The Opening Kill: The movie opens at 261 Turner Lane in Woodsboro—the Macher house. True-crime fan Scott (Jimmy Tatro) and his girlfriend Madison (Michelle Randolph) tour the property while discussing rumors that Stu Macher survived the 1996 television crushing. Ghostface attacks and brutally slaughters them both, establishing that Ghostface is active once again.
The AI / Stu Macher Red Herring: Sidney receives calls from 'Stu Macher' showing a scarred face via video call. Tatum's boyfriend Ben (Sam Rechner) is framed as a primary suspect when Tatum discovers an open laptop in his car running AI voice-cloning software. However, Ben is merely a red herring.
The Unmasking & The Killer Trio Reveal: Midway through the film, Ghostface is unmasked during a hospital confrontation, revealing an escaped psychiatric patient—proving there are multiple killers. In the climax at Sidney's home, the full killer trio is revealed: 1. Jessica Bowden (Anna Camp), Sidney's neighbor and main mastermind obsessed with orchestrating the ultimate final chapter; 2. Marco Davis (Ethan Embry), a corrupt psychiatric hospital orderly; and 3. Karl Gibbs, an accomplice patient manipulated into wearing the mask.
The Climax and Resolution: Jessica reveals she used AI deepfakes to torment Sidney psychologically and set up Tatum as the ideal legacy victim. Sidney and Tatum fight back together. Tatum saves her mother from Marco, and Sidney shoots Jessica in the head, securing their survival. Mother and daughter reconcile, emerging from the ordeal united.