The Scream franchise returns for the 7th installment with Sidney Prescott’s family being the focal point. The Ghostface Killer is back to target Sydney’s oldest daughter, Tatum, who was Sydney’s age when the murders first began in 1996. Sidney must come out of retirement once again to save her family, and a focused narrative that is most personal to the life that she has built outside of Woodsboro. 

 A New Beginning

Scream 7 is essentially a contained story, taking place in an unfamiliar town as she settles in Indiana. Sidney’s family is new to the audience, so at times it is inaccessible to connect with them. Sidney’s story as a family-oriented woman should be interesting, but it’s not as intriguing or detailed as one would expect. 

The story this film builds on is hollow and lacks continuity and logical reasoning. The opening kill scene is excruciatingly uninspiring. The beginning sequence has always set a precedent for what the screen franchise stands for, especially in the finale. This sequence meant absolutely nothing and served no purpose whatsoever. Though there was a lack of storytelling throughout the film, there were some amazing and brutal kill sequences. These sequences felt original and artistic at times, which made the film a joy, though they were wasted by the minimal storytelling. The most disappointing part of Scream 7 was the killer reveal. Once the killer was revealed, the flaws in this film were easy to overlook. Up to this point, the film fell apart because there was no direct connection to the motives inherent in the film’s story. 

Old Problems, New Woes

Scream 7 is Neve Campbell’s (Sidney’s) film, with time that has passed and the life she has amassed outside of trauma, all feels right, but it is not executed properly. Partly due to the script, Neve Campbell feels like a caricature of Sidney. There are so many weak moments that contribute to this, including her scenes with her daughter, Tatum, and even Gale Weathers. Aside from Sidney leading the film, her daughter Tatum, played by Isabel May, is tasked with carrying the film without the proper guidance. Though this is not her fault, her acting holds up, and she settles into the role well. Still, she’s not that interesting, and she isn’t intrigued enough by her mother’s past. 

The supporting cast, whether it be Anna Camp, Mark Consuelos, or McKenna Grace, is all underutilized and is given paper-thin material to work with. The supporting cast in this film is not given enough screen time to build on the trajectory of its legacy. There is so much that could have been explored but wasn’t, because it focused more on the singularity, which had nothing to latch onto outside of the past.