Scream

[The phone rings. Tara Carpenter answers it]

Tara:
Hello?

Ghostface:
Hello. [speaking in the manner and tone of a slightly nervous man] Is Christina there?

Tara:
No, she's not available. May I take a message?

Ghostface:
Uh, yeah, um...yeah, sorry. I'm a friend of hers from group...oh, sh*t!

Tara:
"From her sh*t?"

Ghostface:
Um, look, just, uh, tell her I'm from group. I'm Charlie. She's got my number.

Tara:
Oh, she goes to your group?

Ghostface:
I shouldn't have...um, just tell her that Charlie called.

Tara:
And I will do exactly that, Charlie. Why don't you tell me what kind of group we're talking about? Is it A&A? NA?

Ghostface:
Well, you sound exactly like she describes you.

Tara:
Uh, she talks about me in group?

Ghostface:
Uh, I don't think I can really talk about that.

Tara:
What does she say about me?

Ghostface:
Well, she loves you very much.

Tara:
Oh, what does she love about me?

Ghostface:
Uh, okay, well, she loves that you're creative. You love art and TV and movies.

Tara:
Okay, well, lots of people love movies.

Ghostface:
Yeah, but she says you love scary movies, and that you guys have that in common. She's proud of making a fan out of you.

Tara:
She is?

Ghostface:
Yeah. She told me the other day, she wonders... [Speaks in his normal tone] What's your favorite scary movie?

Tara:
Uh, The Babadook. It's an amazing meditation on motherhood and grief.

Ghostface:
[chuckles] Isn't that a little...fancy-pants?

Tara:
Well, it's elevated horror.

Ghostface:
Uh-huh. Uh, what does that mean? "Elevated horror"?

Tara:
You know, it's like scary, but with complex, emotional and dynamic underpinnings. It's not just some schlocky, cheeseball nonsense with wall-to-wall jump scares.

Ghostface:
Hmm. That sounds kind of boring to me. Have you ever seen "Stab"?

Tara:
Once, I think. I was a little girl. I was, like, 12.

Ghostface:
You live in Woodsboro, and you don't know "Stab"? Well, your mom loves that movie. She talks about it all the time in group. How well do you remember the original?

Tara:
I don't know. I mean, it's, like, super-90s. It was really over-lit and everyone had weird hair.

Ghostface:
Uh-huh. Do you remember the beginning?

Tara:
Not really. It started with a kill scene, right? They always started with a kill scene.

Ghostface:
Yeah, that's right. That's right. It's a girl at home, alone. She answers the wrong number and starts talking with the killer, who makes her play a game. [beat] Would you like to play a game...Tara?

[Becoming uneasy, Tara hangs up and uses her phone to lock the doors. She sends a message to her friend Amber before closing the curtains. Another phone rings, and Amber sends a message telling Tara to answer the phone. When Tara questions that how does Amber know this, she gets a reply that says, "This isn't Amber", and then more replies demanding her to answer the phone. Scared, Tara answers the phone]

Tara:
This isn't f***ing funny, Amber!

Ghostface:
I told you. This isn't Amber. [Tara sees a video message on her phone, revealing Amber being filmed at her bedroom] Amber's looking particularly fetching tonight. She really shouldn't leave her phone lying around for anyone to clone.

Tara:
What do you want?

Ghostface:
I told you. I wanna play a game. "Stab" movie trivia. Three rounds. You call the cops, she dies. You get a question wrong, she dies. Her parents aren't at home. I can be in that room in, like, 15 seconds. You want a warm-up question?

Tara:
[crying] I told you, I don't know about any of these movies! Ask me about something I do know! Ask me about It Follows! Ask me about Hereditary! Ask me about The Witch!

Ghostface:
In the first "Stab" movie, what Woodsboro name was introduced as the franchise's main character?

Tara:
It's Sidney Prescott! It's Sidney Prescott, and she lived on Elm.

Ghostface:
Correct! You see? You're gonna do great at this. Okay, Question 1.

Tara:
No, no, no, no, no! I got that one right! It should count!

Ghostface:
Anyone could've gotten that one right. Sidney's in every movie but the last one. Question 1: Who wrote the original book that the "Stab" movies are based on?

Tara:
Um...um...that chick from TV.

