The Dumbest Mistakes The Scream 5 Characters Make

The following article contains major spoilers for the 2022 film "Scream" — including Ghostface's identity and character deaths. Proceed at your own peril — and whatever you do, don't go into the basement alone.

No matter how many times the "Scream" horror experts explain the rules of scary movies to the characters, they just can't stop themselves from making stupid mistakes. It's almost like they're trying to amp up the franchise's ever-growing body count. After all, back in the first "Scream" film, Sidney criticizes horror damsels for running upstairs to flee from a killer instead of running outside — and then she does the exact same thing. 

Of course, that's the point. "Scream" is a meta-horror franchise that often calls itself out for using the genre's biggest tropes while typically doing very little to subvert them. 2022's "Scream" makes strides to correct some of the damaging toxic tropes that ooze out of every horror orifice, but when it comes to the main characters being dummies with death wishes, not so much. 

Ghostface is back to his old devious tricks in what the new film calls a requel — part sequel and part remake featuring legacy characters and a slate of new ones. As it turns out, our fresh set of teens (and even some of the original characters) just can't help breaking the cardinal rules to survive a horror movie. Spoiler alert: Plenty of them die for it. 

Hey, kids. If there's ever a serial killer loose in your town, it might be a bright idea to get the hell out of the house when you notice that your door is ajar. Oh, Wes. Sweet, innocent, mama's boy Wes. How the son of Sheriff Hicks can be so cavalier about basic safety precautions is anyone's guess, but his lack of common sense leads to the well-intentioned teen's grisly death.

In the buildup to Wes' murder, fans get faked out numerous times when several scenes set up jump scares and don't deliver a lurking Ghostface. Yet after playing "Where's Waldo?" with Ghostface, he finally shows his (ghost)face — after murdering Sheriff Hicks. Our favorite masked killer plays out his creepiest "Psycho" fantasies by watching Wes shower before he gets inside the house. Now, Wes has plenty of time and space to bolt out of the door when he notices that it's open. But instead, he shuts it.

Wes knows his mom already left for work, and he obviously didn't leave the door open himself — but who needs logic when you can get stabbed right through the face? If there's an afterlife in the "Scream" universe, we just know Sheriff Hicks is tearing her son a new one for making her sacrifice pointless when he could have saved himself. Has she taught him nothing?

Dewey doesn't even know Richie for five whole minutes before he clocks him as the killer. Yet despite his warning to Sam to never trust the love interest, she doesn't listen — and a lot of people die so she can hook up with her boyfriend. Sure, he may be a pretty convincing horror newb with no discernible stakes in the Woodsboro fight, but it's a little too convenient that he always seems to be around when attacks happen. Is it just a coincidence that Sam gets attacked in the hospital while Richie is doing shady things like watching "Stab" while her sister fights for her life? 

Richie is only one half of the Ghostface puzzle like the original "Scream" villains Stu and Billy. Who needs laser tag when you can tag-team a killing spree? Yet despite Dewey's warnings, Sam barely registers that her boyfriend might be a serial killer worthy of an Academy Award. Even worse, when she decides to take Tara and run, she doesn't part ways with Richie — not even for a little bit to take some time to think. She actively puts her younger sister's life at risk without knowing she can trust him. Did Sidney Prescott teach you nothing, Sam?

Given that Dewey has survived four "Scream" films by the fifth movie, fans didn't think they had to worry about him making rookie mistakes. Sure, anyone is fair game for deaths in the franchise, but there's a difference between an unavoidable death and making a deadly mistake. However, Dewey is still feeling the fresh sting of rejection, having been forced into retirement as sheriff. In a desperate ploy to prove himself, he gets reckless.

When Dewey and Sam ride into the hospital to save Tara like a pair of white knights, we know some drama is going down. Sam distracts Ghostface and Dewey gets more than a few hits on the masked killer. However, he makes several mistakes. When Ghostface is down for the count, Dewey doesn't go for a headshot or try to unmask the killer. He has the perfect opportunity to do both but squanders them. It's too early for an unveiling, after all. Then, being the martyr he is, instead of leaving on the elevator with Sam, Tara, and Richie to regroup, he goes back for more.

