After months of complete secrecy and speculation, the newest entry in theScreamfranchise fromTyler GillettandMatt Bettinelli-Olpinfinally arrived and was full of killer surprises. Ghostface’s return brought some bloody kills, collided the past and present in fresh ways, and touched on a growing trend in film and fandom that made it more relevant than ever.
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It’s a sequel that the lateWes Cravenwould’ve been immensely proud ofand had some of the biggest surprises of the entire franchise. From unexpected kills and killers to big reveals that connect the past to the present,Screamhad it all and left fans with a lot to talk about.
This article contains spoilers forScream 5.
Not Exactly the Same Old Song and Dance
As expected,Screamopens on Ghostface calling up a young teen, this time Tara (Jenna Ortega), to talk about her favorite scary movies before attempting to slice and dice her for a bloody opening kill. The blood, brutality, and talk of Tara’s love of elevated horror, especiallyThe Babadook, definitely felt like the usual song and dance, but had a different ending.
Rather than meet a devastating end, Tara ended up surviving her duel with Ghostface. It’s a perfectly unexpected turn that left fans curious if Tara could be involved in Ghostface’s plan to bring her sister Sam (Melissa Barrera) back to Woodsboro.
Sam’s Man in the Mirror
One ofScream’s most burning questions was what Sam’s connection to the legacy of the franchise would be, and it’s answered with one shocking look into the mirror – Sam is Billy Loomis’ (Skeet Ulrich) daughter.
It’s a completely unexpected revelation that not only brought Ulrich back as Billy but played really well into Sam’s character arc as she’s forced to face a secret that ruined her life. Billy’s return in Sam’s visions was one ofScream’s best surprises, and it ultimately helped Sam lean into a hidden strength to kill the killers.
Explaining the Requel
Following in her uncle’s footsteps, Mindy (Jasmin Savoy Brown) explained a big trend happening in film – the requel. FromStar WarstoJurassic Park, the requel has become a hotly divisive way of franchises trying to reboot themselves while also attempting to please old fans by staying in the continuity.
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It was the perfect kind of meta-commentary fans love about theScreamfranchise and Brown delivered an excellent performance that evokes all that Meeks energy for a moment that definesScreamand the requel.
Playing With the Audience
Gillet and Bettinelli-Olpin poked some fun at the audience with some over-the-top build-up to Wes’ (Dylan Minnette) death. It’s tough to tell if the lead-up to Wes’ death was meant to be a nod toJames Wan’s style of suspense building forThe Conjuringmovies or not, but it was a lot of fun.
The excessive use ofBrian Tyler’s suspenseful scoreand constantly leading to nothing was incredibly fun to watch and a perfect way to play with audience expectations before shocking them with a brutal death.
A Legacy Slashed Down
Easily one of the biggest shocks ofScreamwas the death of Dewey (David Arquette). Going in, it felt the main three weren’t all going to make it out alive and unfortunately for Dewey, his latest bout with Ghostface left him absolutely gutted.
Based on where his life was and the good-hearted hero that he is, it was crushing to see his final act of heroism leave him as another victim of Ghostface, but it’s not in vain. Dewey’s death is paid proper respect with how it brings Sidney (Neve Campbell) to Woodsboro and ultimately causes Gale (Courteney Cox) to homage his heroism in her next book.
Returning to Where It All Began
With how much the past collides with the present inScream, it’s not too surprising that everyone eventually converged to where the original film’s finale took place – Stu’s (Matthew Lillard) house.
The reveal was incredibly epic though with it not being clear that Amber’s (Mikey Madison) house is Stu’s until Sidney tells Sam over the phone. The shot capturing the iconic front part of the house was the perfect kind of jaw-dropper reveal that leads intoScream’s amazing final act.
Literally Everything Mindy Does
If there was any doubt that Mindy is one of the best characters in the franchise, everything she does inScream’s final act ensures it. Brown’s performance makes Mindy an absolute treat that lives up to the Meeks family name with her overt sense of suspicion.
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From her bouts with Amber and Liv (Sonia Ben Ammar) about their suspicious behavior to her falling into the same trap Randy (Jamie Kennedy) did in the first film, Mindy embodied everything great about this franchise. Thankfully, even though she has a close run-in with Ghostface, Mindy survived alongside her twin so if there’s a future for theScreamfranchise, she can hopefully stay involved.
Ghostface(s) Unmasked
The long-awaited mystery of who’s behind the Ghostface mask was answered in shocking fashion with not one, but two killers being revealed. It wasn’t too much of a surprise to see that Amber was one of the killers, but her showing that to the world through a vicious headshot to Liv was totally unexpected.
The reveal of her partner being Richie (Jack Quaid) was even wilder though because it completely blindsided everyone. Quaid’s lovably goofy performance was the perfect ruse to make him seem like he wasn’t the killer, but with one stab to Sam’s gut, his darker side comes out.
Toxic Fandom Made Them Do It
Amber and Richie’s killer motivations were some of the most compelling and relevant of the franchise as they began their killing spree in response to their outcry overStab 8. It’s a great stab at toxic fandoms going too far and creates a deeper perspective on their plan and getting Sidney and Gale back to Woodsboro.
Amber and Richie’s motivations are easily some of the cleverest horror movie writing in recent history. It works expertly in exposing the dangers of toxic fandoms and creating modern killer motivations.
The Entire Bloody Finale
Scream’s third act was full of wildly fun moments that have it all. There were plenty of delightfully humorous moments, shocking turns,jaw-dropping kills that let the blood spill everywhere, and some amazing character moments.
Billy showing Sam where to find the knife to kill Richie was an awesome turn for the character and that find moment of Amber having that final “they’re not dead” moment was creepy and incredibly satisfying when Tara gunned her down. Even the simplicity of Sam and Sidney’s final exchange was great, andScreamended on a note that will satisfy every fan.
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