominently featured in the promotional material for this film, Ghostface’s mask has been weathered by time and the changing of hands; in a way, this brave new installment also carries the scars of past entries as much as that signature screaming white plastic does, for better and for worse.
WHERE’D I LEAVE THAT MASK?
Scream 6 picks up a year after the last film, and brings us to New York to follow survivors Samantha and Tara Carpenter, as well as the wonderful Mindy and Chad Meeks-Martin as they’ve slowly settled into a life beyond Woodsboro’s horrors…do I even have to say ‘as if’? Soon, the crew is terrorized by Ghostface, hellbent on getting to Sam by picking off her friends and family. Who will live to see another day as Ghostface slashes through Manhattan?
…Oh, also, Gale is there too!
NO MORE GAMES FOR SIDNEY, PLEASE
I kid Miss Weathers, but one of the most important things for fans to get used to going forward, beyond the change of location (something last attempted in Scream 3), is the hotly discussed absence of Sidney. In turn, Gale gets reduced screen time as the new blood of the series takes center stage.
Beyond the controversy surrounding Neve Campbell and Paramount lowballing her (which, studios shooting themselves in the foot, what’s new?), I think the departure of Sidney was for the best. I sincerely hope Radio Silence doesn’t start jamming additional pages into the proverbial Book of Prescott; her saga is completed in a great way.
They are (for now) letting the final girl have the final word with her own happy ending. Besides, focusing on Samantha’s story of inner turmoil and bloodlust in this one is the right choice because it is every bit as compelling as Sidney’s evolution as a character. I can’t wait to see where the Carpenter sister’s tale takes us.
BIG APPLE, BIGGER KILLS
Speaking of Radio Silence (that’s the production team headed by director duo Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett for the uninitiated), another thing I have to give them credit for is a sense of escalation when it comes to how brutal the Scream movies are.
Scream 3 blew up an entire house to kill one person, but when people die in the Radio Silence films, they die hard, and the camerawork forces you to look at it with uncomfortable close-ups. Scream 5 was the bloodiest in the franchise…until this one came along. Every kill has weight behind it, and no one feels safe from a traumatic and devastatingly painful death when the knives come out. It’s all a testament to how good the directing is, solidly the film’s greatest technical strength, and I wonder how they will keep this momentum going into Scream 7.
BUT THAT OPENING…
It all looks great on camera, but this brings us to one of the first things I wasn’t sold on: the opening kill, the tradition that perfectly encapsulates what Scream is about. 6’s opening is a unique “first in the series” but isn’t particularly shocking thinking back to the other inaugural stabs of the franchise. Is it entertaining for a slasher opening? Yes! The most gruesome? Probably, the whole affair is a meat grinder. But does it stun the senses and downright shock like Scream usually does?
No, not really.
The opening will only really get you if you don’t know how these movies operate, which is hard to believe given this series’ fanbase. It certainly could have been cut by a few minutes for that classic Scream opening gut-punch feeling. In isolation, it drags on too long; compared to the other openings, it’s tough to beat 1, 2, & 4’s, and frankly doesn’t dethrone any of them in the top 3.
GHOSTFACE OFTEN STUMBLES, BUT THE PACING AND CAST DON’T
Barring the very lengthy opening, Scream 6 is paced perfectly and very well edited. I felt silly being so worried about the runtime, given how hefty it is coming in at over 2 hours, another first for the series. Nonetheless, they make it work, and there isn’t a minute of wasted screen time. When you’re not being thrilled, you’re being genuinely pulled in by the cast’s chemistry and camaraderie that’s beyond charismatic.
Melissa Barrera gets more screen time than in Scream 5, and the relationship portrayed by her and Jenna Ortega is the dense and well-acted emotional core of the movie. Is it even a spoiler to say the long-awaited return of Hayden Panettiere’s Kirby Reed and her inevitable meeting with Mindy would be wonderful? And if Mason Gooding is in frame, you know it will be a fun scene.
FUNNY LIKE A BUCK KNIFE TO THE GUT
Sadly, that brings me to some of the dialogue these characters share. While it is often endearing with its humor and has two of the franchise’s funniest moments courtesy of Gale Weathers, Scream 6 can also be too jokey for a Screamfilm.