Ghostface:
"That chick from TV" is not gonna cut it, Tara.

Tara:
Oh, Gale Weathers! It is Gale Weathers, you motherf***er!

Ghostface:
Correct. Amber might live to see the sunrise. Question 2: Who played the dumb b*tch at the beginning of "Stab 1", who answers the phone and gets carved up by the killer?

Tara:
F*** you!

Ghostface:
Is that the answer you're going with? [Tara whimpers and checks the information on her phone] A non-answer counts as a wrong answer, Tara. Time's running out. Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock.

Tara:
Heather Graham!

Ghostface:
Correct! You pulled that one out. Now for the final question: Who was the killer in "Stab 1"?

Tara:
Oh, I know this one, you f***! It's Billy Loomis! It's Billy Loomis, and he was Sidney's boyfriend, and he was played by Luke Wilson, and I got you, you a**hole! I got it! I got it right!

Ghostface:
Oh, I'm sorry, Tara, but that's just not correct.

Tara:
What? No, no, no, no, no! It is! It is! That is right!

Ghostface:
The correct answer is Billy Loomis...and Stu Macher. There are two killers in the original "Stab". I'm afraid someone's got to die now.

[At the hospital, the phone rings. Sam answers it]

Sam:
Hello?

Ghostface:
Hello, Samantha.

Sam:
Who is this?

Ghostface:
Someone who knows your little family secret.

Sam:
You're the f*** who hurt my sister.

Ghostface:
Oh, she's not the only one I'm gonna hurt. I had to get you to come back here somehow, didn't I?

Sam:
You wanna f*** with me, a**hole? I'm right here. Come and get me!

Ghostface:
With pleasure! [Reveals himself and attacks Sam]

Dewey:
[over the phone] But, Sid, promise me. No matter what you hear or what you see on the news, don't come here.

Sidney:
No offense, Dewey, I have no intention of ever setting foot in that town again.

Dewey:
Good.

Sidney:
Dewey, whoever this killer is after, I'm glad they have you to protect them. [Gets emotional] You be safe, okay?

Dewey:
Will do.

Sidney:
It's good to hear your voice.

Dewey:
You, too, Sid.

[While driving in her police car, Judy Hicks answers a call from her ringing cell phone]

Judy Hicks:
Sheriff Hicks.

Ghostface:
Hello, Sheriff Judy.

Judy Hicks:
Who is this?

Ghostface:
I think you know. I'm a fan of scary movies and knives. What's your favorite scary movie?

Judy Hicks:
I prefer animated films and musicals. Why are you doing this?

Ghostface:
I'll tell you all about it. I'm going to turn myself in.

Judy Hicks:
That's a great idea.

Ghostface:
We'll sit down at the station, and I'll tell you all about the two people I've killed.

Judy Hicks:
You've only killed one person.

Ghostface:
[chuckles] By the time I see you, I'll have gutted your baby boy.

[Judy's eyes widen, and she immediately turns on the siren and begins driving back to her house. She tries to call her son Wes, but Wes is in the shower and doesn't hear her ringing]

Judy Hicks:
[calling for backup] This is Sheriff Hicks! I need units to converge on my house ASAP!

[The cell phone rings again. Judy answers it]

Ghostface:
Can't get him on the phone, can you? He must be busy.

Judy Hicks:
How do I know you're anywhere near him?

Ghostface:
You ever seen the movie Psycho?

Judy Hicks:
[starting to get tearful] Please...don't hurt my boy.

Ghostface:
Why not?

Judy Hicks:
He's a good kid.

Ghostface:
Is he now?

Judy Hicks:
He'd never hurt anyone!

Ghostface:
That's not enough.

Judy Hicks:
Please! I'll do anything!

Ghostface:
You're not gonna make it in time, Sheriff Judy.

Dewey:
[Notices Gale's camera operator and assistant] Couldn't resist a good story, could you?

Gale:
Don't be an idiot, Dewey. I'm here because I was worried about you... Okay, yes! My producers wanted me to cover this for obvious reasons, but ninety percent is because of you.

Dewey:
Well, I feel ninety percent better.

Gale:
You are a lot of things, Dewey, but you are NOT a coward. You just, you just were meant to be in Woodsboro.

Dewey:
And you weren't.

