Warning! SPOILERS for Scream 5 ahead.
The long-awaited sequel Scream 2022 mirrors the original film of having two killers as Ghostface, but since the killers have the mask on when committing the murders, only a few kills definitively show which Ghostface killer killed who. The rest of the kills are left up for interpretation, with some containing hints as to what character may have been responsible for specific deaths. Here’s every death in Scream 5.
Although directed by newcomers Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett (Ready or Not), Scream follows the late Wes Craven’s formula of having the killers in the main friend group. The new generation of the cast includes Jenna Ortega and Melissa Barrera as sisters Tara and Sam, Sam’s boyfriend Richie (Jack Quaid), and Tara’s close-knit friend group: Amber (Mikey Madison), Wes (Dylan Minnette), siblings Chad & Mindy (Mason Gooding, Jasmin Savoy Brown), and Liv (Sonia Ben Ammar).
Along with the new cast, the film is a “requel,” meaning most of the Scream characters connect to past movies. Mindy and Chad are Randy’s (Jamie Kennedy) niece and nephew, Wes is Scream 4’s Judy Hick’s son, and Sam is the daughter of the original killer Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich). Reprising their roles are Sidney (Neve Campbell), Dewey (David Arquette), and Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox). The shocking reveal at the end of Scream shows that the killers are Tara’s best friend Amber and Sam’s boyfriend, Richie. They were both motivated to kill to continue the Stab franchise (the horror franchise within Scream replicating the film). This is a breakdown of every death in Scream 5, and which Ghostface killer killed — or is most likely to have killed — each one of them.
Tara (Jenna Ortega)
Scream 2022 opens up with Tara answering a phone call from the same mysterious Ghostface voice, which is almost identical to the original Scream’s scene with iconic actor Drew Barrymore. Granted, Tara didn’t have the same deadly fate as Barrymore’s character, but she is still a victim of Ghostface’s wrath throughout the film, almost getting killed multiple times. That being said, she’s not counted on every death in Scream 5.
With a modern twist, Ghostface Facetimes Tara, showing that they are in Amber’s closet, threatening to kill her if she doesn’t “play a game.” The game is a series of questions about the Stab franchise. This immediately sets up Amber as a victim, yet it is later revealed that Amber is indeed one of the two killers. It is likely that it was Richie on the phone with Tara, recording himself in Amber’s closet to fake that she is in danger.
Vince Schneider (Kyle Gallner)
Vince is the first victim of Ghostface, and first up on every death in Scream 5. Instead of having Matthew Lillard reprise his role as Stu, he still makes his name known because Vince just so happens to be his nephew. The victim is also the abusive ex-boyfriend of Liv, and he only makes a couple of brief appearances in the film. Being such an unlikeable character from the beginning, he is immediately set up as the obvious killer, but this doesn’t last long. His death comes after harassing Liv and her friends in a bar. Since Amber is in the bar along with her group of friends, this leaves Richie as the assailant and the killer responsible for the first death of the film. Although a bit of a throwaway character, Vince’s death scene has a fun easter egg, with Nick Cave’s “Red Right Hand” – the theme song for the first Scream movie – playing in the car.
Judy (Marley Shelton) & Wes Hicks (Dylan Minnette)
The death of Wes and his mother, Judy Hicks, comes as a surprise. His friends Chad and Mindy (who are horror movie experts), claimed that there was no way his mother would die because she was in the 4th Scream film only, and “no one cares about the sequels.” This was proven wrong as Judy receives a call from the killer, stating that Wes will die if she doesn’t get home soon.
As she rushes home, she is stabbed the second she opens the door. Shortly after, Wes is killed in his entryway to his house after taking a shower. The murder of the two is one of the most violent scenes in Scream 2022, leaving blood all over the house. Who carried out the killing is a bit tricky, as it could have been Amber, Richie, or both. After the killing, Sam and Dewey arrive on the scene, with Richie nowhere to be found. As Sam sees the police at the house, she realizes that no one is at the hospital watching Tara, who’s been hospitalized after her attack. The film then pans back to the hospital, where Richie and Tara are again attacked by Ghostface. With Richie at the hospital and Amber nowhere to be found, it is most likely that Amber killed both Judy and Wes.
