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As a diehard Scream fan, I’ll say this: this franchise needs fresh blood, and original writer Kevin Williamson is not the answer.
After the controversial firing of Melissa Barrera and subsequent departure of Jenna Ortega, Paramount Pictures panicked and went for pure nostalgia, putting Neve Campbell back in the limelight and even bringing back Matthew Lillard. And Williamson was hired to write and direct, despite his last direct involvement being 2011’s Scream 4.
If in its franchise prime, Scream 7 would have been ruthless in its takedown and twisting of nostalgia sequels, but we are far past its prime–as is Williamson.
Williamson was 30 (maybe even in his 20s?) when he wrote the original Scream. At 61, that movie–from 1996–remains his standout theatrical accomplishment (he has some TV wins). If Scream 7 is any indication, his best work remains behind him.
Paramount was rewarded for bringing back Neve Campbell (and Courtney Cox), as this new Scream movie made absolute bank and plenty of profit at the box office. But it may pay for its sins with the next installment, as Scream 7 is the worst of the franchise, a tired, silly, and unfunny rendition that offers nothing new whatsoever.
Sure, it’s always nice to see Sidney sticking around and, refreshingly, Campbell plays her with more sincerity than she did in Scream 5 (a.k.a. 2022’s “requel” Scream), where she and the other OGs were in process of being phased out for a newer cast. But Sidney aside, Williamson plasters his film with a bunch of forgettable cast members who all feel immediately expendable aside from Sidney’s daughter Tatum (Isabel May).
I’m going to get into spoilers now, because, frankly, Williamson’s script is so lazy and pointless it’s not worthy of a spoiler-free critique. Proof that this franchise has lost its edge: every character who dies or survives is completely predictable. Sidney lives, her daughter lives, and even her hubby lives, despite being stabbed repeatedly halfway through. It’s all just so happy and expected.
The killers are also as lame as ever, with one being so utterly obvious the moment he is shown on screen and the other coming out of left field, but not in a good way. When she removed her mask, my first reaction was, “Who is that again?” She basically has to explain who her character is during the climax. Hey, remember me!!!
Williamson could have leaned into this and had fun with it, but he is seemingly incapable of being edgy or clever these days. He is a senior citizen, after all. The “return” of Lillard could have worked in the right hands, but Williamson writes this red herring like an old person attempting to use modern slang: it just feels forced.
Scream 7 does boast a few gory kills, including a guy impaled on a beer tap so hard that beer starts pouring out of his mouth, and Williamson maintains a steady pace of murder and mayhem. I’ve certainly suffered through worse. But we are so far from the heydey of great Scream movies that this franchise needs some massive reinvigoration and boldness not seen since the original.
A few ideas: market Sidney as the lead, but kill her off early (as much as I hate to say it). Scrap the multiple killer tradition and give us a solo, movie-loving slasher. Take a deep look at what the Scream movies have become and turn things on their head. At the very least, give us a sharp screenplay. It’s been a while.
There are worse horror movies than Scream 7–it isn’t without some baseline entertainment value–but if the franchise is going to keep playing in the same sandbox, it has no reason to continue to exist.
Review by Erik Samdahl. Erik is a marketing and technology executive by day, avid movie lover by night. He is a member of the Seattle Film Critics Society.
