Because the Scream movies use a meta-approach that comments on horror films, the franchise has always been able to make creative references to its own history. The new film continues this legacy by featuring plenty of self-referential moments that tribute and comment on the iconic moments, characters, and themes of the previous films in the series.
Thanks to some clever writing and use of the in-universe Stab franchise, the film is able to recreate some of the franchise's most famous moments, like the opening scene and explanation of the rules of surviving a horror movie. It is also able to tie the new characters, like Sam and Mindy, to the past in interesting ways.
The Opening
Beginning with Drew Barrymore in the original film, the Scream movies have a reputation for memorable opening scenes in which a notable actress is killed. The new movie pays homage to this audience expectation by subverting the formula and having Jenna Ortega's Tara survive the opening attack.
The scene is filled with connections to the past as she finds herself in a familiar situation, talking about her favorite horror movie and trying to answer horror movie trivia in order to save her friend's life. It is a great example of the film's successful balance of nods to the past and new direction.
Legacy Characters
While Scream primarily focuses on a cast of new characters, the returning legacy characters are the most direct connection between the new film and the previous entries in the series. The movie brings back characters such as Sidney Prescott, Gale Weathers, Dewey Riley, and Judy Hicks.
The film avoids relying too heavily on the returning characters but gives each of them a significant role to play in the story, offering some humorous meta-commentary about these great Scream characters passing the torch to the next generation.
The Rules
One of the staples of the Scream franchise is the horror movie expert who explains the rules of surviving a slasher horror film. In the new movie, Mindy Meeks-Martin takes up her uncle's mantle as the expert and explains the rules for a soft reboot sequel.
Mindy also gets to reenact some of her uncle's most memorable moments and say some of the best quotes as watches the fictionalized version of his life in Stab. The meta-commentary on horror movies is one of the franchise's strongest elements and this expansion into reboots brings a valuable new perspective to the film.
Connections To Past Characters
Orchestrated by the new Ghostface killers, all of the victims in the new film have familial connections to characters from the previous movies. The killers use these connections to craft their own story that they hope will be used to reboot Stab.
This premise allows the film to focus on the new characters while also constantly referencing the previous films and the roles that their relatives played. It also allows the film to explore how some characters continue their family legacies while others, like Sam, make a conscious effort to be different than their relatives.
Randy's Memorial
In the original Scream, movie lover Randy Meeks is constantly using his knowledge of horror movie formulas to predict and understand what is going on around him. In the new film, his niece and nephew have a memorial set up for him in their entertainment center.
Given Randy's love for movies, a memorial built into an entertainment center is the perfect tribute to his character. His niece, Mindy, also carries on his legacy by becoming the new group expert on the rules of horror movies.
Stab
In the world of Scream, the fictional Stab movies are inspired by the events of the Scream movies. The film features many references and clips from the Stab movies that both reference the previous Scream movies and serve as a meta-commentary on horror movie sequels, while also playing a huge part in the story as the killers' motivations.
Stab embodies the movie's meta approach and allows for a lot of great callbacks to the original movie, including a scene in which Mindy finds herself in a similar situation to Randy as she watches the recreation of that moment in Stab.
The Film's Inspiration
The Scream series is an unabashed love letter to slasher films, drawing major inspiration from Halloween, and the new film openly acknowledges and tributes that. As Sam tries to explain the Stab movies to Richie, she admits that Stab is basically the same thing as Halloween. The film also likens Sidney Prescott's involvement in the story to fellow famous final girl Jaimie Lee Curtis's return to Halloween.
In a more subtle nod, the characters' names are also references to this history of inspiration as Sam and Tara have the last name Carpenter, as in Halloween director John Carpenter. It is revealed that Sam's biological father is Billy Loomis, making her name a nod to beloved Halloween character Sam Loomis.
Billy Loomis
As one of the original Ghostface killers, Billy Loomis racks up a considerable body count and establishes an infamous legacy for himself and Ghostface. As his biological daughter, Sam sees visions of the deceased Billy and eventually listens to his urgings and unleashes her inner killer on Richie during the climax.
It is an effective way to connect Sam to the original film while also subverting the relationship dynamic between Sidney and her mom that drove the first Scream movie. It sets up Sam as a compelling character with ties to the franchise's past and an intriguing future that potential sequels can explore.
The House
In their attempt to reboot the Stab franchise, the Ghostface killers lure the main characters back to Stu Macher's old house, the setting for the first film's climax. By throwing a party, Amber is able to recreate the setting, allowing the characters to reenact many of the first film's iconic moments.
Given the thematic and story ties to the first film, it is only fitting that the movie ends back at Stu's house during a party. Watching Sidney and Gale return to the iconic house is a satisfying moment for fans that brings things full circle.
For Wes
Legendary horror director Wes Craven has been synonymous with the Scream franchise from the beginning and the new film marks the first movie in the series since his passing. In addition to a title card that reads "For Wes" during the credits, one of Ghostface's victims is named Wes, allowing the characters to throw a party in his honor with a banner that also reads "For Wes."
It is a clever way to acknowledge the man who brought the first four films to life and meant so much to the horror genre for decades. He was a huge part of the franchise's success and the new film finds an organic way to tribute his legacy.