[Ghostface is pursuing Tara at the hospital. While doing this, he notices an unconscious Richie's cell phone ringing. Ghostface turns on his voice changer and answers the call]

Sam:
Richie! Are you at the hospital?

Ghostface:
Hello, Samantha. Richie can't come to the phone right now. He's finding out what happens to people who stick their noses in a business that doesn't concern them.

Sam:
Please don't hurt him.

Ghostface:
I'll tell you what. You can choose. I'll only kill one.

Sam:
What? What? Tara!

Ghostface:
Who do you want to hear die?

Sam:
No, please! I'm begging you! Please don't hurt them!

Ghostface:
Really? You can't save your own sister? All you have to do is say, "Kill Richie". [Knocks Tara off her wheelchair]

Sam:
Tara! Don't hurt her! Please! Please! Please! I'm begging you!

Ghostface:
Or say, "Kill Tara". And I'll make sure to hit all the organs I missed last time.

Tara:
F*** you!

Sam:
I'm begging you, please don't hurt her.

Ghostface:
Last chance to save one. Choose!

Sam:
Why are you doing this?

Ghostface:
You want to know why, Sam? Maybe it's because you're a selfish b*tch who can't even make a decision to save the life of someone you love. Maybe you're too weak for this franchise.

Sam:
Maybe you're right. Or maybe I'm just stalling for time, fuckhead!

[Sam and Dewey arrive and Dewey shoots, forcing Ghostface to flee]

[At the hospital, Dewey and Ghostface are fighting each other, with Ghostface about to stab Dewey]

Dewey:
Not today!

[He quickly kicks Ghostface off him, then grabs his gun, managing to shoot Ghostface and cause him to collapse on the floor. Dewey then gets Sam, Tara, and Richie to the hospital's elevator, but stops before he can join them]

Dewey:
The head.

Sam:
What?

Dewey:
You have to shoot them in the head, or they always come back.

Sam:
Dewey! Who gives a f***?

Dewey:
I do.

Sam:
No, Dewey!

[The elevator doors close. Dewey, carrying his gun, walks over to the still-unconscious Ghostface and prepares to shoot him. As he does, Dewey's cell phone suddenly rings, immediately waking up Ghostface, who violently stabs Dewey in the stomach and then in the back]

Ghostface:
Yes, today! [Raises both his knives, violently slicing Dewey's chest and back open. A fatally-wounded Dewey has enough time to notice that Gale was trying to call him on his phone, and he smiles, ignoring Ghostface speaking] It's an honor. [Removes the knives and kicks a now-dead Dewey to the ground]

Sidney:
Sam, I want you to help us kill him.

Sam:
You want me to help you and the host of a morning show to commit murder?

Gale:
Correct.

Sidney:
Yeah.

Wes:
[suspecting Dewey as the killer] You got stabbed a billion times, got dumped by your famous wife, and crawled into a bottle. I think it's safe to say you're on the suspect list.

Dewey:
Well, maybe you're the killer. Because that cut deep.

Sidney:
I put a tracker on her car.

Gale:
You did what?

Sidney:
Seems like something Gale Weathers would do.

Gale:
I'll take that as a compliment.

Gale:
If I hadn't written that book about your mother, none of this would have happened.

Sidney:
Gale...

Gale:
I started all this.

Sidney:
No, you didn't. Billy Loomis started this, and we're gonna end it. After tonight, no more books, no more movies, no more f***ing Ghostface.

Amber:
[runs outside crying and screaming] Help me! Help me! He stabbed me!

Sidney:
[looks at Gale] What do you think?

Gale:
Trap.

Amber:
[stops pretending] F*** it! [shoots Gale]

[Sidney enters Stu's old house for the first time in years. Sidney's cell phone rings. She answers it]

Ghostface:
Hello, Sidney.

Sidney:
Hello, there. Where'd you go?

Ghostface:
Oh, this isn't Amber. I'm the other one.

Sidney:
Oh, there's two of you...again. I've seen this movie before.

Ghostface:
Not this movie, Sidney.

Sidney:
You really need some new material. [shoots door]

Ghostface:
I got you here, didn't I?

Sidney:
You might actually be the most derivative one of all. I mean, Christ, the same house? [shoots door]

Ghostface:
Maybe so, but you forgot the first rule of surviving a 'Stab' movie: never answer the...

Sidney:
[cuts Ghostface off] I'm bored.

Ghostface:
Wait!

[Sidney ends the call]

[Richie and Amber have revealed themselves to be the killers, and they drag Sam and Sidney to the kitchen]

Richie:
Someone has to save the franchise! You see, no one has made a great "Stab" movie since the first one. Not really. [To Amber] Hey, baby, you want to go get the very ex-Mrs. Riley?

Amber:
Yeah, I do.

[Richie approaches Sidney]

Richie:
Sidney Prescott. You know, I'm a really big fan.

Sidney:
Go f*** yourself.

Richie:
You see the last "Stab" movie?

Sidney:
Not really a fan of scary movies.

Richie:
That checks out. Anyway, it sucked balls. Because nobody takes the true fans seriously, not really. They just laugh at us, and why?! Because we love something?! We're just a f***ing joke to them?! How can fandom be toxic? It's about love! They don't f***ing understand these movies are important to people!

Sam:
Richie...

Richie:
And we're gonna help them! Hollywood's totally f***ing out of ideas, so we decided we'd give them some new source material to follow. You know, bring it back to basics. Because that's how you make a great "Stab" movie, Sam. Based on actual events.

[Amber drags Gale to the kitchen, then approaches Sidney, mockingly waving her knife at her while mimicking the Psycho theme]

Sam:
You did all this just to make me the hero of your f***ed-up movie?

Richie:
Sweetie, you’re not the hero. You’re the villain. The daughter of Billy Loomis who sees f***ed-up visions of her dead dad. Sidney Prescott killed your father. You...did all this just to get her back to Woodsboro.

Amber:
You know what the biggest problem with the "Stab" movies is? There’s no Michael Myers or Jason Voorhees, no bad guy to keep coming back. But the illegitimate daughter of the original mastermind? Now that’s a f***ing villain.

Sam:
How did you know?

Amber:
About your father? I mean, it’s a small town and your mom’s a drunk! I met Richie on the "Stab" subreddit. I’ve been obsessed ever since my parents bought this house. We realized pretty quickly we had similar ideas.

Richie:
Wasn’t that hard for me to find you in Modesto. It wasn’t that hard for me to f*** you, either. But I guess being a sexually available woman is supposed to be empowering these days.

Sam:
[angered] F*** you!

Richie:
Well, now you’re just quoting the original.

Amber:
But it wouldn’t work with just you, Sam. See, we had to bring the legacy characters back to make it matter. Can’t have a bona fide Halloween without Jamie Lee!

Richie:
Nope!

Amber:
Dewey had to die to make it real, to show that this wasn’t just some bullshit, cash-in, run-of-the-mill sequel. Because our movie has f***ing stakes! [Speaks in a sing-song tone] ‘Cause anyone can die in a requel.

[Sidney attempts to escape, only for Amber to stab her in the side]

Richie:
I’m so sorry, Sid. We can’t let you live, either. I mean, surviving this many times, that would just be ridiculous. [Speaks in a true evil and delusional tone] This time, the fans are gonna be the ones who win. [To Amber] That about cover it?

Amber:
[Smiles] Nailed it, baby.

Richie:
[Confident their plan will succeed without fail] Get Tara out of the closet. We got to go start staging the bodies! [Amber leaves; Richie starts taunting Sam] You really should’ve listened to Dewey! He nailed it in one! "Dude, look at the love interest!" Are you f***ing stupid? I even had you convinced it could be your sister.

[Immediately after, Amber's voice is heard, sounding stunned and confused]

Amber:
Um, she’s not here.

[Richie's smile fades as he becomes stunned]

Richie:
What the f*** do you mean she’s not here?

Amber:
She’s not here!

Sam:
I untied her. [Richie looks at Sam, shocked] Guess you’re not as persuasive as you thought.

[Sidney and Gale are gaining the upper hand in their confrontation with Amber, who, covered in hand sanitizer, starts chickening out and pleading]

Amber:
No, no, no, no, no, no! It's not my fault, it's not my fault!

Sidney:
Let me guess, the movies made you do it?

Amber:
No, no, no, it was the message boards! I was radicalized!

Gale:
By movie fans?

