the irony and my problem with the deaths

In 5, Amber states that they killed Dewey to show "our movie has stakes, it matters, it's not just another run-of-the-mill, cash-grab sequel"

And what do they follow it with? I enjoyed it enough and it has enough merit where I don't want to call it run-of-the-mill, cash-grab. But nearly every movie is a cash-grab and many of them are feeling worn by the time they do the relocate-to-a-huge-city bit. But it does feel low stakes. In 2, 3, and 5, we have at least one previously established character killed in Randy, Cotton, and Dewey. And 4 at least had Woodsboro and Kate as emotional ties for Sidney and her history.

Here, nothing. Of course no history, as fresh start is the point. But none of the deaths matter very much. And a few feel more opportunistic than anything.

Laura: Opening kill, and with her career and how she's unknowingly linked, and of course being the first kill, she matters a bit.

Jason and Greg, ultimately don't matter, we just met them, they're killers, one is dead and played by a dummy.

3 nameless bodega guys. Enough said.

Dr. Stone. Presented as an unsympathetic jerk. Are the other characters even aware of his demise? Doesn't matter.

Quinn's hook-up, who's nameless, and dead and played by a dummy.

Whatever dead girl was posed as Quinn. Was she similar-looking and murdered for this sole purpose? Someone no one would notice was missing? Or was she borrowed from the morgue? I'd like clarification.

Anika. One of the more creative deaths. Supposed to be emotional because she was Mindy's girlfriend. Seemed cool. Hardly established. Killed by opportunity simply for being there, ie if she had been home alone I doubt she would've been targeted for her own attack, and killed for her choice to be last on the ladder. And c'mon, unless this was your first scary movie and you're 10, we all knew whoever got on the ladder last was screwed, especially when it was the most minor character available. Even blind people saw that one coming a mile away.

Brooks. Who again, like Anika, more killed for simply being there. But he at least gets a name and gets to die in a place where there's at least one picture of Dewey but none we see of him. And we really don't get a feel for how serious this relationship is. They seem like more than fwb sure, but is this a couple months in, living together, what?

And then of course the three killers

So the big ones are, Laura, Anika, and Brooks? Again, two of whom were mostly targeted for wrong place wrong time wrong significant other