This review may contain spoilers!
Scream 7 is the direct sequel to Scream VI (2023) and the seventh entry in the Scream franchise. This film sees Sidney Prescott return as the leading protagonist, just in time for a new Ghostface killer to target her family. An old Ghostface killer appears to be back from the dead and has Sidney's loved ones in their sights.
This is a bit of a return to classic small-town Scream, a slasher film set in an ordinary, run-of-the-mill American town that just so happens to be home to the celebrity Ghostface killer survivor, Sidney Prescott. It's a pleasure to see Sidney and her family being so nestled in a life that holds some peace; you can see a calm around Sid after being entangled in so much violence. Then, Stu Macher comes back from the dead. Suddenly, our latest Ghostface killer story has a revenge angle with some intense personal stakes. I will note that the kills throughout this film are supremely creative. I thought the high school theatre attack was brilliant, as was the later bar scene. This film really shows Sidney and, by extension, her husband Mark, as capable of fending off new iterations of Ghostface. The first direct attack plays out like a bit of a back-and-forth fight, which only serves to up the stakes. I think this film has some good heart in Tatum, Sidney's eldest daughter. This is a new legacy character who really wants out from her mother's shadow and struggles to connect with Sidney due to her Mum's past. Tatum also doesn't want to be a survivor; she wants to be a fighter instead of someone who runs from danger. A lot of the film builds up Tatum's growth as a character and her trust in her Mum.
It's actually a bit of a treat to see Kevin Williamson in the directing chair for this one. After writing Ghostface and Sidney so splendidly in the past, who better to lead them on-screen? The visual design for Scream 7 is absolutely inspired; it might even be my favourite part. Watching how Ghostface emerges into a scene, or how different kills are captured, shows a strong sense of what makes these films so arresting to watch. The editing also sets a sharp pace, with attack scenes knowing when to move at speed or toy with their prey. The soundtrack for this iteration of Scream is really impressive and kinda grungy; best use of 'Red Right Hand' by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds since some of the originals.
Neve Campbell, who plays Sidney Evans, has really evolved this character nicely; it's great to see Campbell playing Sidney as a natural fighter now. Courtney Cox, who played Gale Weathers, is back, brimming with sass and her sharp tongue; Cox and Campbell share an interview scene in this, which is a powerful piece of performance. Joel McHale, who played Mark Evans, has a really simple kind of warmth to him in this role; which is what makes the switch to badass police protector in fight scenes so much more impressive. Timothy Simons, who played George Willis, as the over-invested drama teacher, is reasonably funny; Simons' ability to be biting with his feedback to students makes this an entertaining side character.
However, the best performance came from Isabel May, who played Tatum Evans. This is a character who felt a lot like Neve Campbell all the way back in the 90s. A little fringe, a bit of a punk, yet fairly sociable. May navigates the conflicts her character has with Campbell rather well, crafting a particularly strong mother/daughter relationship. Their dynamic really fuels this movie. Tatum, as a character, rebels and resists the cage she feels her mother is putting around her. May does a good job of making a teenage character who feels real, like she should be running around with her friends planning late-night boozy bashes. All of that work makes her horror at the death of her friends and the attack on her family all the better. May shows Tatum as being remarkably vulnerable and aware of this; she just wants to be able to hold her own like her Mum. It's a gauntlet to get there, but May really takes Tatum on a journey of growth across this feature.
While I found this film a real visual treat for slasher fans, it is probably one of the weaker scripts for a Scream film. This time around, it feels like the movie is barely interested in getting too self-referential, though there is plenty of opportunity for it. Any time it tries, it leaves a bad taste in the mouth, not least of which was a verbal jab at the Carpenter sisters by Mindy's character, of all people. This film feels the most 'by the book' of these films; the return to the hometown setting, set against a cast of mainly high schoolers, did leave me feeling like I'd seen the playbook before. The biggest disappointment is the reveal of the killers. This iteration of Ghostface is particularly weak, and there's not much substance behind the motivations of the antagonists. I really could not care for the Stu Macher is an AI deepfake thing. It felt like there was a smarter plot there that got underutilised to make some broad strokes thematic point about Hollywood's stance on AI. Which is a bit of a high horse for the studio that fired a lead performer over a social media post.
The score for Scream 7 is kinda foreboding, but it lacks character. There isn't much variance here, and the tracks tend to fade into the background.
Jasmin Savoy Brown and Mason Gooding, who played Mindy Meeks-Martin and Chad Meeks-Martin respectively, feel like odd jigsaw pieces that just don't fit into this story; Savoy Brown's whole rivalry with Cox is a new element that feels out of character for her. Anna Camp, who played Jessica Bowden, is wildly over the top in this; be it an overly friendly neighbour next door or a deranged antagonist, Camp struggles to ground herself. Celeste O'Connor, who played Chloe Parker, struggles to make herself known in scenes; O'Connor's character could have been expanded upon, but just feels like a kill waiting to happen. Sam Rechner, who played Ben Brown, is here to be the boyfriend who could be creepy; we've had a few of these, and the trope is wearing thin. Asa Germann, who played Lucas Bowden, is an off-putting role that plays like a red herring; it's hard to see this character as more than his creepier traits that are being dangled in front of us. Mckenna Grace, who played Hannah Thurman, is just in this film to die; Grace's popular girl schtick feels so detached from the rest of the cast. Matthew Lillard, who played Stu Macher, really goes in trying to oversell it hard; Lillard's manic spark is gone from his younger days. Ethan Embry, who played Marco, might just be one of the weakest Ghostface killers yet; Embry's dull delivery and forgettable presence make him an antagonist with little to give. David Arquette, Scott Foley and Laurie Metcalf, who played Dewey Riley, Roman Bridger and Debbie Salt respectively, are the sort of token cameos this series would usually mock; Foley and Metcalf are particular reminders of average Ghostfaces past.
This sequel shelves that 'breath of fresh air' feeling for a bit of something more tried and true. I would give Scream 7 a 6.5/10.