Comedic relief is pretty much thrown out the window by the end of act 2 in almost all these entries, but there is a persistent bug of humor in 6 that puts a thorn in my side; one of our leads gets stabbed and feels the need to make a callback joke as they’re being dragged away for medical attention, which is way too quippy for as late in the movie as it comes, especially when Brett Jutkiewicz’s cinematography sets up the scene in a way that wracks more tension than Ghostface pumping out a shotgun shell.
Some characters also survive in a way that doubles down on deeply, deeply deflating the tension of the film and the would-be great ending. The reveal of one survivor in particular audibly elicited laughter from myself and several other theatergoers, and I don’t think it was the kind of laugh they were going for.
IT’S REALLY THAT SOUND THAT’S KILLING ME
Surprisingly, my most glaring problem with this film is the soundtrack. The music is always too loud and slightly off-tone when it’s not part of the OST. The chase scenes are frenetic, and the musical stings during deaths are bombastic, but during downtime and the moments where we’re getting to watch the cast at ease, the licensed songs chafe the eardrums. They even have the gall to cut off Red Right Hand at one point, which should be a crime against humanity if it isn’t.
Demi Lovato’s Still Alive is pretty catchy, though, so I’ll let that one slide.
WILL THE REAL GHOSTFACE PLEASE STAND UP?
Finally, you can’t talk about a Scream movie without mentioning the Ghostface reveal (still, no spoilers!). Something about the execution this time around just felt dry for the very juicy stage it’s set in. Take this with a grain of salt, given that I am a Roman Bridger fan, but I think the problem with the reveal this time around is that the motivations feel a little too plain and simple.
While the beat drop of who is under the mask is underwhelming, this film ultimately makes up for it with an explosive and enjoyable finale that will have your theater hooting and hollering like Stu Macher losing a lot of blood. Scream 6might have the most stabs in any Scream movie to date, and if you’re looking for carnage to close out your movie going experience, you’ll get your fill here. Scream 6’s ending is a glorious finale of brick lobbing, knife swinging, and deep cutting action that never disappoints in rounding out the runtime.
BOTTOMLINE: There’s that old adage about pizza: when it’s good, it’s good, and when it’s bad…et cetera. Scream 6isn’t perfect, but it is totally understandable why this would be someone’s favorite entry in the franchise; its landmark levels of bloody, undeniably funny at points, and it has all the elements you need from a Scream movie. I had a lot of fun watching this in a packed theater, and if you can do the same this opening weekend, see it while it’s still on the silver screen cause that’s the ideal way to experience Scream 6.
Reviews
‘Shadow of God’ Review: A Bold Indie Horror That Falls Short

Whether they land or not, it’s hard not to appreciate how impressive it is that Shudder gives a platform to myriad independent films. While Screambox struggles to finish the race, Shudder is doing a victory lap. Even the greats trip up occasionally. Shadow of God is a film I heard minor rumblings about across the interwebs, and as someone who isn’t into exorcism-like films, it still piqued my interest enough to seek it out. Then I watched it.
Shadow of God: A Promising Premise Falls Flat
Shadow of God follows alcoholic exorcist Mason Harper (Mark O’Brien) as he travels back to his hometown following a death during an exorcism. Mason meets up with his ex-beau, Tanis Green (Jacqueline Byers), who gives him a place to stay while he’s back. The semi-happy reunion between Mason and Tanis is cut short when the dregs of Mason’s deceased father’s cult learn of his arrival. Everyone’s faith will be tested as something more sinister than anyone could imagine rears its ugly head.
It feels like there was a disconnect between writer Tim Cairo and director Michael Peterson, as Shadow of the God feels nothing more than scattered parts of better films clumped together into a heaping mess of something. While full of awful dialogue, Cairo’s script tells a compelling and somewhat unique take on the religious horror subgenre. The bones of a better film exist deep within the script. A rewrite (or three) could have helped to trim the fat and identify the elements of the story that truly work. On the other hand, Michael Peterson seems to have little to no control over whatever he was doing here.
