Major spoilers ahead for this deep dive on Mikey Madison’s incredible portrayal of Amber.
This article contains major spoilers for Scream.
Wes Craven is a horror master and a true legend of the slasher subgenre. He paved the way for many directors, gave the audience one of the best stories, and, most importantly, invented Ghostface. The notorious figure recently had a chance to shine, as the fifth installment of the Scream franchise debuted on January 14th. Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, aka Radio Silence, did an outstanding job and created a chapter worthy of Wes Craven’s legacy.
After the rise and the fall of the previous “co-Ghostface,” Jill Roberts, aka Sidney Prescott’s cousin, one wouldn’t think we’d get another more twisted female villain. But those assumptions were incorrect. That’s when Amber Freeman (Mikey Madison) walks into the room, a faint smile on her face as if she’s hiding something. That’s not to say she’s better than her female predecessor—she’s unique, well crafted, and the ideal villain for Generation Z.
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The latest installment is full of complex characters, plot twists, and nostalgia, especially with the return of the original trio: Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell), Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox), and Dewey Riley (David Arquette). Ghostface preys on Tara (Jenna Ortega) and her sister, Sam (Melissa Barrera), who hides a dark secret that links her back to the original. When Ghostface strikes, everyone becomes a suspect, including Tara’s friends: Mindy (Jasmin Savoy Brown) and Chad (Mason Gooding), who happen to be Randy Meeks’ niece and nephew, as well as Wes Hicks—Judy Hicks’ son—Amber (Mikey Madison), and Liv (Sonia Ammar). Sam soon joins them in Woodsboro, accompanied by her boyfriend, Richie (Jack Quaid). But not everything appears as it seems and the killer is closer than Sam’s previously assumed.
There are many amazing things to say about Scream. One of them is, without a doubt, the inevitable yet always surprising unveiling of the Ghostface. Richie, Sam’s boyfriend, and Amber—Tara’s friend—turn out to be behind the mask and the murders. The couple met online on a horror fan page and decided to bring Ghostface back to life. What didn’t help was Amber’s move to the infamous mansion of one Stu Macher. Things only got worse from there. The dangerous duo kills in the name of the adored genre, frequently mocking the term “elevated horror”. The definition categorizes a newly invented horror subgenre that carries an often intricate, mind-bending narrative on grief, motherhood, etc., next to the horror elements.
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The final act is even more spectacular. The plot’s climax takes place in the legendary kitchen, which is also where Stu and Billy attempted to carry out their heinous actions twenty-five years ago. With their precision to details, the Ready or Not creators excel and deliver an installment that meets the expectations of both older and younger audiences.
Amber’s character and personality are thoroughly altered once the masks are off. It reveals an incredibly clever, sinister woman who is also a bloodthirsty killer with a mad obsession with the horror genre and the idea of “coming back to the original”. In effect, the death scenes depicted in Scream are extremely gruesome, particularly those carried out by Amber. If it’s not the slashed throat straight through the cheek, it’s the bones breaking. Although Jill, as the girl’s predecessor, continues to deserve praise and a spotlight as a female slasher killer, Madison’s character amps up the killings. This eventually leads to one of the franchise’s most heartbreaking death scenes—the murder of Dewey Riley.
“It’s an honor,” Amber’s words reverberate before she twists the knives deeper and “finish[es] the work.” Madison’s character becomes an integral component of the franchise by killing a member of the legendary trio. Through this, she cements her position as one of the most important villains. Through it all, Mikey Madison gives an unforgettable, truly brilliant performance.
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The new Scream is all about coming back to the original. Even though the entire franchise essentially mocks horror fans and invites us to debate the genre and whether films influence our actions, something about the fifth installment feels more sinister and even bloodier. Richie and Amber become the ultimate “new and improved” Billy and Stu, targeting those related to the original characters. The film introduces and, at the same time, becomes a requel; a new subgenre that is all about returning to the past and connecting generations. In the final act, Amber doesn’t shy away from expressing her deep love for slashers, obsession with Stu’s mansion, and dislike for “elevated horrors”. The latter, in particular, causes her to practically drool, just like Stu. Yet again, the incredible eye for detail manifests itself in said scene. It’s a perfect nod towards long-time fans.
The character is written in a way that is both amusing, complex, and terrifying. “See, we had to bring the legacy characters back to make it matter. Can’t have a bonafide Halloween without Jamie Lee!” she exclaims. After being hit with a bottle of sticky liquid in another scene, Amber exclaims, “Fucking hand sanitizer?” The line perhaps relates to the global pandemic and utilization of hand sanitizer by almost everyone on the planet.
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Mikey Madison astounds the audience and transforms into a new type of female serial killer, one who will stop at nothing. Amber essentially becomes an “elevated” version of the true horror fan during her hate-spewing and murdering spree. The figure is a poster girl for the toxic side of the fandoms, full of gaslighting and cyber-bullying. Amber aspires to be the new icon, believing that Sidney, Gale, and Dewey should retire, preferably straight to the coffin. Regardless of who Amber is or what her character represents in terms of the genre (a genre largely ignored by the Academy of Motion Pictures), her demise and the manner in which it’s executed are simply the best aspects of Scream.
If you’re a fan of Mikey Madison, you might remember her as Sadie, one of the Manson girls, in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. The film is the director’s recreation of history as we know it, starring Margot Robbie, Brad Pitt, and Leonardo DiCaprio. Madison’s craft and skill are immediately apparent and stun the audience, particularly after her brilliant “flamethrower” death at the hands of DiCaprio’s Dalton. Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillet go above and beyond by recreating and directly referencing the scene in Scream
Despite the polarizing debate surrounding Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, the correlation between both sequences was a brilliant idea, especially when trying to highlight Mikey Madison’s talent. From start to finish, her performance is solid and thought-provoking. As she establishes herself as a new female villain of Scream, she joins the ranks of other versions of Ghostface as one of the most complex and interesting killers presented.
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Amber’s sick ambition is unmistakable; she seeks to be the new generation’s Billy and Stu with Richie, and they continuously progress in their crimes. Eventually, in one of her last moments, she yells, “Time to pass the torch!” while choking Gale. Moments later, her position drastically changes to the true final girl’s leverage. “Enjoy that torch,” Sidney states, her gaze fixed on Amber’s lifeless body after she dies at the hands of Gale; it’s the perfect revenge. But, according to the legendary rules, a killer is always back for one last scare. Surely enough, badly burnt, but still hanging in there, Amber runs towards the group with a knife but is quickly stopped by Tara.
The aforementioned torch can be read as symbolic and is meant to be shared rather than passed. And Scream demonstrates this. The audience receives a solid, bloody story, elaborate kills, and one serial killer straight from hell, who takes horror films a little too seriously. With a perfect combination of characteristics that relate to both the new and old generation that “lived and breathed” the franchise, the fifth installment becomes a vital part of the franchise. It fits there perfectly, while Amber claims her spot as the most brutal female villain of Scream.
