Written by Cameron Geiser

Well, here we go again. I had a lot of curiosity about the new Scream movie given the very public controversy surrounding the firing of Melissa Barrera and subsequent departures of her co-lead Jenna Ortega and Christopher Landon who was set to direct the seventh film originally. In 2024 during my film criticism project in which I watched a film every single day that year, I ended up watching all six Scream films in a row for the first time that October. I generally enjoyed the franchise, but I was very impressed with the fifth and sixth films directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett. I’d even say those two are my favorite sequels in the series with the first film still holding that 1990’s charm as the ultimate entry in the slasher franchise.

Which brings me no great joy to dissect this latest entry in the series directed by the original creator and writer of the series in Kevin Williamson. Before I saw these films I remember watching a trailer for the fifth one and thought, “Geez, they’re still making these films?” Little did I know that the fifth one would be one of my favorites down the line. Scream 7 IS the film that I expected in my head when I didn’t know anything about the series. It’s lackluster, repetitive, uninspiring, and honestly of little consequence when it’s all said and done. No disrespect to Neve Campbell, but Scream 7 feels like it was written by Ghostface himself. It is obsessed with Sidney Prescott to the point of parody unfortunately. However unlike the last two films the seventh feature is never bold enough, never thrilling enough, inventive enough, or as clever as it wants you to think it is.

*Scream 7* feels the least inspired the coveted franchise has ever felt.

Obsession, ridiculously over the top antics, and well executed death sequences are usually the name of the game in this franchise but it’s about the execution of it all at the end of the day. This script feels like a jilted lover the way it spits in the face of the sixth film. Which really, c’mon now- don’t remind me of better films while you’re going on about some stale shenanigans. Spoiler alert, the reveals aren’t even that interesting and when you think back on the events of the film, the motivations of the killers, and how these things are presented to the audience to lead us in a different direction, it all kind of falls apart. For moments the series toys with a few fun ideas but it never amounts to anything.

Honestly if the cinematography, framing, blocking, and action sequences overall had been designed better this film could have been salvaged. The bodega scene alone in the sixth film was more intense and engaging than anything done in this film. With a bland script you have to amp up the style of the production or at least give Sidney some clever one liners, hell anything! Some cheesy kills and gore aplenty isn’t enough, you’d think the creator of the franchise would know this. I won’t say it's dead just yet, but if we never get another Scream movie, it’ll be okay. Just stop your future movie marathons at Scream 6.

Cameron Geiser is an avid consumer of films and books about filmmakers. He'll watch any film at least once, and can usually be spotted at the annual Traverse City Film Festival in Northern Michigan. He also writes about film over at www.spacecortezwrites.com.