The news of a seventh film for the Scream franchise made several fans excited and others underwhelmed. After conflicts resulted in the discontinuation of the fifth and sixth movies’ storyline, director Kevin Williamson created a new one that picks back up with Sidney (Neve Campbell). Reviews have overall been drastically mixed, leaving people unsure of what to think. After watching the movie for myself, I believe Scream fans should give it a chance.
Sidney Prescott-Evans is a mother now and no longer lives in Woodsboro, but that doesn’t stop the next wave of Ghostfaces from wanting their own revenge on her. Poor Sid just can’t catch a break, but unlike all the other Ghostface attacks, these are different for her. She has more than just herself she needs to protect. The film focuses on Sidney, her husband, Mark Evans (Joel McHale), and her oldest daughter, Tatum Evans (Isabel May). Other known characters appearing in this movie are Gale Weathers (Courtney Cox), Stu Macher (Mathew Lillard), Dewey Riley (David Arquette), Roman Bridger (Scott Foley), Nancy Loomis (Laurie Metcalf), Chad Meeks-Martin (Mason Gooding), and Mindy Meeks-Martin (Jasmin Savoy Brown). Many past characters were included in this film, which was a smart move made by Williamson. It gets fans more eager to see familiar faces. The overall acting and plot were pretty good, even if it was a little cheesy at times. It is a Scream movie, so cheesy is to be expected.
This film was full of parallels from the 1996 original and other early movies of the franchise, which helped add a familiar yet new feeling of excitement whenever fans picked them out. Some were obvious, like Sidney naming her daughter Tatum after her childhood friend who died due to Ghostface in the first movie. There was also the opening scene where two characters stayed in Stu Macher’s house, which was modeled to look like it did back in the first movie. Another worthy recondition was the first clip of Tatum and Ben’s relationship, with Ben sneaking through Tatum’s bedroom window, which was set up in almost the exact same way Sidney and Billy’s relationship was introduced. Others might not have been that obvious, like Tatum putting on an old jacket that Sidney wore in Scream 2. Another parallel from Scream 2 is Tatum being in her school’s play just as Sidney was, and she admits to Tatum that she suffered from “stage fright,” referencing the Ghostface attack on stage. There are so many more, and these nostalgic parallels throughout the film add an element to it which can be intriguing for longtime fans.
The movie’s soundtrack is full of old and new songs. Songs used in the original film, an example being “Red Right Hand” by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, play once again in the new scenes, which parallel the past ones, again creating that nostalgic feel. As for new or original songs, one example is “Twisting The Knife” by Ice Nine Kills and featuring McKenna Grace, who plays Hannah in the movie. The song plays in the end credits and can easily get stuck in your head after hearing it. The whole soundtrack was thoughtfully planned and enhanced the feeling of the scenes each song was used in.
A main issue people have with the movie is its use of AI. AI is a large part of the plot, and people call this decision lazy or cheap rather than clever. Others see the use of AI as a “money grab” or are just not impressed that this franchise adopted AI tech for the film due to the controversy surrounding it. Deciding to go see the film is based on personal preference. Some care more deeply about behind-the-scenes controversies, while others are more focused on the new chapter with the original characters.
In my opinion, Scream 7 is worth seeing if you are a major Scream fan. The only part I was disappointed with was the reveal of the Ghostfaces, which, to me, was underwhelming. Aside from that, the characters were portrayed well, the plot was interesting, the parallels to the older movies were my favorite parts, and the soundtrack was killer. If you are on the fence about watching it, do it. The movie has some great qualities, and it just might make you scream.