Scream 7

Scream 7
Starring Neve Campbell, Isabel May, Joel McHale, Sam Rechner
Directed by Kevin Williamson

There's been movies marred in production hell, consisting of behind-the-scenes stories that would make some actual movies blush. "Scream 7" is one such troubled production. Radio Silence was slated to return to direct after they brought the franchise back from the dead in "Scream" ("Scream 5") and "Scream VI," and both Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega were set to reprise their roles, becoming the new faces of the franchise. In November 2023 Barrera was fired when she spoke out against the genocide in Gaza, and the next day Ortega left the production (depending on who you talk to, it's either because of loyalty to Barrera, scheduling conflicts, or the fact that Radio Silence wasn't actually returning due to scheduling conflicts in filming "Abigail"). Bent on striking while the iron was hot, the producers panicked and brought back original "Scream" writer Kevin Williamson to both write (along with Guy Busick, another member of Radio Silence) and direct, and dumped a load of money in front of Neve Campbell's home to reprise her role as Sidney (she had bowed out of "Scream VI" because they weren't giving her the money she deserved). The result is "Scream 7," a supposed legacy sequel of sorts that also wants to carry the torch forward, but is so marred in its own history it forgot to actually forge forward.

In Pine Grove, Indiana, Sidney Prescott-Evans (Neve Campbell) lives in peace with her teenage daughter Tatum (Isabel May), her younger children, and husband Mark (Joel McHale). She feels like she's put her Ghostface past behind her, but remains ever vigilant, keeping a tight strangehold on Tatum's life including her dislike for her boyfriend Ben (Sam Rechner). When Ghostface reappears, Sidney realizes that the past is never truly dead as she must not just protect herself, but her family as well.

The concept for "Scream 7" had the earmarks of being something special. A passing of the torch from one generation to another, or having both generations of Prescotts (well, Evans, since she took Mark's last name) coming together to fight Ghostface with gusto. Basically, this could've been a better version of the David Gordon Green "Halloween" trilogy, but the story was so maligned with wanting to point out the nostalgia of the original it landed in its own quicksand, refusing to move forward.

The opening sequence proves how much the movie wants to remain in the past, as it takes place at Stu Macher's house which is now an AirBnB, and the couple staying there reminisce about every single moment in the franchise as they traverse the home/museum filled with trinkets and memories of the past. Then we reconnect with Sidney, now a coffee shop owner and proud mother and wife, but also who keeps her house under tight lock and key. She knows the past can come back and wants to protect her family, but in doing so she could be causing them more harm.

This is one of the themes the movie touches on but never fully develops. Tatum is a sheltered girl who Sidney refuses to train to be a warrior like herself, worried that she'll get hurt. Tatum continually asks Sidney about her past, and she continually sidesteps the conversation. While this could be good in character development, it gets tiresome when this happens scene after scene, almost like a "Gilmore Girls" style procedural - the editing in this movie feels like an elongated television show, which is no surprise considering Williamson's previous work. The acting is stinted and unoriginal, and the screenplay seems written by someone trying to be hip with the new generation but failing miserably. One moment Tatum is a rebellious teen, the next she's whimpering and crying about something or other.

When Ghostface starts slashing, the excitement still isn't there. The characters this time around are the most lazily written, one-dimensional characters in any of the movies, and I had problems remembering their names. In trying to re-create Sidney, Billy, Stu, Tatum and Randy, they instead create Sidney's kid, boyfriend, horror geek, McKenna Grace and other. They're just fodder for the killer to slay through, and I will say that the kills this time around are pretty gruesome, in particular one that will probably go down as a franchise best. Still, when you have characters you don't even know by name, you don't care about their fates either.

Then Gale arrives, and Courteney Cox (the only actor to reprise her role in every movie) adds a little flair to the otherwise dull proceedings, but even she can't save it - neither can Jasmin Savoy-Brown and Mason Gooding, who reprise their roles as Mindy and Chad from the last two films who arrive working with Gale for her new show. 

By the time the killer(s) is(are) revealed, it's done in such a contrived, "Looney Tunes" way it was laughably bad. It reminded me of that one movie whose name I actually can't remember, but I remember the scene where they talk about villain monologuing, and it really didn't make a lot of sense - as did most of this movie.

Neve Campbell really tries to deliver, but even she looks tired with the franchise as she runs around town either talking about wanting to protect Tatum and her family or offering bland insults to the Ghostface calling her (she was much more vicious in part 5), and looking either worried, tired, or a mixture of both. Isabel May doesn't offer any confidence as the "new" Sidney, although it could've been due to the script given to her. None of the others really do much better, but I can't really talk about it without spoiling things. 

The biggest conspiracy theory about the "Scream" franchise is whether or not Stu Macher is really dead, and when Matthew Lillard announced he was returning to reprise his role, people lost their minds. This movie centers on this idea again...and again...and again...and again...and...well, you get it. We all know it's a joke by now, but when you say the punchline numerous times expecting the same results, you're a part of the problem.

While holding itself too close to its own history, "Scream 7" never allows itself to expand its horizon and really focus on the future, resulting in a soulless endeavor that feels more of a cash grab than something done with passion and purpose.

The Score: B-