Scream 6 Ending, Explained (2024)

The ending of every Scream follows the same formula: final girl Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) lives, the Ghostface killers and their motives are revealed, and the surviving characters get ready to try to move on. Since Campbell didn't star in Scream 6 due to a salary dispute, the ending of Scream 6 focuses instead on sisters Tara (Jenna Ortega) and Sam Carpenter (Melissa Barrera) as they look to the next phase of their lives in New York City. While there's no way to forget what they have just experienced, they prove their strength in the final scene.

From a final epic battle with Ghostface to finding out which members of the Core Four make it out alive, the ending of Scream 6 is as satisfying as every other movie in the popular slasher franchise.

How Does Scream 6 End?

After Ghostface attacks Mindy Meeks-Martin (Jasmin Savoy-Brown) on the subway, the Core Four meets up at the old movie theater where they plan to battle the new Ghostface and find out their motive. Thankfully, Chad Meeks-Martin (Mason Gooding) survives Scream 6 after two Ghostface killers try to kill him at the movie theater. Sam plays a key role here as she realizes that the movie theater has been set up so it can honor all the Ghostfaces of the past, which proves that whoever the killer is (or whoever the killers are), they have been following along this entire time.

After Wayne shoots Kirby Reed (Hayden Panettiere), who survives, the three Ghostface killers are shown: Quinn Bailey (Liana Liberto), Ethan Landry (Jack Champion, and Detective Wayne Bailey (Dermot Mulroney). They went on a killing spree because Richie Kirsch (Jack Quaid) is their brother and son. Tara and Sam realize that even thought they moved to New York City, they couldn't escape or outrun their past, which was their biggest fear and nightmare.

During the fast-paced ending of Scream 6, Tara and Sam fight the three Ghostface killers. Sam murders Quinn and Tara kills Ethan. In a memorable scene, a Ghostface appears and asks Wayne Bailey:

When he laughs, they say:

When the Ghostface takes off their mask, Wayne realizes it's Sam, who is about to attack him. Sam stabs Wayne's eye and kills him. In a clever nod to the first Scream movie when Sidney threw a TV at fan-favorite Ghostface Stu Macher (Matthew Lillard), Kirby throws a TV at Ethan, which ends his life.

The final scene of Scream 6 is somber and meaningful. Tara says that she will see a therapist to deal with the trauma of the past little while and she and Sam find a way to move forward as close family that respects each other's need for space and boundaries. Sam throws Billy Loomis's (Skeet Ulrich) Ghostface mask away, which symbolizes that sh is ready to let go of the past and leave this terrifying ordeal behind her. As Sam's boyfriend Danny Brackett (Josh Segarra), Tara and Sam walk away from the crime scene. The ending of Scream 6 is fairly happy, as the main characters survive, but it's clear that they will be dealing with the emotions of this experience for a long time.

What Happens In Scream 6?

Scream 6 follows Tara Carpenter and her friends attending Blackmore University in New York City and trying to put the past behind them. Before they realize that there is a new Ghostface, the main tension in the story is between sisters Tara and Sam. While Tara wants more freedom and respect, Sam is terrified of losing Tara and treats her with kid gloves.

After Jason Carvey (Tony Revolori) kills Laura Crane (Samara Weaving), a Blackmore teacher, because he and his roommates are making a horror movie, the real Ghostface kills Jason. This is a clever fake-out that hasn't been done before, which also proves that Scream 7 should break the franchise's rules and not focus on the meta aspect of the slasher franchise. It's definitely necessary to add new elements and surprises to the franchise.

The first half of Scream 6 revolves around Sam being a suspect in Laura's murder and also being hated by everyone at Blackmore since there have been many discussions online claiming thatSam planned the Woodsboro murders. Scream 6 also reintroduces Kirby Reed and features a shocking, horrifying, and gory scene in a bodega when Ghostface brutually attacks several characters.

Scream 6's Critical Reception

The critical response to Scream 6 was fairly positive, with the movie getting a 76% score on Rotten Tomatoes based on 309 reviews. Several critics praised the movie and felt that it was as good as or even better than the others. Richard Lawson wrote for Vanity Fair that Scream 6 was the highest quality film in the franchise since Scream 2. Wenlei Ma wrote for News.com.au that the franchise has always been endearing because it doesn't take itself too seriously.

However, other critics, like David Sims writing for The Altantic, weren't sold on Scream 6. Some felt that it wasn't a fresh take on the slasher franchise and didn't add anything interesting and also questioned how the franchise can continue. With the argument that Scream 7 already made a mistake, time will tell how fans and critics feel about the next installment.