Scream 7: A Movie Review
Reviving the Ghostface Legacy for a New Generation
Overview
Longevity is nothing new to horror franchises. “Friday the 13th,” “Nightmare on Elm Street,” “Hellraiser,” “the Conjuring” series and many more come to mind just to name a few. After a twelve year hiatus between Scream 4 and Scream 5, Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillette brought back Ghostface with a level of wry humor and nastiness that made the franchise fun again. Four years later and three films into the newest installments 90s horror writing wunderkind Kevin Williamson has been picked to take over the reigns after two solid outings.
With Neve Campbell and Courtney Cox returning Scream 7 looked to be a slam dunk if not extremely entertaining. Sadly, this is not the case.
Plot and Storytelling
“Scream 7” gets going just like it should, with new faces, a dark night and a return to a familiar place. Ghostface isn’t dead and we really don’t want him to be. The opening salvo shows promise and kicks things into an unexpected direction.
Performances
Neve Campbell and Courtney Cox as Sidney Evans and Gale Weathers lead a nostalgia filled cast. The franchise queen of scream queens is just as committed and formidable as ever. Sidney’s daughter Tatum played by Isabel May does a good job at being a scrappy mopy teenager whose famous mother seems to have a bigger problem with the past than she does. The family dynamics, with a game Joel Michale as the father are welcome but don’t break new ground. With the exception of Mark Consuelos, whose performance was baffling and strange the cast hits the right notes.
Direction and Cinematography
The direction in “Scream 7” is not as sharp as the previous two outings but a few of the kills and we do care about the kills here, are cheesy and fun. The kill in the school was particularly fun, despite how strange it feels for me to say that. But we are dealing with a horror movie here.
Meta Commentary and Themes
One of the consistent through lines of these movies is their self awareness and openness regarding its own mythology. There are plenty of surprise appearances that reward longtime fans. The problem at this point is things have gotten so convoluted only true die hard fans will be able to remember who did what when and in which movie.
Conclusion
While well produced, with a stellar cast and bearing good intentions, “Scream 7” does not have the suspense and the edge it needs to make this a memorable entry in the series. There are too many transition scenes which feel empty and when the silver blade flashes, the fear is not what it used to be. At times to be perfectly honest, Scream 7 is boring. Which is such a shame. Sidney Evans does her part. Too bad Kevin Williamson spent so much time thinking about the past he couldn’t stay more in the present.
· Pros: Strong performances, lots of surprise appearances, solid direction, good fan service.
· Cons: Not enough suspense, mythology that loses its way, doesn’t balance the history of the franchise while carving a new path forward.
Final Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars