OMAR AZIMI

In December 1996, Scream was unleashed in theaters. Directed by the late Wes Craven, the film single-handedly revitalized and reinvented the slasher genre. The film was popular for its satire of other films in the horror/slasher genre such as Halloween, Friday the 13th, and A Nightmare on Elm Street, the latter of which had also been directed by Craven.

Twenty-five years and four sequels later, Scream 5 (released simply as Scream) was released on January 14, 2022. The film was the first in the franchise not to be directed by Craven, who had passed away in August 2015. Scream 5introduced audiences to new faces and once again brought back franchise originals David Arquette, Courteney Cox, and Neve Campbell.

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This article contains spoilers for the Scream franchise.

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The Opening Scene

In the opening of Scream 5, Tara Carpenter (played by Jenna Ortega) receives a mysterious phone call from an unknown caller. As time goes on, the calls get increasingly more threatening until Ghostface attacks Tara. A struggle ensues, and Tara is stabbed multiple times. However, it’s revealed later that Tara survived the attack.

 

Scream’s previous installments opened with established, well-known actors in the films’ opening sequence, who were ultimately killed off. By having Tara survive in the opening of the film, the stakes are raised for the remainder of the film.

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Dewey's Death

After miraculously surviving multiple stab wounds in previous installments, Dewey (David Arquette) was finally killed off in Scream 5. While saving Tara from an impending attack by Ghostface, Dewey sends her and Sam (Melissa Barrera) off as he returns to Ghostface’s body. Dewey raises his gun, ready to shoot when Ghostface suddenly gets back on his feet and stabs Dewey in the stomach: Ghostface then stabs Dewey in the back and carves into his back. Dewey collapses to the floor, signaling his demise.

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All three legacy cast members are famous for having survived each Scream film. By having Dewey be killed off in Scream 5, the film sends the message that no one is safe, not even Sidney (Neve Campbell). With the news that Scream 6 has been greenlit on February 3, 2022, the stakes are raised even further.

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Courteney Cox & David Arquette's Chemistry

Arquette and Cox first met on the set of Scream 1 and were married by the time Scream 3 entered production. The Scream 5's plot has the pair separated and living apart. When Ghostface begins his attack, Gale (Cox) returns to Woodsboro only to reunite with Dewey. Their fraught conversation reveals that their relationship is tense and that Dewey was forced to retire from the Woodsboro Police Department.

Although Dewey and Gale are separated, Arquette and Cox’s chemistry is fueled by their real-life marriage. Although Gale lives in a different city, it’s apparent in their scene together that she still cares for her ex-husband.

 

Courteney Cox's Performance

In the aftermath of Dewey’s death, Gale arrives at the hospital to see his body being wheeled out. Gale instantly realizes that it’s Dewey’s body and begins to break down and is aided by both Sam and Richie (Jack Quaid). Later in the film, Gale (Cox’s best performance) avenges Dewey’s death.

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Again, Cox’s performance in this scene is a testament to the chemistry she’s had with Arquette. As the body is wheeled out of the hospital, viewers are almost led to believe that Dewey survived, but Gale’s reaction makes the scene all the more heartbreaking.

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The Return of Skeet Ulrich

The last time Scream audiences saw Billy Loomis (played by Skeet Ulrich), was when Sidney shot a bullet into Billy’s head at the end of the original Scream. While in the hospital, Sam finally confesses to Tara why she’s been so distant from her and their mother, and it’s revealed that Sam is Billy’s illegitimate daughter. As the plot progresses, Sam continues to be haunted by hallucinations of her father, reprised by Ulrich himself.

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Scream 5 marks the first time Ulrich has returned to the franchise since the original film. The revelation that Billy has a daughter in present-day Woodsboro reminds audiences, and the characters, that Billy and Stu’s massacre still has the town reeling 25 years later. Billy’s “return” is just one of the appearances that several other original characters make in the 2022 film that helps connect it to the original film.

 

Ghostface’s Reveal

While previous killers’ motives were tied to Sidney and the Prescott family, Ghostface’s motive goes in a different direction. It’s revealed that there are two Ghostface killers, Amber (Mikey Madison) and Richie, who explain to Sidney, Sam, and Gale their displeasure in the latest iteration of the in-universe horror franchise “Stab.” “Stab 8” attempted to reqeulize (reboot and sequel) the franchise, which left many of its fans displeased. Richie and Amber rationalize this by explaining that it’s the toxic fandom of “Stab,” and real-life franchises such as Halloween and Psycho, that led them to go on a killing spree.

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The killer’s new motive is a refreshing change from the previous Scream installments which all centered on Sidney and her family. However, the film does include a reference to past films when Richie tells Sam that Sidney killed “her father and grandmother.”

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The Return to 261 Turner Lane In Woodsboro

The finale of the first film, which took place at Stu Macher’s (originally played by Matthew Lilliard) house, 261 Turner Lane, saw Sidney defeat Billy as well as Stu. With Scream 5 the finale takes place at that very home, which is revealed to be now owned by Amber’s family. When it’s revealed that Amber and Richie met on a subreddit, Amber states that she was “obsessed ever since my parents bought this house,” and that she and Richie “realized pretty quickly that we had similar ideas.”

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Stu’s house in the original Scream played a significant role in the finale of the film and took on a life of its own as its own character. Bringing it back into focus allowed for a parallel between the original and the 2022 film.

The 'Kirby' Easter Egg

In a scene taking place at the Meeks’ home, the group watches a YouTube video of a "Stab 8" review. In the corner of the screen is an interview with Kirby Reed (played by Hayden Panettiere). Kirby, who appeared in Scream 4, was stabbed and survived the attack.

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The reference to the interview with Kirby all but confirms that she is still a part of the overall Woodsboro story. With Scream 6 going into production this summer, Panettiere may reprise her role.

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“Look Behind You"

In the first film. with everyone having fled the party in search of Principal Himbry’s body, Randy (played by Jamie Kennedy) is alone on the couch and watching Halloween. “Look behind you,” Randy says, as Ghostface raises the knife, which is comical knowing that "Jamie" is his real name. “Come on, Jamie. Look BEHIND you.”

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In Scream 5 Randy’s niece Mindy (played by Jasmin Savoy Brown) finds herself in a parallel of that same scene in Amber/Stu’s house while watching the original “Stab” which features an actor playing her uncle’s role. “Look behind you, Uncle Randy,” Mindy says. Realizing what the scene means, Mindy glances behind her to see Ghostface ready to attack.

 

“I Started All This”

While en route to Amber’s house, Gale acknowledges that everything that’s happened to them is her fault. If she hadn’t written the book about Sidney’s mother, “we would all have had normal lives. Dewey wouldn’t have died, and…everyone we lost…” Sidney reassures Gale by saying that Billy Loomis started all this. “No more books, no more movies, or reboots or sequels. This ends tonight.”

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In the original Scream, Sidney and Gale had a tense relationship due to the book Gale had written about her mother, which Sidney argued was full of lies. Gale’s subsequent books gave birth to the “Stab” films. With all they’ve been through together, the two became close friends. With Dewey’s death, Gale is regretful of all the things she’d done in the past.