Dewey even acknowledges that without a head shot the fight is never over. Instead of getting the job done when he had the chance, Dewey dies for no reason after saving the day — and preventing himself from being the one to take down the killer because he's too impatient to wait for a better moment. He dies in a pool of blood surrounded by hospital teddy bears, and it's a bummer to see our favorite sheriff go out like that.

Ah, yes. Another rager in the middle of a murder spree with a killer that likely goes to school with the movie's teens. Makes sense. By the end of the film, we know why Amber is keen on throwing a massive kegger that she dubs a "memorial" — she's one of the killers, after all. But who in their right mind goes to a party when someone is keen on lowering high school attendance rates by killing off the student body? To make matters worse, these kids have a blueprint of what happens in this exact situation, because Sidney lived it 25 years ago.

If you grow up hearing stories, reading books, and watching movies about a bunch of teenagers getting murdered in a kegger at the very same house you're partying in, is the free beer really worth it? Is there a single teen in Woodsboro who recognizes that this is a bad idea?

Meanwhile, Richie kicks the students out of the party in one of the best sequences in the film, spouting phrases like "Hey, Gen Z" and "Thanks, teens" while he sends the hapless teenagers packing. However, a smaller party only makes it easier for a killer to find their target. Given the likelihood of Ghostface being a member of Tara's friend group, it's a pretty big red flag for Sam that her boyfriend wants to get the group alone. Safety in numbers, right? But everything's fine.

Hey Sam, when you're making plans to get the hell out of your cursed hometown, it's probably not a great idea to head back into town to attend a party at the very same house the original murders took place. When Tara realizes she's left her inhaler behind, she, Sam, and Richie head to Amber's house (you know, Stu's old house) to fetch her backup. Now, asthma is a severe condition that absolutely needs treatment. Still, when you're on the run from a serial killer with a vested interest in your family, it doesn't necessarily rank number one on the priority list.

Any pharmacy has over-the-counter emergency Epinephrine inhalers and nebulizers, and there are plenty of apps that can connect you to a doctor and get you a prescription almost instantly. Sure, emergency inhalers aren't a long-term solution, given that Epinephrine isn't the strongest treatment. However, for an on-the-go solution when you're running from a killer, it's probably enough to keep Tara breathing long enough to survive the ordeal until they can get a proper prescription.

Yet instead of utilizing this information that someone with asthma would undoubtedly know, the sisters play right into Richie's plan that he put in motion when he stole the inhaler, and they walk into his trap. They also spend far too long in the house looking for the inhaler before realizing that something is rotten in Woodsboro.

We now know that Amber is one of the killers, so it makes sense why she isn't afraid to go into the basement alone. However, Mindy knows better, and she even calls out Amber for making this mistake when she does the same thing — with the actual killer. Why is it that the horror experts never follow their own rules?

Mindy roasts Amber for quite a while, not only giving her ample time to make a move if she wants to but likely annoying her as well. So we've got a killer and a know-it-all in a basement alone. What could go wrong? Luckily, Amber decides not to show her cards just yet and doesn't repeat Tatum's garage door death. Remember Tatum? Dewey's sister dies the exact same way in the original film, which Mindy should know given how many times she's watched the movies. 

Later on, Mindy won't go into the basement with Richie when he asks for backup, which was a good call on her part — and one of the only ones she makes in the film. Now, our horror "expert" has only hung out in the basement alone with one-half of the Ghostface duo. Going places in pairs is just as flawed, if not worse, as going somewhere alone when there's an unknown killer. Why don't any of these nerds hang out in trios? There's still potential for murder that way, but at least it lessens the odds.

Okay, so we've got a masked killer with a phone fetish who's known for hacking technology for his own twisted games. Even a relatively air-headed jock named Chad can't be stupid enough to send a killer his coordinates, right? Wrong. After he refuses to sleep with Liv because he openly suspects her, Chad is frantic to find her when she runs off alone.