Digital Effects Ruin Emotional Depth
The real issue with the film is the unfortunate digital effects slapped on before the final cut. Any semblance of an okay film quickly flew out the window with the slapdash effects. Nothing takes you out of a well-crafted emotional moment like a giant, badly composited white light shooting out of someone’s forehead. I was so checked out by the end that my final note written about the film simply says, “barn effects BAD.” To be completely honest, I don’t even know what I meant by that.
Not a singular solid performance graces the screen during this hour and 27-minute series of images. I get that independent films face difficult and unique challenges that larger budget films don’t. But the performances feel as if the cast were given the script seconds before the scenes were shot. Mark O’Brien was a huge sell for me with this film, as I adored him in Ready or Not, and it feels like [maybe] his agent dropped the ball on this one.
The Potential Buried in Shadow of God
Reviews
‘Jurassic World: Rebirth’ Review: Show Me Your Teeth

It has been just three years since Jurassic World: Dominion put the latest trilogy in the franchise on ice with the bite force of a smurf, but like any money-maker in Hollywood, no IP stays extinct for long. Universal decided to revisit the franchise’s roots, heading back to the lab to poke and prod at its barely fossilized remains in an attempt to mix up its DNA enough to warrant a reboot. Jurassic World: Rebirth promised a thrilling return to form – a journey into dino-infested waters that put the terror back in Tyrannosaur. With horror-adjacent auteur Gareth Edwards (known for Monsters and Godzilla) directing and writer David Koepp (who adapted Jurassic Park and The Lost World), returning after a nearly thirty-year absence, expectations were colossal.
What they delivered is a glossy, crowd-pleasing theme park ride into nostalgia that never fully commits to genuine horror or the deeper scientific soul of the 1993 original. It’s enjoyable for fans who love every iteration unconditionally, but it is sure to frustrate those with a more critical eye who expected something closer to a cold-blooded classic.
Jurassic World: Rebirth – A New Chapter or Nostalgic Retread?
For those needing a refresher on the events leading up to Rebirth, you can snag yourself an honorary degree in paleontology with our handy Jurassic Horror 101. After closing out the first reboot trilogy with a whimper, Universal needed to steer the narrative away from pseudo-science and half-baked existentialism toward a more visceral experience; nothing will compare to Spielberg’s masterpiece, sweetie!
The elements for success are all here: Edwards has a strong resume in titanic horror, Koepp is the man behind the original film adaptation, and the fresh faces of Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey, and Mahershala Ali bring star power to the tropics. Yet, whether due to studio interference or simply buckling under nine tons of pressure, they still haven’t figured out how to catch lightning in a bottle twice.
Dinosaurs, Big Pharma, and a Tropical Mission
Set five years after dinosaurs were left to coexist with humans, we learn that the prehistoric beasts are once again facing extinction, both physically and metaphorically. Unsustainable living conditions within Earth’s rapidly changing ecosystems are eliminating them faster than an ice age, and – perhaps in a nod to our apathy in a digital world – the humans around them largely do not give a damn. As dino merch turns to ash and people avoid the roaming beasts like an invasive flash mob, pharmaceutical company ParkerGenix recruits mercenaries Zora Bennett (Johansson) and Duncan Kincaid (Ali), along with soon-to-be-unemployed paleontologist Dr. Henry Loomis (Bailey), for an adventure their wallets can’t resist.
It seems that dinosaurs are still thriving on small islands surrounding the equator, and ParkerGenix has discovered within these surviving creatures a medical miracle that may provide a cure for heart disease. However, this being a Jurassic movie, our beautiful trio is tasked with retrieving this biomaterial from an island overrun by failed genetic experiments abandoned by the infamous company that started it all – InGen.
Rebirth’s script does touch upon the ethical dilemmas of serving Big Pharma for a seven-figure payout. Still, these moral quandaries are explored no more deeply than a child kicking at sand on the beach, hoping to uncover something shiny underneath the silt. Thematically, the franchise has painted itself into a corner since 1993. The existential wonder, quiet pathos, and scientific stakes have since been mined dry, which makes the shift toward more human-scale horror a welcome pivot. Two reboots in, we may never see a film that so effortlessly balances terror and philosophy as the original did. So, while I could continue to rip the script to shreds, why bother? Instead, let’s get to why you’re really here and tear into the horror of it all.
