Marking the most recent entry into the iconic slasher franchise, “Scream 7” tore its way into theatres on Feb. 27. While the film shares horror magic sprinkled throughout, the film relies largely on its narrative return of Sydney Prescott, played by Neve Campbell, in place of a standout plot.
The “Scream” franchise has been steeped in controversy in recent years, with Campbell absent in the previous films due to salary disputes. Following the release of “Scream 6,” lead actress Melissa Barrera was fired due to comments regarding the Israel-Gaza conflict.
Barrera’s firing prompted several key creative members of the franchise, including former director Christopher Landon and co-star Jenna Ortega, to leave the project, forcing the sequel to start from square one. For this film, Campbell returns alongside original writer Kevin Williamson stepping in as director.
The movie begins by taking us back to the Macher House, site of the original Woodsboro killings from 1996’s “Scream,” now transformed into a Ghostface-themed Airbnb and museum. A young couple, played by Michelle Randolph and Jimmy Tatro, enter the home while Tantro’s character enthusiastically recounts history.
This opening scene effectively outlines several past killings as well as ringing off familiar names like Stu Macher, Billy Loomis and several others to refresh the audience on past events from the franchise. The audience is also treated to a classic tenseness that the franchise is notorious for, as Ghostface stalks and eventually slays the couple to set the tone of the movie.
The choreography is one of the most notable selling points of the movie, but what follows the opening scene feels more like a nostalgic slasher homage than a story invested in advancing its plot. After losing much of its cast to controversy in previous years, the plot abruptly quickens as we catch up with Sydney, who now has a husband and a teenage daughter.
Sydney is overprotective of her daughter Tatum, played by Isabel May, a response that feels justified after surviving murder-attempts by Ghostface copycats. Much of this trauma is shown in Sydney’s doubt she places in trusting others, and this plot device creates a distance between her and Tatum that is everpresent.
Yet, the film uses this dynamic effectively, leaning into the franchise’s trademark of self-awareness as they face another version of the infamous killer. Gale Weathers, played by Courtney Cox, is an example of this, as Gale brings her expertise in facing Ghostface to assist Sydney when a new killer targets her family.
Ghostface is a standout part of this film as the iconic killer has several memorable methods in which they dispatch their victims. Their presence in several different scenes brings a much needed boost to the film’s energy. They cleave through many characters we are introduced to, but don’t give us much backstory behind.
What truly holds “Scream 7” back from being a must-watch installment is the missing backstory. Several characters felt like they were introduced to fill out the body count and their dialogue falls flat in many scenes because they serve only as friends for Tatum to lose. We aren’t given reasons to care about much of Tatum’s friends, and even her relationship with her mom feels disconnected because we don’t know much of their background.
Any of the characters could be a suspect, and between the phone calls while stalking and stumbling around, Ghostface brutally sweeps through the town of Pine Grove. This suspicion amidst the brutality is an aspect of the franchise that this film does a good job of encompassing as the plot develops.
Regardless, the plot seems sluggish compared to the ambiance and brutality present in several shots of the film. Ghostface’s iconic mask serves as a brilliant contrast in the shadows and the fast-paced nature of the killer makes for intense moments in between some questionable dialogue.
While the narrative around the killer and their ties to Sydney grows, the relationships between the characters fall through the cracks and the plot is dragged along by key appearances from Cox, Campbell and Matthew Lillard. In fact, they remain the standout performances despite having a new cast of characters and key roles from returning actors Jasmin Savoy Brown and Mason Gooding.
Despite the plot and lack of character development, the movie does have several scenes featuring great sound design. Sonically, “Scream 7” is filled with ambience, tense music and a soundtrack filled with several notable names like Don Toliver, Ice Nine Kills and beabadoobee among others.
Visually, this film is carried largely in its action with every slash, stab and swipe of a hunting knife. Darkness and shadows are utilized well from the start to focus on the contrast in several scenes.
This is especially the case as we draw closer towards the final act with Ghostface on a relentless pursuit of Tatum. The action is persistent, highlighting some creativity on both the killer and victims sides.
Unfortunately, the film’s structural issues catch up to the final act. The last 30 minutes feel like a sudden conclusion compared to the action-heavy sequences and the plot buildup prior.
This final sequence caps off every detail holding this movie back from being better than its predecessors. Despite returns from several key characters in the franchise, this film falls flat in the writing by opting to lure the audience in with nostalgia.
By banking on nostalgia, this installment stands as a writing mess instead of conveying a captivating story to celebrate Campbell’s sixth return as the iconic Sydney Prescott. Still, “Scream 7” is a decent watch if you are looking for an action packed slasher with an iconic, experimental killer with creative murder methods.