Amber:
Yes, they're so mad! Please, it's not my fault! I'm just a dumb kid, I just wanted to be a part of something!

Gale:
A part of something? You killed my best friend!

Amber:
[stops cowering to taunt her] Yeah, and he died like a p*ssy. [Gale punches Amber, resuming the fight. Amber gets the upper hand, choking Gale] That was the last thing he saw before Dewey died, you! I can't believe I get to do you both! No last-minute saves this time! Your story's over! Time to pass the torch!

Gale:
It's all yours, b*tch! [headbutts Amber and kicks her against the kitchen stove, which turns on. Gale looks at Sidney] Do you wanna do the honors?

Sidney:
This one's yours.

[Sidney gives Gale a gun. Gale aims the gun at Amber, who again chickens out and again pleads for mercy]

Amber:
No, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop! I'm sorry about Dewey!

Gale:
F*** you!

[She shoots Amber, causing her to land on the stove and be set on fire. A burning Amber screams and runs around for a few moments before collapsing to the ground]

Sidney:
Enjoy that torch.

[Richie is cornering Sam, who is on the ground. As Richie taunts her, unknown to him, Sam sees a vision of her father, Billy Loomis, who guides her to a knife on the ground]

Richie:
What are you gonna do now, huh? Make a scary phone call to me? Pop your head out of the closet in a Ghostface mask? You know, 'cause you're the villain? And the villain dies at the end! Those are the rules!

Sam:
I'm introducing a new rule.

Richie:
And what might that be, huh? [Aims his gun at Sam] Well?! [Laughs arrogantly and evilly]

Sam:
Never f*** with the daughter of a serial killer.

[Hearing Sam say the rule causes Richie to frown in confusion, until Sam grabs the knife and plunges it straight into Richie's mouth. As Richie recoils from the sudden attack, dropping his gun in the process, Sam proceeds to attack him viciously, stabbing him dozens of times in the exact same manner of Ghostface stabbing a victim, all while Richie screams in pain and shock. Sam then stops stabbing and raises the knife, as Richie, his arrogant behavior now destroyed and replaced with fear, cowardly begins pleading for mercy]

Richie:
[whimpering] WAIT! Wait! What about my ending?!

[Sam quietly places her knife next to Richie's throat]

Sam:
[whispers] Here it comes. [slashes his throat]

Richie:
[horrified] Aah! No!

[Richie's throat is fully slashed, and a fatally wounded Richie only has enough time to witness Sam use her hand to clean her blood-stained knife, another Ghostface move, before ultimately dying. Sidney and Gale walk in and stand next to Sam, looking at Richie's body]

Sidney:
Careful. They always come back.

[Sam takes the gun from Gale and shoots Richie's body, eventually shooting him in the head, ensuring that he is dead]

Gale:
Okay, then.

[Suddenly, a badly-burned and disfigured Amber, screaming loudly, runs in and desperately tries to attack the trio, only to be immediately killed by a shot to the head; Tara is revealed to be the shooter]

Tara:
I still prefer The Babadook.

Tara:
You're not the reason Dad left. You didn't choose where you came from, or who you came from. I don't blame you for that. I blame you for leaving me, too.

Sam:
That's never gonna happen again.

Tara:
I know.

Sam:
[as she climbs into the back of an ambulance] You're not going anywhere without me. Don't worry, I'm gonna hold your hand the whole way there.

[Sam extends her hand, Tara takes it]

Sam Carpenter:
Never f*** with the daughter of a serial killer.

Sidney Prescott:
I've been through this. A lot. This is your life, now, which means that whoever this is is going to keep coming for you.

Sidney Prescott:
Whatever his link is to our past, it's pulled us all back here. And I won't sleep until he's in the ground.

Dewey Riley:
[text message to Gale] Ghostface is back. Don't come to Woodsboro. Hope all is well. [Adds a smile emoji to the end of the text]

Richie Kirsch:
Because nobody takes the true fans seriously, not really. They just laugh at us, and why? Because we love something? We're just a f***ing joke to them! How can fandom be toxic? It's about love! You don't f***ing understand, these movies are important to people.

Richie Kirsch:
Thank God, you're okay! [Stabs Sam] Because I really, really wanted to be the one to kill you.

Dewey Riley:
Well maybe you're the killer, because that one cut deep. . .