It has been three decades since the subversive slasher Scream simultaneously satirized and revitalized its genre. Now, the seventh installment is content to play the hits.
Scream 7 Movie Review
From an opening visit to one of the original film’s key locations to a conclusion that — no spoilers — doesn’t reinvent the wheel, Scream 7 has no ambitions beyond … well, doing Scream stuff. New characters get slashed; old ones turn up (in one way or another). Nick Cave’s Red Right Hand plays. The chracters discuss rules of a horror movie. Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell), now Sidney Prescott-Evans, confronts a cadre of masked killers.
That longer surname refers to our Final Girl’s attempt to settle into some kind of grown-up normalcy, in spite of 30 years of terror. She’s married — to a cop (Joel McHale), helpfully — and has a trio of kids. We find her sparring with her eldest, Tatum (Isabel May) over typical teen stuff. (The younger kids are off at grandma’s for the week, presumably to spare the audience the added tension of tots in peril.)
In spite of a high-end security system and ever-ready sidearm, though, Sidney is never at ease. And wouldn’t you know it: A caller claiming to be a foe from Sid’s distant past threatens Tatum, and we’re off to the races.
More Easter Eggs Than the Candy Aisle
For an hour or more, the film loads itself with references — some subtle, some painfully obvious — to its predecessors. Tatum’s beau (Sam Rechner) crawls through her window, repeating dialogue from the first film; the next morning, Tatum dons her mother’s old college jacket (as seen in (Scream 2), sparking a confrontation. The film is explicitly focused on its own lore; while that served as meta-commentary in the superior 2022 film (confusingly, also called Scream), it’s mostly just fan service here.
That dedication is wise at times and foolhardy at others. Undoubtedly, this is a series with devotees; at the opening-night screening I attended, nearly everyone in attendance arrived wearing official series merchandise. (Admittedly: That tally includes this writer.) While such hyper-awareness is canny, it can be overdone; at times, Scream 7 leans in too heavily.
Don’t Spoil the Ending — Not That You’ll Want To
Despite its indulgences, Scream 7 leads an ugly but steady drive up the field for most of its runtime — then fumbles the ball on the goal line. I would never even hint at the ending of a film in this franchise — a series inextricably linked to the rise of spoiler aversion among genre fans — but I will say that the conclusion is woefully unsatisfying. It’s hard to imagine either diehards or casual viewers will find these revelations compelling; it seems a case of trying to out-twist the audience rather than simply delivering a proper conclusion.
Does that matter? Yes and no. For fans, it may feel like a cop out; for less committed moviegoers, it will simply be confusing. But the blood is already good and shed at that point. Until the final moments, Scream 7 is often funny, generally compelling and even occasionally shocking — impressive after all these years.
And hey — they can always innovate next time. Scream 8 is reportedly in development.
No One Dares Confront Ghostface at the Box Office
Here’s a bit of movie trivia: So fevered was the anticipation for 1997’s Scream 2 that several high-profile releases delayed opening to avoid the competition. Chief among them: Titanic, which waited a week rather than square off with the Scream juggernaut. A James Bond film, Tomorrow Never Dies, did the same thing. Accordingly, Scream 7 mostly has the weekend to itself in terms of new releases — though the acclaimed Iraqi film The President’s Cake is receiving a limited release.
Among repertory showings, the harrowing western The Revenant is back in theaters to mark its 10th anniversary. Leonardo DiCaprio won an Oscar for The Revenant, though the most exemplary aspect of the film may be the striking, natural lighting.
Speaking of the Oscars, in-theater presentations of the nominated short films have increased in popularity. Look for showings of the nominated live-action, animated and documentary shorts at an arthouse or independent cinema near you.
Ghost Face is a Registered Trademark of Fun World Div., Easter Unlimited, Inc. ©1999. All Rights Reserved.
Story by Sean Collier
Photo Courtesy of Paramount Pictures‘ Scream 7
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