Scream 7 is able to overcome its shortcomings thanks to the return of Neve Campbell and Courteney Cox, allowing these two horror scream queens to do what they do best, ensuring that there is lots of fun, some decent scares and brutal set pieces to confirm Ghostface’s lasting legacy within the horror genre even if its weaknesses are glaring.

 

Thirty years ago, one of the most memorable lines of the horror genre was uttered for the first time: “what’s your favourite scary movie?” From there on out, Ghostface’s murderous rampage has slashed its way through sequels, concluding chapters of trilogies, reboots, and requels, all while immortalizing characters like Sidney Prescott, Scream’s iconic final girl, Gale Weathers and Dewey Riley. The long running horror franchise has solidified itself as a fan favourite, blending satire with a thrilling whodunnit narrative within the slasher subgenre, marking many people’s favourite scary movie of all time (including this reviewer). While the franchise was rocked when Melissa Barrera was fired from Scream 7, forced to go through a creative retooling and forging a new path forward, hope was given with original writer Kevin Williamson and Neve Campbell returning to continue Sidney Prescott’s story. Their presence is the stability the franchise needed, and while the return of Courteney Cox, Mason Gooding and Jasmin Savoy Brown are all assets to the film, it unfortunately has more cracks than it should. From a lack of suspense and suspicion as to who is wearing the Ghostface mask this time around, a weak meta commentary that has always been a critical factor of the franchise, and the worst killer reveal and motive of any of the films, Scream 7 struggles to effectively take the franchise in a new direction, instead relying on nostalgia with an underdeveloped screenplay that has just enough laughs, exciting set pieces and Gale Weathers to entertain longtime fans.

 

At its core, the Scream films have always been a meta slasher whodunit interwoven with a critique on the horror genre, cinema as a whole, and society at the time, and this is not forgotten in the latest. This entry is rooted in nostalgia as Sidney finds Ghostface coming after her and her family, including her daughter who is the same age as she was during the first Ghostface killings of Stu Macher and Billy Loomis, marking the franchise’s thirtieth anniversary. From Tatum having her boyfriend entering her bedroom window as Billy did in the original, a new group of teenagers all potential suspects to be the killer behind the Ghostface mask, and constant references to the films that came before it, there is no question that the story from James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick (who co-wrote Scream (2022) and Scream VI) have crafted an entertaining spin on the original Scream storyline… at the same time steering away from the big swings that they took with their previous two films in the franchise. Some of the kill sequences are excellent, especially the kill that concludes the film’s first act and confirms Ghostface’s return, delivering some twisted deaths that are never shy of gore or carnage, even if they are missing the mean streak of the previous two films. It is all packaged together with an undeniable sense of camp, some beautiful moments between Gale and Sidney unpacking their thirty years of trauma, followed quickly by some blood and guts, ensuring that audiences will have fun with the latest entry in the series. 

 

But, at the same time, this is not the Scream audiences have come to know, love and expect from the long running series. The meta critique that has always defined the franchise is present, but it is never fully developed to truly have anything to say about celebrity image and the public’s perception and worship of it, even though that is at the heart of this entry’s story. While Gooding’s Chad and Savoy Brown’s Mindy induct the latest generation of characters into the meta movie analysis while dictating everyone’s potential motive, this element of the screenplay feels like it is there out of necessity to honour the series’ roots rather than an integral part of the story… especially as they neglect to bring up the rules to survive this film. Artificial intelligence is more relevant than ever in today’s society, so its inclusion feels timely even if the screenplay has little to say about its dangers despite it being a critical tool in Ghostface’s arsenal against Sidney. 

 

Though the film’s biggest crime is its lack of suspense. Every Scream film had a cast of potential Ghostface suspects, each with a motive and an encounter with Ghostface himself to throw the audience off and create immense suspicion. The formula ensured the films always culminated in a final act with many of the characters in one location, trapped together before those wearing the mask reveal themselves and the final bloodbath ensues, creating a heart racing tension amongst viewers. Sadly, that crucial element, which has made the Scream films so beloved, is missing here. Yes, you can guess the killer (or killers?) from their first scene, and never mind the fact that the motive this time around is by far the weakest of the franchise and feels incredibly out of place due to the lack of the story’s thematic development, but there are no misdirects to have the audience second guessing their gut instinct. Potential suspects are merely picked off one by one, there are no close calls with Ghostface that leaves a character alive that throws the audience off their scent as being the prime suspect for Ghostface and during Ghostface’s appearances, only confirming the obvious hunch each time Ghostface claims his next victim. Forgetting this vital whodunit element at the core of Scream’s DNA results in a film that is far less clever than it thinks it to be, and one that felt rushed into production based on the first story idea and script draft to move past the news cycle of firing the previous two film’s final girl Melissa Barrera and forgetting the exciting new territory that Tyler Gillet and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin were steering the franchise towards.

The strength of Scream 7 lies in its legacy characters and the performances from its returning stars. Campbell never misses a beat as Sidney, reminding audiences why Sidney is one of cinema’s most beloved final girls with a strength and fierceness, while tapping into a more maternal side as she struggles to protect her daughter from the horrors she faced growing up knowing that this could be the reason her daughter’s life is claimed by Ghostface. Cox shines as Gale Weathers, stealing every single scene she is in with a truly legendary entrance into the film worth every ounce of cheering and applause it will generate. Her interview scene with Campbell is tense, emotional and gutwrenching, marking her best performance in the franchise to date and lets Campbell and Cox explore the complex emotional baggage of their characters’ friendship and shared trauma. Gooding and Savoy Brown are tons of fun as Chad and Mindy, delivering some big laughs and helping to deliver some of the film’s meta analysis, injecting life into what would otherwise be lifeless moments in the film. And with his name on the poster, it’s no surprise that Matthew Lillard is back as Stu Macher, and while I won’t discuss the circumstances in which the character is used, his energetic and twisted presence is an absolute delight.