Does Jurassic World: Rebirth Deliver on Horror?
As is common with blockbuster films, Rebirth finds itself at odds with its behind-the-scenes talent and the studio executives at Universal. They clearly chose Edwards for his experience with films of kaiju proportions, and Koepp’s portfolio includes its fair share of bangers, including 2025’s critically acclaimed Black Bag. The marketing heavily features the newly hatched D-Rex, a “Xenorancor rex” level monstrosity that by all accounts should be the scariest thing this franchise has ever seen. However, the cold open, which includes a Final Destination-like mishap that allows the D-Rex some bloodlust, is all too brief. And that is the film’s biggest flaw: They have to let it linger, and they don’t.
A certain sense of style and cinematic flair that horror’s best know how to use is simply missing. Is this a creative misstep, or is the studio afraid to alienate families? The hallmark sequence that strands our heroes — a franchise staple — lacks the dread felt in the original’s historic T-Rex attack or even the epic trailer cliff dive from The Lost World. Since the human characters in these movies survive far more often than they should, they could at least leave us a bit shaken after such a spectacle. That said, the film does include a tense river raft sequence from Michael Crichton’s novel that fans have been begging for since the 90s, and it is undoubtedly the movie’s highlight.
CGI vs. Practical Effects in Jurassic World: Rebirth
I could overlook the lack of scares, or at least choose to politely ignore them, if they had gone back to basics and incorporated quality practical effects. Most are aware that OG’s lasting reverence is at least partly due to its extensive use of lifelike, tangible dinosaur prosthetics and robotics. In 2025, a solid combination of quality CGI and practical magic would go a long way. Backed by Edwards’ love of lighting a dramatic silhouette, the D-Rex does have some ominous and visually impressive moments as we catch glimpses of her amidst fire and fog. Then you see mother monster full frontal without the filters, and it feels like catching sight of a sweaty drag queen after a summer brunch performance.
The editing does the film’s attempts at horror no favors either, exhibiting strange spatial logic during tense beats where dinosaurs seem to vanish between cuts and human characters appear to ignore the massive beasts that were chasing them moments earlier.
A Love Letter to Jurassic Fans
As mentioned, fans of the franchise do have a lot to love here, despite Rebirth flopping in the horror department. Instead of the over-the-top fan service found in Dominion, we are given plenty of self-referential nods and visual echoes, from mirror messages to rescue flares and raptors in the kitchen. The excellent score by Alexandre Desplat likewise resurrects a familiar tune that accompanies a sequence featuring mutated Brachiosauruses that look ripped from Annihilation, which almost brought a tear to the eye of this longtime fan. What the movie lacks in scares, it makes up for in charm, and moments like these, along with a central trio of likeable characters, are enough to keep the formulaic plot moving along.
It’s no surprise that Wicked’s Jonathan Bailey, as the eager and inexperienced Dr. Loomis, is as charming as ever. The flitters of interaction between him and Johansson’s gruffy mercenary, Zora, are endearing, and Mahershala Ali’s characterization of Kincaid rounds out the trio with enough wit to establish them as the reboot’s next generation. A paper-thin backstory helps us understand why these would-be heroes are risking their lives for the better part of two hours, leaving room for improvement in potential sequels.
There’s also a forgettable family with the personality of wet rags who get caught up in the action, serving more as catalysts for set pieces than as developed characters. Still, their scenes provide some comedic relief through Gen Z’s himbo boyfriend, Xavier (David Iacono), and a cute baby dinosaur named Dolores (could a Labubu crossover be on the way?).
Is Jurassic World: Rebirth Worth Watching?
Overall, Jurassic World: Rebirth is more entertaining than innovative. It won’t convert any skeptics into dinosaur enthusiasts, but true fans can find plenty to enjoy in this sweaty jungle romp. It’s predictable and lacks the horror elements that readers of Horror Press crave, but I had a good time despite it all. The franchise still has teeth, albeit buried deep within its gums. Hopefully, Universal will allow some creatives the freedom to yank them out in bloody glory for the next one.
Jurassic World: Rebirth is now in theaters!