Is Scream my favorite scary movie? I mean, top 5, maybe top 2? The sequels have always been… Interesting. From the exciting continuation of the original cast to the reboot/remake/requel meta thing we have achieved now, the franchise has become my soap opera that I keep checking in on just to see what they do next. Much like the SAW franchise, which has racked up 10 installments now, we don’t go into these additional installments with high expectations. If the film can give me a few engaging slasher sequences, enjoyable characters, and a goofy twist, then I’d say that’s a pretty good Scream film. Thank you, next.
Unfortunately, to talk about this movie is to also engage with the discourse around the (in this writer’s sole opinion) wrongful firing of Melissa Barrera over some posts she made on social media about the Israel-Hamas conflict. This firing created a domino effect, which led to both co-star Jenna Ortega and the director Christopher Landon eventually leaving the project, resulting in the film being overhauled into what it is today. This shakeup led to the long-time writer of the Scream franchise, Kevin Williamson, being promoted to director of Scream 7 and the film being re-written to highlight the return of former protagonist Sidney Prescott, Neve Campbell, as she attempts to survive a new Ghostface killer who wishes to “make Sidney suffer” for what she’s done. Before getting into the review, let it be said that I disagree with Spyglass Media Group’s choice to fire Melissa Barrera, and I respect anyone who wishes to protest this movie in light of this. To spoil the review for those who wish to boycott, you’re not missing much. As much as I personally enjoy this franchise, Scream 7 is not worth supporting due to its lackluster story, action, and presentation.
Scream 7 sees the return of Neve Campbell as Sidney Prescott, who has settled down in the small town of Pine Grove with her husband (Joel McHale, for some reason?) and daughter Tatum (Isabel May). Fun fact, yes, Sidney named her daughter after her friend who died in the original Scream. Yes, they bring it up a lot. After opening a coffee shop and marrying a cop, Sidney finds herself at odds with her teenage daughter, who’s now at the same age she was in the original film. Suddenly, a new Ghostface killer appears in town, and Sidney’s family must team up with Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox) and her new sidekicks Mindy and Chad Meeks-Martin (Jasmin Savoy Brown & Mason Gooding) to track down this new killer and find out who is behind the mask… again.
Frankly, this film feels half-baked. The plot is rather messy, with a lot of story details and character backstories being quickly explained through painfully obvious dialogue. Sidney and Tatum’s relationship is the core of this film, setting up a story about how trauma can be passed down to the next generation. This is pretty standard legacy sequel stuff that’s ripe for the Scream franchise to make meta commentary on. However, it all falls flat. Campbell’s return is noted by numerous characters as a big deal, stating that, “You should have been in New York”, “The story’s not the same without you,” etc, but Sidney’s narrative arc feels more akin to something found in the latest Conjuring sequel, which is a long way of saying it’s pretty dull. Performance-wise, Campbell rocks, bringing back the beloved angry final girl we all know and love. May is not as successful, being there mostly as a next-generation scream queen, C+. The best performance in the film is easily Roger L. Jackson, the voice of Ghostface, which has been true for most of the new trilogy. The opening scene includes Stu’s house from Scream being renovated as an Airbnb-type true-crime murder experience, in which Jackson voices some of the tourist attractions.
Speaking of Ghostface, Scream 7 features some of the character’s most violent kills, which feel more like a Mortal Kombat fatality (FUN FACT: GHOSTFACE IS IN MORTAL KOMBAT AND HE’S FUN!) than the usual hack and slash. Ghostface gets a lot of love in this film, with numerous scenes showcasing how scary and dangerous this masked killer can be. There’s a recurring visual of the Ghostface mask slowly emerging from the shadows, only to slowly creep back into the darkness undetected. It’s a shame because those are far and away the best-looking visuals in the film. Many of the gore effects are mediocre CGI messes, and while there are some interesting set-pieces, the overall visual style is lacking compared to previous titles. While I do not wish to bash someone who got spontaneously thrown into the position, it must be noted that Kevin Williamson has only ever directed two films, so it tracks that this late addition sequel is lacking in visual style and presentation. Williamson and company can find some striking images here and there, but they are too few and far between.
Williamson’s connection to the series as a sort of “author” of the franchise can be seen in the film’s firm focus on nostalgia. Scream 7 is a highlight reel of the previous adventures, a temple to give praise to the victories of old, and it weirdly reads like an apology letter to Campbell. While the film is not an egregious, “oh remember this” callback fest, the general tone of the narrative shifts between “Sidney Prescott is the center of this franchise. She should have been in the last one,” and “This film can’t possibly be doing this twist… OR IS IT?”
Since these films are well known for their twists and surprises, I will not be spoiling them for this review. That being said, this might be one of the weakest and most unsatisfying reveals yet. If you’re interested in knowing what I mean, go watch it, and we can talk about it after. Just know you’ll have to sit through a pretty subpar Scream plot.
It hurts to say Scream 7 is not worth supporting as a fan of the franchise, Neve Campbell, and a Ghostface main in MK1 (seriously, he’s a lot of fun to play, if the movie did anything for me, it reminded me to boot up Mortal Kombat 1). Unfortunately, Scream 7 might be the weakest entry in the franchise thus far due to its lack of visual style, unsatisfying story, and overall mediocre presentation.
2 out of 5 Stars
Respectfully, this film is worth missing if you wish to boycott.
Scream 7, directed by series lead writer Kevin Williamson, sees the return of Neve Campbell as Sidney Prescott, who has settled down in the small town of Pine Grove with her husband (Joel McHale) and daughter Tatum (Isabel May). Sidney finds herself at odds with sharing her past with her teenage daughter, who’s now at the same age she was in the original film. Suddenly, a new Ghostface killer appears in town, and Sidney’s family must team up with Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox) and her new sidekicks Mindy and Chad Meeks-Martin (Jasmin Savoy Brown & Mason Gooding) to track down this new killer and find out who is behind the mask… again. The film also stars Anna Camp, McKenna Grace, Michelle Randolph, Jimmy Tatro, Asa Germann, Celeste O’Connor, and Sam Rechner. Produced by Paramount Pictures, Outerbanks Entertainment, Project X Entertainment, Radio Silence Productions, and Spyglass Media group and is set to release February 27th, 2026.
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