Scream 6continues the stories of Sam (Melissa Barrera) and Tara Carpenter (Jenna Ortega), which have a similar vibe to other movies from the horror genre. After the success of 2022’sScream, which revived the saga 11 years after the release ofScream 4, the reboot trilogy was granted a second movie. Simply titledScream 6and directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, it reunites viewers with Sam, Tara, Chad (Mason Gooding), and Mindy (Jasmin Savoy Brown) now in New York City, as Tara and her friends attend Blackmore University.
However, a new city far from Woodsboro isn’t enough to stop those going after Sam and Tara, and a new wave of Ghostface murders is unleashed – luckily, they count on the help of legacy characters Gale (Courteney Cox) and Kirby (Hayden Panettiere).Scream 6was a critical and commercial success, leading to a sequel being greenlit. WhileScream 7is in development, with franchise creator Kevin Williamson as director and Neve Campbell returning as Sidney Prescott, there are other movies from the horror genre, though with different approaches to it, that are great companions toScream 6.
10Cry Wolf
Cry Wolf Was Released In 2005
Cry Wolfis a slasher movie directed by Jeff Wadlow.Cry Wolftakes the audience to a prestigious boarding school, where Owen (Julian Morris), Dodger (Lindy Booth), Mercedes (Sandra McCoy), Tom (Jared Padalecki), Lewis (Paul James), Randall (Jesse Janzen), and Regina (Kristy Wu) play a game called “cry wolf.” The game consists of one member of the group being marked as a “wolf”, and so the rest have to figure out who it is. When the body of a student is found,the group takes “cry wolf” to another level and spread the rumor of a serial killer, but it soon becomes too real.
Jeff Wadlow also directedKick-Ass 2,Truth or Dare,Fantasy Island, andImaginary.
Despite not being the critics’ favorite,Cry Wolfperformed very well at the box office and successfully carried on with the popularity of slashers in the 2000s.Cry Wolfhas all the elements of a good slasher mixed with those of any teen movie, and just likeScream 6,it has a plot twist that changes the entire movie. While specific elements inCry Wolfhaven’t aged well, it’s still a slasher movie worth checking out.
9Urban Legend
Urban Legend Was Released In 1998
Urban Legendis also a slasher movie, directed by Jamie Blanks.Urban Legendalso takes place at a private school, but this group is followed by a different type of serial killer with a very specific inspiration. It all begins with the murder of a student, whose killer was hiding in the backseat of her car, pretty much like in a well-known urban legend. The killer then targets Paul (Jared Leto), Natalie (Alicia Witt), Brenda (Rebecca Gayheart), Damon (Joshua Jackson), Sasha (Tara Reid), and Parker (Michael Rosenbaum), andall the attacks are inspired by urban legends.
Urban Legendalso counts on the talents of horror legends Robert Englund and Brad Dourif.
Scream 6,Cry Wolf, andUrban Legendare all set in schools, though to different extents, of course. They all have a serial killer haunting a group of college students, and they all have specific costumes – what’s different, of course, are the motivations. The particularity ofUrban Legendis the killer’s style, taking note of different and very well-known urban legends to exact their revenge, which makes them original among contemporary slashers, even if the story fell short for some.
8Totally Killer
Totally Killer Was Released In 2023
Totally Killeris a slasher comedy directed by Nahnatchka Khan.Totally Killerfollows Jamie (Kiernan Shipka), whose mother, Pam, is killed on Halloween night bythe Sweet 16 Killer, who killed her three best friends back in 1987 on the nights of their 16th birthdays. After being chased by the killer, Jamie ends up traveling back in time in her best friend’s time machine (which is a school project) to 1987, andsets out to stop the murders so she can save her mother in the present day.
Totally Killermixes slasher, sci-fi, and comedy in an engaging story with enough sense of humor to keep the audience’s attention without breaking the tension brought by the horror elements.There’s also an emotional side toTotally Killer, as Jamie’s journey is a very personal one, but in line with the previous examples,Totally Killeralso has a good dose of plot twists, along with a masked killer with a very specific look.
7Happy Death Day
Happy Death Day Was Released In 2017
Happy Death Dayis a black comedy slasher directed by Christopher Landon.Happy Death Dayintroduces the audience to Tree Gelbman (Jessica Rothe) who is murdered by a masked killer on the night of her birthday – but to her surprise, she wakes up to relive the day, over and over again.Tree realizes that the only way to stop the loop and her many deaths is to find who her killer is, and her mission uncovers different secrets around her.
Christopher Landon was originally going to directScream 7.
Happy Death Daygot mixed reactions from critics but was a box office hit, granting it a sequel released two years later.Happy Death Dayhas been praised for its dark sense of humor and originality with its sci-fi elements, with Rothe’s performance getting the most praise. Of course,Happy Death Dayhas its plot twist, though a somewhat predictable one, but the movie’s strength is its tone and Rothe’s performance, which perfectly balances comedy, suspense, and emotional depth as Tree also deals with trauma.
6The Blackening
The Blackening Was Released In 2023
The Blackeningis a black comedy slasher movie directed by Tim Story and based on the 2018 short film of the same name by the comedy troupe 3Peat. Set on Juneteenth,The Blackeningfollows a group of black friends – Lisa (Antoinette Robertson), Allison (Grave Byers), Dewayne (Dewayne Perkins), King (Melvin Gregg), Nnamdi (Sinqua Walls), Shanika (X Mayo), and Clifton (Jermaine Fowler) – who plan on celebrating the day at a cabin in the woods. Therethey find a mysterious board game called “The Blackening”, which tests their “blackness” and punishes them, but there’s someone else wanting to hurt them.
The Blackening Ending & Killer Identity Explained
The Blackening brings a group of friends together for a deadly game. Here is a full breakdown of The Blackening’s ending and the killer’s identity.
