Scream's foundation lies in its meta moments, which have helped it succeed for over two decades. The slasher franchise has always differentiated itself from other slasher films because Scream has a sense of humor and self-awareness that other slasher films don't have. Its ability to mock itself and films like it is what's kept it going on these years. Scream doesn't follow any of the typical slasher film rules. For example, Scream's original final girl Sidney Prescott didn't appear in Scream 6 since actress Neve Campbell stepped away from the franchise over pay disputes. It seemed impossible for a franchise to go on without its final girl but Scream survived.

Sam Carpenter (Melissa Barrera), who first appeared in Scream 5, officially stepped in as the new final girl in Scream 6. The movie had many references to past films with Ghostface's lair full of memorabilia, including Ghostface's knives and clothing.