Dewey (David Arquette)
Dewey’s death is the most shocking and saddest by far, as he is the only original character to be killed off in the film. It’s been a decade since the last Scream in the franchise, and a lot has happened to Sidney, Dewey, and Gale since Scre4m. Sidney and Gale are both away from Woodsboro, whereas Dewey is now a recluse in the town, living alone. Sam and Richie try to convince Dewey to use his expertise to help catch the killer, and he eventually agrees. After Wes and Judy’s death, he and Sam go to the hospital to save Tara. After rescuing Sam, Richie, and Tara from Ghostface’s stabbings, Dewey realizes he didn’t shoot the killer in the head. When he goes to finish the deed, it is revealed that Ghostface is wearing a bulletproof vest, and kills Dewey. The killer whispers the creepy line, “It was an honor.” This is the first murder that is 100% disclosed as Amber, as she tries (but fails) to kill Gale Weathers, claiming that she is so happy to be able to kill them both.
Liv (Sonia Ben Ammar)
Even though Stu is not in Scream 2022, his house is, and this is where many of the murders take place. Almost identically to the original Scream, the friend group goes to Amber’s for a party, which just so happens to be Stu’s house. At this point, it becomes evident that one of the killers is in the friend group, as members continue to get killed and the group is getting smaller. After going missing for a few hours, Liv comes out of nowhere, stating that she got attacked by Ghostface. Everyone begins to question her, including Amber. Trying to clear her name, she keeps repeating, “I’m not the killer,” which is stopped by Amber, as she simply says, “I know, because I’m the killer,” and shoots Liv in the head.
Amber (Mikey Madison)
The Scream 2022 killer is revealed to be Amber, and her motive is quite simple: to keep the Stab franchise alive. When she found out she was living in Stu’s house, she became obsessed with the murders and wanted to continue his legacy. She goes on a rant, stating that it’s time for Sidney and Gale to “pass the torch” to the new generation.
For a moment, it seems that she may kill Gale too. Luckily, another legacy character lives on, and Gale shoots Amber multiple times, which makes Amber fall on a lit stove behind her and burst into flames. In old Scream and slasher movie fashion, Amber wakes up from the dead one last time and is then fatally shot in the head by her best friend and the film’s protagonist, Tara.
Richie (Jack Quaid)
Even though Dewey himself kept stating never to trust the love interest, which was one of the main Scream 2022 clues to the killer, everyone trusted Richie for some reason. Maybe it is his funny one-liners or his (faked) cluelessness to the Stab franchise. To everyone’s surprise, though, after Amber admits she is the killer, Richie says to his girlfriend, Sam, “There are always two killers.” He then stabs his girlfriend and goes to Amber, revealing that they are not only the killers but also a couple. Things don’t go as planned for the two, as they both get killed, with Richie getting stabbed and shot by Sam. Scream 2022 follows in the franchise’s tradition, providing wall-to-wall bloodshed, and this sizeable slate of deaths proves that it does a tremendous job.
Who Could Ghostface Kill In Scream 6?
Scream 6 is on the horizon, and after Scream 5‘s lofty body count, the upcoming sequel’s cast can’t get too comfortable – everyone’s a target. The prolific Ghostface has quite a few returning Scream characters and new faces to kill in the horror movie franchise’s sixth installment. Some of the characters available to die have been in the series for a while, and others are relatively new. The first character Ghostface could go after is none other than the reporter Gale (Courtney Cox). Though Neve Campbell is not returning to reprise her role in Scream 6, Courtney Cox is signed on. Gale Weathers has made quite the career capitalizing on Woodsboro’s violent crimes. Not only that, but she’s survived stabbings, shootings, and potentially lethal wounds throughout the series. Therefore, Gale has probably overstayed her welcome in Ghostface’s eyes. Another character that could be next is Kirby Reed (Hayden Panettiere). Once thought to be dead, she’s the sole teen survivor of Scream 4 and uses Scream 5 to talk about her trauma. Since she survived Ghostface the first time around, the killer could be out for vengeance, making Kirby a likely target.
Among other characters appearing in Scream 6 is the protagonist of Scream 2022: Sam Carpenter (Melissa Barrera). There are two options for Sam in the upcoming installment. Either she will become a fearless survivor of Ghostface or end up as his next victim. Mindy Meeks-Martin (Jasmin Savoy Brown) is another good option for Ghostface’s next kill. Mindy’s understanding of the horror genre has kept her safe up to this point, but Ghostface does break the mold every once and a while. So, at some point, Randy Meeks’ replacement, Mindy, could slip up and have to confront the murderer. No one’s safe once Scream 6 rolls around.
- Scream 5 (2022)Release date: Jan 14, 2022
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