In convoluted ‘Scream 7,’ Neve Campbell is back, but the fun isn’t

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The “Scream” series has been cleverly surprising its fans for thirty years with increasingly complex reasons for the killings. It’s a shame that the latest installment adds another twist, ultimately harming the franchise instead of revitalizing it.

It’s disappointing to say this, especially since “Scream 7” marks the directorial debut of Kevin Williamson, who wrote the brilliant original “Scream” in 1996. That first film was smart, funny, and cleverly played with horror movie clichés. You could even say that director Wes Craven originally created Ghostface to replace an older villain from his past – Freddy Krueger – after Krueger had appeared in eight films, most of which weren’t very good. But now that Ghostface has become a symbol of uninspired sequels, the question is: who will take down him?

Let’s skip a review of what’s happened in previous movies. Here’s the core of the story: Sidney Prescott, who has survived countless attacks by masked killers, now lives a quiet life as a coffee shop owner in a small town. She’s married to a loving and humorous police officer, Mark, and they have three children. Sidney, now going by the last name Evans, has a rebellious teenage daughter named Tatum, and her two younger children are staying with their grandmother. It seems the filmmakers are saving them for future installments.

Neve Campbell has appeared in every “Scream” movie up until the 2023 release, which aimed to restart the franchise with new leads Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega. (Their departure from the series could cause major concern if this film doesn’t do well.) Throughout the movie, Sidney Prescott repeatedly jokes about not being in New York, and this isn’t just a line for her character. The script, penned by Kevin Williamson and Guy Busick (“Ready or Not”), directly acknowledges that Campbell chose not to return due to a disagreement over salary, embracing the situation publicly discussed by the actress.

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Even with a brief detour caused by Quentin Tarantino, Matthew Lillard has a full plate, working on projects like “Cross,” “Scream 7,” “Daredevil,” “Carrie,” and even venturing into the world of whiskey!

Campbell’s character successfully created a frightening situation, and now she’s central to a storyline exploring how deeply Sidney’s past trauma affects her parenting. She becomes anxious over seemingly harmless things, like when her daughter’s boyfriend sneaks into her room or when her daughter wears a blazer Sidney wore during the night she was terrorized. Meanwhile, Tatum feels frustrated that she was raised to feel vulnerable, and she has a valid point – her mother named her after a friend who tragically died, a detail that haunts her.

The movie starts with a strong and gruesome opening. A couple, eager fans of the original crimes, rent the house where the murders happened – now a kitschy, themed vacation rental marked with fake bloodstains indicating where each victim fell. The boyfriend is obsessed with taking selfies and is surprisingly enthusiastic when Ghostface calls. The girlfriend doesn’t have much to do, but she fights back well, like the other women in the film. While her death feels a bit sudden, it’s not as shocking as what happens next: a victim is brutally attacked while hanging helplessly from the ceiling, resembling a piñata.

The franchise consistently finds talented actors, and that’s something to appreciate. The new cast members – Mckenna Grace, Asa Germann, and Celeste O’Connor – really make the most of their roles, and it’s exciting to see them shine (just look at Mikey Madison, who went from “Scream V” to an Oscar nomination in only three years!). Plus, it’s always great to see familiar faces return.

The only cameo that doesn’t reveal plot details features Courteney Cox as Gale Weathers, a character who started as a villain but has become a familiar face. She playfully pushes Sidney to describe their relationship as “complicated but lasting.” It’s great to see the two of them together, even though Neve Campbell’s Sidney and Cox’s Gale have always been portrayed as very different personalities. Sidney is down-to-earth and sincere, while Gale is a mischievous and humorous character. She arrives with her brother and sister, Chad and Mindy (played by Mason Gooding and Jasmin Savoy Brown), young journalists who are eager to learn from her.

The supporting characters predictably act strangely, and the reveal of the killer feels random and unearned. The movie focuses so much on shocking the audience that it sacrifices a coherent plot. Unlike a good mystery, viewers aren’t given enough clues to solve the crime themselves. Even seemingly offhand comments, like Ghostface calling Gale “an old irrelevant hag,” are confusing – it’s impossible to tell if they’re meaningful or just distractions. Even at the end, the mystery feels unresolved, and I doubt a second viewing would clarify things.

Honestly, this movie just throws everything at the wall to see what sticks, and very little of it actually connects. There’s a whole scene about Channing Tatum pretending to be a dog in a school play – completely pointless! And it’s baffling that Sidney has security cameras connected to her phone, only to then decide it’s a good idea to walk into her pitch-black house alone. It feels like these moments are just… there, without serving any real purpose.

Between forgotten safe rooms and failed attempts to stop the killer, the characters consistently make incredibly poor decisions, leading us to believe the writer is intentionally trying to annoy the audience. Perhaps the biggest twist is that the creator of ‘Scream’ is deliberately trying to sabotage the franchise itself.

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2026-02-27 00:32