WhileScream 6(and every other movie in the franchise) fires shots at horror clichés, trends, and more, it does so in a more serious manner, whileThe Blackeninggoes full comedy on it.
What makesThe Blackeninga worthy companion toScream 6is not just its slasher elements, but its comedy and satire of horror film tropes and stereotypes. WhileScream 6(and every other movie in the franchise) fires shots at horror clichés, trends, and more, it does so in a more serious manner, whileThe Blackeninggoes full comedy on it.The Blackeningdoesn’t have shocking murder scenes likeScream 6, but the mystery of who’s behind the game and the murders makes up for them.
5Freaky
Freaky Was Released In 2020
Freakyis a black comedy slasher directed by Christopher Landon – and just likeHappy Death Day, it also has sci-fi elements, though to a lesser extent.Freakyfollows Millie (Kathryn Newton), a bullied high school student who is attacked by the serial killer known as the Blissfield Butcher (Vince Vaughn). However,due to his weapon of choice, they end up switching bodies, so now the Butcher is going on a new murder spree as the innocent-looking Millie, while Millie, looking like the Butcher, tries to figure out how to get her body back.
Freakyhas its dose of kills fitting with the slasher genre, but despite its tone and themes, it’s not devoid of emotion.
Freaky’s strength is its blend of comedy and horror as well as the performances of Vaughn and Newton, and unlikeScream 6, there’s no mystery to solve here – however, that doesn’t make it any less entertaining and engaging.Freakyhas its dose of kills fitting with the slasher genre, but despite its tone and themes, it’s not devoid of emotion.
4Bodies Bodies Bodies
Bodies Bodies Bodies Was Released In 2022
Bodies Bodies Bodiesis a horror comedy murder mystery directed by Halina Reijn.Bodies Bodies Bodiesintroduces the audience to Bee (Maria Bakalova), a working-class woman who goes with her girlfriend, Sophie (Amandla Stenberg), to a “hurricane party” at the mansion of the family of Sophie’s best friend, David (Pete Davidson). Also at the party are David’s girlfriend Emma (Chase Sui Wonders), their friend Alice (Rachel Sennott) and her new and much older boyfriend Greg (Lee Pace), and Jordan (Myha’la Herrold).
Bodies Bodies Bodies Ending Explained (In Detail)
The Bodies Bodies Bodies ending reveals a major twist as the body count caps out and A24’s slasher unveils the chaotic origins of the night’s events.
At night, the group decides to play “Bodies Bodies Bodies”, a muder-in-the-dark type of game – however,the night takes a horrible turn when one of them is killed.Bodies Bodies Bodieswas a critical and commercial success, and its “whodunit” style mixed with dark humor, along with the cast’s performances, make it stand out from other similar movies.Bodies Bodies Bodieshas a claustrophobic feel that amps up the suspense without the need for a masked killer, and, of course, it has a plot twist that calls for an immediate rewatch.
3Hush
Hush Was Released In 2016
Hushis a slasher film by Mike Flanagan, but it has one big peculiarity.Hushfollows Maddie Young (Kate Siegel), a deaf-mute horror author who moves to a house in the woods as she’s struggling to write her next book. One night, she becomes the target of a masked killer, who, once he notices Maddie is deaf-mute, decides to torture her psychologically before he attacks her physically.What makesHushespecially tense is the sound design, as there are many moments of complete silenceso the audience can feel what Maddie is going through.
Hushhas a unique approach to the slasher genre thanks to Maddie, and allowing the audience to relate to her through the lack of sound elevates the viewing experience.Hushstarts more as a thriller and ends as a full-on slasher, and the claustrophobic feel of it, along with the main chase being only between Maddie and the killer, make it a must-watch for slasher fans, and an excellent, more contained companion toScream 6.
2Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Was Released In 2024
Beetlejuice Beetlejuiceis a dark fantasy horror comedy directed by Tim Burton and a sequel to his 1988 movieBeetlejuice. It reunites the audience with Lydia (Winona Ryder) and Delia Deetz (Catherine O’Hara), who, afterCharles Deetz’s death, return to Winter River along with Lydia’s estranged teenage daughter, Astrid (Jenna Ortega). When Astrid is tricked into entering the Neitherworld,Lydia has no other choice than to summon the chaotic bio-exorcist Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton) for help– but as expected, his help comes with a huge price.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuiceis a chance for those who only know Ortega’s role inScreamto see a different side to her.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuiceisn’t a slasher like most of the movies on this list, butits themes of death, loneliness, family, grief, and trauma are also found inScream 6… as is Jenna Ortega.Beetlejuice Beetlejuiceis a chance for those who only know Ortega’s role inScreamto see a different side to her – one that is more comedic but also with hints of horror.Beetlejuice Beetlejuiceis a unique look at death and what’s beyond it, making it a much-needed lighter watch afterScream 6.
1Scream 2
Scream 2 Was Released In 1997
Of course, an undeniable companion toScream 6is within its saga. Directed by Wes Craven,Scream 2catches up with Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) two years after the events of the first movie. Now a student at Windsor College along with her best friend and fellow survivor, Randy (Jamie Kennedy),Sidney’s peace is disturbed by the arrival of a new Ghostface killer, who not only goes after her, but also Randy, Gale, and Dewey (David Arquette). Of course,Scream 2’s Ghostface reveal comes with a big twist.
Scream 6takes a lot fromScream 2, such as the setting being a new city and a school, the Final Girl having a new love interest, and the past continuing to chase them. AsScream 6featuresthe “Ghostface Shrine”, watchingScream 2adds more context to that specific part, and alsogoes on to show that history repeats itself sometimes, though in more gruesome ways.
