Scream 7 is the latest attempt by Paramount to reboot the Scream franchise and recreate the success of the original Wes Craven films that began 30 years ago. Written and directed by series veteran Kevin Williamson, the film has so far received negative reviews from critics but has been a hit with fans, already doubling its budget in the box office from its first weekend. So let’s determine whether or not this sequel recaptures the magic of the previous films or if it is as painful as getting stabbed in the back by Ghostface!

The film stars Neve Campbell and Courteney Cox reprising their roles as Sidney Prescott and Gale Weathers respectively. When both of these actresses are on screen, they are both effective at evoking the same charisma and gravitas that they always have throughout the franchise and are highly enjoyable to watch as usual. Matthew Lillard also returns to reprise his role as the antagonist, Stu Macher, from the original film, being the first time he has played the character in 30 years. Lillard is also fun and entertaining in the part, but doesn’t get as much screentime as he deserves for such a beloved fan favorite character. Aside from these actors, the biggest highlight would have to be the opening sequence. This sequence is simultaneously nerve racking and humorous, feeling straight out of the older films in the franchise and sets a bar high for the rest of the film.

Unfortunately, the rest of the film fails to live up to the opening. The script feels rushed, unfocused, and like it was a first draft that was thrown together at the last-minute. For a franchise like Scream that is largely reliant on mystery and setups that are eventually paid off, the film feels uninterested in setting up a compelling mystery with a satisfying payoff. It seems like it is only interested in jumping from one kill to another, loosely tying them together without an established throughline. It doesn’t help that all of the new characters feel like slasher movie stereotypes, lacking any sort of depth or subversion, and serving as nothing more than cannon fodder to be killed by Ghostface. Even the presence of Ghostface is sorely missing this time around. This is due to a lack of usage of his voice over the phone and kills that felt more generic than anything in a Scream film. This only becomes more apparent once the killer’s identity is revealed at the end and is by far the least interesting or compelling Ghostface killer reveal in the entire franchise. 

It is rather obvious that this film was plagued with production woes, likely as a result of the studio firing Melissa Berrera, the lead of the previous two films, over political statements she made. It appears that there was a quick turnover between films and they had to shoehorn in nostalgic elements such as the return of older cast members to make up for a lack of cohesive or compelling storytelling. The Scream franchise has had a good run of mostly good films over the past three decades, but Scream 7 is a sign that every franchise hits a point where they would be better off getting killed and not returning from beyond the grave.