Photo via IMDb
By Keith Walther | Rose Law Group Reporter
Watching the final breath rattle out of what has been a wildly successful horror franchise is painful to witness, but that is what occurs here. Playing out like an overly long R-rated episode of “Scooby-Doo,” “Scream 7” offers up a lazy shadow of its former self, relying on nostalgia alone to entertain. Between the off-screen drama of cast firing, the resulting death threats forcing a director replacement, and significant rewrites, this production has been doomed from the start.
Living out a quiet life away from Woodsboro with her family, Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) had thought the endless stream of murderers donning the Ghostface costume was finally in her past. However, the past is not through with her yet as heinous murders disrupt the quiet peace of her new small town. When she learns that this new Ghostface killer is after her daughter Tatum (Isabel May), Sidney and her husband Mark (Joel McHale), along with her old friend Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox), seek to protect Tatum and expose this new threat.
Co-writing and directing this seventh installment is none other than Kevin Williamson, who wrote the first two “Scream” films along with the fourth. Despite his deep familiarity with this franchise, he was set up to fail due to all the external controversy that resulted in Melissa Barrera, who starred in 2022’s “Scream” and “Scream VI,” getting fired, Christopher Landon dropping out from directing after receiving death threats, and Jenna Ortega stepping away from her character, reportedly due to differences in vision. This forced a number of rewrites, which is never a good sign for a movie, and the result is a half-hearted retread of prior storylines that feels like it was fed through an AI bot.
The narrative is messy that follows a simplistic “Scooby Doo” format of the main characters being hunted by the bad guys while they simultaneously try to unmask them. All that is missing is the Mystery Van and a talking dog. Williamson spends time on characters that don’t matter and not enough time on the ones who do, leading to chaotic pacing issues. Even the kill sequences are spastic with some of them elaborately choreographed with thoughtful planning and tension building, while others are rushed and anti-climactic. When he presents the final act, the big reveal is extremely underwhelming and lacks sense with oddly conceived motivations for the killers.
Three years ago, “Scream VI” had successfully breathed new life into this horror franchise by changing the scenery from small town California to New York City, bringing a fresh new wave of realistic terror amidst a bustling populace. Instead of capitalizing on these successes, Williamson opts for nostalgia, bringing it back to the confines of a rural town. Granted, the opening scene in the original Woodsboro home is the best scene in the film, combining nostalgia with fresh dread and terror. From then on, however, the continued references to the original films feel forced and pandering. Williamson did learn some clever jump-scare techniques from the original director, the late Wes Craven. Even when the jump scares are obvious and telegraphed, the audience still flinches and feels their heart beating a lot faster. This entertains and keeps viewers invested long enough to disappoint them in the end.
Having Neve Campbell return to the franchise she helped to build after missing the last film due to pay grievances is definitely a positive for this sequel. She picks up right where she left off, showing how her character has evolved into not only a survivor, but a hardened fighter with her past traumas turned into weaponized calluses that make her a fierce opponent. The additional component of her as a mother of a teenage daughter adds this believable layer of fear that despite her best efforts, she may not be able to protect her.
Unfortunately, the rest of the cast is largely ineffective, mostly due to the sloppy narrative. Even though Courteney Cox makes a rather grand entrance (which is not sufficiently explained how she suddenly appears), she’s relegated to the sidelines, offering nothing more than a supportive shoulder. The same can be said for Mason Gooding and Jasmin Savoy Brown, whose characters both survived the prior two films, but have no point in this sequel. This is likely due to the heavy rewrites with fellow cast members, Ortega and Barrera, not joining them in this movie. Joel McHale replacing Patrick Dempsey as Officer Mark Evans is another oddity that contributes to his character’s irrelevance.
What’s your favorite scary movie? Guaranteed this is not it. In fact, “Scream 7” is the worst film of the 30-year-old franchise, and it’s hard to imagine future sequels bringing it back to life. The only screams of note are the ones coming from your own mouth as you realize you just wasted time and money on seeing this film in the theater.
This movie earns:
