This past weekend, horror fans who flocked to theaters for the fifth chapter in the Scream series watched as Sidney, Gale, and Dewey all returned to stop a new Ghostface from terrorizing Woodsboro. But amid all the familiar franchise staples, there was a new reason to rejoice: overt queer representation in the form of Jasmin Savoy Brown’s character Mindy.
The Scream franchise has always had an undeniable queer presence. The original screenwriter and creator, Kevin Williamson is openly gay and has talked openly about the films being “coded in gay survival.” LGBTQ+ fans have long harbored an obsession with Gale Weathers’ style — and we’ve been delighted by all the cameos from queer icons like Sarah Michelle Gellar, Parker Posey, and the late, great Carrie Fisher. Not to mention the proliferation of queer fan theories about Stu and Billy, who continue to dominate the series’ mythos.
But if you’re new to the franchise, fear not! So is Brown, and her character Mindy Meeks-Martin is one of several teenage newcomers who serve as a narrative entry point for any Scream virgins out there. (And for you seasoned veterans, if Mindy’s last name sounds familiar, it’s because her uncle was — spoiler alert — Randy Meeks from the first two Scream films.)
Brown, who also plays a queer character in the popular Showtime series Yellowjackets, is a refreshing new addition to the long-running horror franchise.
“What I love about playing Mindy is she’s a queer Black woman, just like myself,” Brown told Logo prior the film’s release. “So, I’m really proud of that.”
But Mindy isn’t only there to give LGBTQ+ fans a more direct form of representation; she is a fantastic character in her own right. Mindy is a walking Wikipedia of horror knowledge just like her Uncle Randy, spouting off genre tropes with ease in a very meta- Scream fashion. Her queerness is casual but unapologetic, and she has no problems expressing herself, making a big impression with her fairly limited time onscreen.
