If you’re going to see Scream 7, 30 years after the original Scream — original lead returning after a very public pay dispute, recent lead gone after disputes over social media commentary on Gaza, other recent lead out the door in solidarity, a change of director before filming, the original writer returning but now he’s directing as well to try and smooth things over, three other credited writers (etc., etc., etc.) — then you probably know what you’re getting. And with Scream 7 you get what you know. Or deserve.
Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell), sorry, Sidney Evans, is now married to local police officer Mark Evans (Joel McHale), and living a suburban life in Pine Ridge, a town that is not Woodsboro but seems perilously nearby. She’s a mother of three and runs a local coffee shop. Her eldest daughter Tatum (Isabel May) is reaching the same age Sidney was at the time of the original Woodsboro Massacre. An anxious time for any parent. Whatever assurances Tatum tries to give Sidney that everything is ok are quickly undercut by the fact that someone dressed as Ghostface is 100% back and has brutally killed two young tourists at the Stu Macher house, the location of the climax of the first film and now a macabre museum to Ghostface history.
As is necessary given the rate of attrition, we’re introduced to a swath of new characters. There’s Tatum’s boyfriend Ben (Sam Rechner), her two best friends Chloe and Hannah (Celeste O’Connor and McKenna Grace), and the true-crime obsessed Lucas Bowden (Asa Germann), who is also the son of Sidney’s friend Jessica (Anna Camp). Don’t stress too much about any of this as the film isn’t going to. Ghostface, or Ghostfaces, waste little time getting down to business and from here the film sticks largely to the established formula – everyone’s a suspect, until they’re dead. And can you really be sure they’re dead?
In a way this is a series that has defied gravity. While Scream 5 and 6 have their flaws, they were relative successes on their own terms, and arguably much better instalments than anyone could reasonably expect so late in a series. Unfortunately we might be finally reaching the tipping point.
Scream was always built on meta narratives and self referential dialogue, but here we’re delivered a fire hose of fan service without the healthy doses of horror commentary and social observation which usually supplement the internal lore. Didn’t notice the first time that Sidney’s daughter is named after Rose McGowan’s character from the original? Don’t worry, you’ll be told about 80 more times. Forgotten a character from the past? No stress, they’ll be shoehorned in eventually.
A historical strength of the series has been the ability to assemble a fresh ensemble of young actors, often from other recent teen fare, to populate each new chapter. This also feels like it’s flagging. May does an admirable job as Tatum, but the rest all just feel a bit disposable. Rechner as the tech bro boyfriend is especially bland. (Pause though to give a special shoutout to American Vandal’s Jimmy Tatro, who elevates the cold open). Even Campbell, who has been very open about her excitement at rejoining the franchise, feels out of sorts, struggling to find the groove of who Sidney would be at this stage of her life.
The script is also simply sloppier than we’ve come to expect (especially from a generation defining screenwriter like Kevin Williamson). Characters are introduced as red herrings and then basically never seen again. Sidney has two other children, but after showing us early on that they’re staying at their grandparents, they’re never mentioned despite the other three members of the family being in near constant mortal danger.
While Scream 7 is the worst of the series so far, you can still see plenty of echoes of why Scream has lasted as long as it has. Unusually clever dialogue with genuine humour and resonance, slasher sequences blocked and shot like an action movie, genuine stakes, gore and a budget that allows for above-average casting and strong production values. The power of that formula hasn’t diminished. It might be time to jettison the baggage of the Scream franchise though, and use this blueprint to build something new. Lest we be sentenced to future instalments where Boyfriend Ben is spoken about in the same reverent tones as Tatum Riley.
Scream 7 opened yesterday in cinemas.