Warning: The following article contains spoilers for Scream (2022).
As horror fans everywhere succumb to the meta-horror fascination of Scream (2022), which is currently in theaters, fans on Reddit are pointing out a plethora of Easter Eggs scattered within the movie.
Keeping the familiar theme of its predecessors, Scream follows a group of young adults being targeted by the newest assailant behind the Ghostface mask. With special guest appearances from Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell), Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox), and Dewey Riley (David Arquette), the film follows Sam Carpenter (Melissa Barrera), her younger sister Tara (Jenna Ortega), and their friends as they attempt to defend themselves against Ghostface.
On r/Scream, user u/KTSMG listed a specific collection of thought-provoking Easter Eggs spotted in the newest installment of the slasher franchise.
As u/KTSMG explains, there are several Easter Eggs that many fans have pointed out. These include:
Halloween Reference
Halloween (1978) was created by none other than John Carpenter, and was referenced multiple times in the 1996 original. Interestingly, one of the main characters in the new film is named Sam Carpenter, which is a clear nod to John Carpenter. Moreover, if Sam had taken the last name of her biological father, Billy Loomis, her full name would actually be Sam Loomis, which is the name of Michael Myers’ doctor.
Mark Kincaid
Mark Kincaid is first introduced in Scream 3 as a detective investigating the newest string of Ghostface murders. Throughout the third movie, Mark and Sidney develop a personal relationship. Thus, Mark is referenced twice in Scream (2022) as now being married to Sidney and having children together.
Tatum’s Memory
In the new movie, Sam and her boyfriend, Richie, travel to Dewey’s home to ask for his help in revealing the killer(s) behind Ghostface. As Dewey is pacing around his home, the box of ashes belonging to his sister Tatum, can be seen on the mantel next to a picture of him and Gale. Tatum was Sidney’s high school best friend before she was brutally murdered.
Wes Craven
As the original creator of Scream and director of the first four films, Wes Craven is a legendary name in the successful franchise. Moreover, Wes is referenced multiple times in the newest installment. Wes Hicks, the son of the Woodsboro Sheriff, is a direct reference to Wes Craven. Additionally, a “For Wes” banner is shown in one of the teenagers’ houses after Wes is killed by Ghostface.
Stu’s House
During the climax of the film, many references to the original 1996 Scream take place in Stu Macher’s house. When Sam falls down the stairs, it is the exact same way that Billy falls down them in the original. Gale is also shot in the same area that Stu was initially stabbed in, along with Gale sitting in a chair in the same place that Stu expressed that his parents would be furious with him.
Lemon Squares
When Wes Hicks is searching for items in the refrigerator, a note on the door of the fridge references lemon squares. As many fans are aware, this is a nod to Judy Hicks in Scream 3, where she baked lemon squares for Dewey because she developed a crush on him, much to the chagrin of Gale.
Did You Just Hit Me With A Phone?
When Richie echoes the line above, it is a direct reference to Stu Macher’s line in the original, where he expresses anger at Billy for tossing a phone at him. Subsequently, it alludes to the fact that Richie is one of the killers.
One fan, user u/CerealTVBinger, also makes reference to Richie’s stab wound matching the area in which Derek was stabbed in Scream 2. Derek was Sidney’s college boyfriend in the second movie, and was rumored to be one of the original killers before the script leaked online and forced the writing department to change the script.
Another fan pointed out that Liv, one of Tara’s friends and Chad’s girlfriend, shares the same last name as the McKenzies, who were the next door neighbors of Casey Becker. Becker, as many fans will recall, was the original victim in the opening sequence of the original film, famously played by Drew Barrymore.
Scream is currently in theaters everywhere.