Teen drama or no teen drama, it's pretty sus to run off into the woods with a serial killer on the loose — unless you are the serial killer. Nothing bad ever happens in the woods at night, right? Like the loveable moron he is, Chad decides to accept a "Find My Fam" request from "Amber," a fictionalized version of the Find My Phone app in real-life. So, desperate to calm down his girlfriend, he grants her access to his GPS location. 

At this point, we're not quite sure whether or not Liv is Ghostface, but the killer gets access to the coordinates either way, and he stabs Chad. A lot. Chad's hands are so bloody he can't even un-grant access to his location because the blood is smeared all over the phone screen. So he does the scariest thing any teen can do: ditch his phone. Dun, dun, dun. As it turns out, Liv isn't Ghostface, and one of our tech-savvy duo hacked the phone. However, it was a pretty dumb move regardless, as Liv was acting pretty shady.

Hey horror experts, can you please have some self-awareness? Back in the first "Scream," fans watch Randy Meeks yell at the screen while watching "Halloween," pleading with Laurie to turn around and notice Michael Myers standing behind her. Meanwhile, Ghostface actively pursues him behind the couch while he remains just as oblivious as his favorite on-screen Final Girl.

Despite knowing that her uncle Randy gets bested the very same way, Mindy does the exact same thing he did when she fails to notice a killer behind her while actively yelling at a fictionalized version of her uncle for making the same mistake. Can we please learn from these meta moments? The scene breaks the fourth wall three times over. As the horror expert, Mindy needs to stop being so oblivious. Of course, her lapse in judgment leads to a particularly gruesome stabbing that she somehow survives. Frankly, it's a miracle she makes it to the end of the movie at all, given how often she ignores the very same horror rules she's quick to roast others for neglecting. 

Just because you're the killer doesn't mean you won't jinx yourself when you make stupid horror victim mistakes. Both Amber and Richie are "Stab" superfans, meaning they've seen the films enough times to know that 100% of the time, the killers get bested. Sure, every narcissist thinks they can outrun their fate, but why actively tempt it?

Before heading off to the basement alone, Richie tries to coerce Mindy into going down with him alone. She opts for a hard pass on that enticing offer, leaving Richie to get a beer all by his lonesome. Why do so many characters risk their lives for some beer? Why aren't they keeping the extra stash upstairs so they don't have to go into the basement? Even killers can get killed. Yet before Richie treks off alone for his beer-seeking adventure, he makes a cardinal mistake.

The supposed horror buff says, "I'll be right back." Did Randy teach you nothing, dude? He may be playing the role of someone who isn't a horror buff, but why actively jinx himself? Sure, he does come right back, but Sam kills the crap out of him a little while later, so who's to say he doesn't seal his fate with these two rookie mistakes?

If someone turns themselves into a villain because of their "Stab" movie obsession, you'd think that these newly-minted serial killers would study up on the mistakes that always get Ghostface (or any villain for that matter) killed. What's Ghostface's frequent downfall? A lame and usually whiney monologue. Check and double-check for Amber and Richie. 

They're so busy gloating about their creepy director's cut version of the new film they want made in their image that they end up dying for it. In the time they take to explain their motives and complain about the "Stab" sequels, they could have killed everyone in the entire house. However, this is a horror movie, and the villain monologue checks off the classic villain downfall bingo card. 

Yet Richie takes his love for monologuing ten steps further, making sure to slut-shame Sam for putting out in their clearly one-sided relationship and later tormenting her before he tries to kill her. Of course, this gives her time to have a hallucination of her dead biological father, Billy Loomis, who shows her where the knife is hiding. Leave it to daddy serial killer to save the day. Richie is busy throwing a tantrum over not getting his planned ending when Sam says, "Here it comes." Stabbing someone is a great way to shut someone up. Who knew? 

At this point, Sam is more than happy to bring a new horror rule to the table: "Never f*** with the daughter of a serial killer."