2022's "Scream" pays tribute to "Scream" by bringing back characters from "Scream" to
face the killer from "Scream" all over again. Screaming yet? This is the ending of the fifth
"Scream" movie, "Scream," explained. "I've seen this movie before."
"Not this movie, Sydney."
The film kicks off with a very typical set-up: Tara Carpenter is home alone when a stranger
starts calling her landline phone. Shocker -- the new Ghostface has found his first victim.
When Tara's estranged sister Sam gets a call from Wes Hicks about the attack on Tara,
she hotfoots it to her hometown with her helpful boyfriend Richie in tow.
When she's arrived, she's quickly interrogated by Tara's fiercely protective best friend Amber.
To be fair, Amber's suspicions make sense; Sam conveniently comes home the day after Tara is
attacked? It seems too good to be true. Resident film nerds Chad and Mindy are
quick to point out Ghostface is involved, and anyone could be behind the mask -- even
the main character. "We're all suspects."
We find out that Sam left Woodsboro because she uncovered a dark family secret: She's the
secret daughter of Billy Loomis, and suffers from hallucinatory visions of Billy himself.
"What's the matter, Sydney? You look like you've seen a ghost."
What do you do when a new Ghostface starts hunting your family and friends?
Well, you get help from someone with expertise, of course. Enter, Dewey Riley. The washed up former
sheriff lives alone in his trailer, separated from Gale Weathers. He helps the new class of
victims establish that the killer is trying to make his own 'requel' -- a reboot-slash-sequel,
which is why the new killer is going after anyone connected to the previous killing sprees.
Ghostface even slaughters "Scream 4" alum Judy Hicks and her son Wes in a stunningly tense
sequence set inside the Hicks' house.
Look, it just wouldn't be a legacy sequel if one of the original characters didn't die
in a sacrificial blaze of glory. The film is all about passing the torch,
so obviously a fan-favorite character has to meet their end at some point.
Gale Weathers is the second legacy character to show up in the film, arriving in Woodsboro
to cover the news for her successful morning show. Although she divorced Dewey after "Scream
4," they reunite at the Hicks house, which gives them the opportunity to resolve the
issues that drove them apart. Oh, no. Character development? You can see where this is going.
Ghostface obviously doesn't stop with the Hicks' family, making their way to the hospital where
Tara is recovering so they can finish the job they started in the film's opening. Thankfully,
Dewey shows up, shooting Ghostface in the chest several times so Sam can get Tara to safety.
But as soon as he steps into the hallway, he's practically signed his own death sentence.
The killer butchers Dewey with two knives, ripping his abdomen and back to shreds until he bleeds
out on the floor. Rest in peace, Dewey. Thankfully, Gale has Sidney to lean on
for support -- which is surprising, since they've always had an uneasy relationship over the years.
While all this is happening, the teenagers are holding a remembrance party for Wes
in Stu Macher's old house -- the place where the original finale happened.
It wouldn't be "Scream" without a party now, would it? But then most of the partygoers leave
after realizing that just by the act of being there, they're practically begging to be killed.
"Sounds about right."
Chad is attacked by Ghostface, while various members of the group like Liv,
Tara, and Richie go missing. But this is "Scream" we're talking about, so there
are always going to be plenty of red herrings for the audience to over-analyze. Thankfully
fans don't have to wait long for resolution, because in a moment of extreme paranoia in the
group Amber whips out a gun and executes Liv at point blank range. "Welcome to Act 3," indeed.
But who's her accomplice? Well, the writers cleverly subvert a typical trope in the franchise,
because surely it can't be the main character's boyfriend again, can it? Actually yes it can,
as Richie outs himself to Sam, Sidney, and Gale as Amber's accomplice. In typical "Scream" fashion,
the two killers wax lyrical about their motives, and it's just about as meta as you'd expect.
Turns out, Amber and Richie are both disgruntled fans of the "Stab" franchise -- you know,
the movie-series-within-a-movie that's based on the events of the original movie.
They bonded online over their shared hate for the most recent film, "Stab 8," before
coming up with the idea for their own movie. Amber and Richie go on their killing spree so
the "Stab" franchise has fresh source material to work with going forward.
By creating their own Ghostface, the duo hopes to essentially shape the narrative of the next film,
believing that their ideas for a sequel are better than anything
the studio will come up with. In Richie's own words, "Someone has to save the franchise."
"That was so f—ing stupid. Pure horsesh-t. The death of horror, right here in front of us."
It's a clever maneuver from the writers, who are clearly taking pot-shots at
specific fandoms in the real world who go on mass-hate campaigns when specific movies and
sequels aren't to their liking.
Although Amber and Richie feel like they've created a victim-proof plan to frame
Sam as the new killer in their "Stab" 'requel', they don't account for the fact that she has an
inner darkness that is personified by the Billy Loomis hallucinations. It's a clever
way of turning the deadly Loomis legacy into something positive, as Sam tells Richie he
shouldn't "[mess] with the daughter of a serial killer," before stabbing him over, and over.
"I'll be right b-ahaha." "Hahaha. He's dead."
Amber doesn't get away either, as Sidney and Gale tag team the teenage killer in the kitchen,
knocking her back so she face-plants on the lit stovetop, setting her on fire.
It's a horrifying fate for the disillusioned student, but it's also some sweet revenge for
Gale. Since this is "Scream," we're all expecting the killers to get back up for one final scare,
but we get yet another subversion here, as Sam unloads several shots
into Richie's bloody body before that happens. Out of the new cast, there's a healthy batch of
survivors -- with Tara, Sam, Chad, and Mindy all making it out alive.
After everything Sidney and Gale have been through over the years, they both deserve
a happy ending -- although Gale makes a point of saying she's not going to write about the killers.
No, this time she's going to write about Dewey. She's arrived at a point where she doesn't need
to memorialize the evil in the world; Gale's ready to honor those who always try to do good.
Now that's what we call character development.
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