'Scream 7' review: Entertaining, but spoiled by disappointing ending
What's the story
How many times can Ghostface hunt and brutally stab Sidney Prescott? As long as the money keeps pouring in! The latest installment in the massively successful slasher franchise, Scream 7, once again follows Sidney and a brutal, frenzied massacre by Ghostface. A sequel that milks nostalgia endlessly, it's fun and riveting, but turns painfully predictable toward the end.
Plot
Can Sidney build a new life, away from Ghostface?
Directed by Kevin Williamson, Scream 7 follows Sidney (Neve Campbell), who's busy carving a new life with her husband, Mark Evans (Joel McHale). She shares a complicated, fractured relationship with her 17-year-old daughter, Tatum (does the name ring a bell?), played by Isabel May. When Ghostface returns and begins to terrorize Sidney, she must race against time to rescue her family.
#1
Brings back a dead character and has fun with it
There are numerous callbacks to the previous movies in the franchise, and Stu Macher (Matthew Lillard), who died in Scream (1996), is back! Or, is he? Several jumpscares catch you off-guard, and it's admirable how the franchise keeps throwing surprises at you despite treading nearly the same path over and over again. You know what you're signing up for.
#2
Sidney gets a lot more character development
Despite the brief runtime (114 minutes), Williamson takes his time developing Sidney's relationship with Tatum. There's constantly a stiff coldness between them, and we know it won't be long before Tatum's life begins to mirror her mother's. Sidney doesn't wish to pass on her trauma; she believes rebranding herself as Mrs Evans will help, but the past always catches up with you.
#3
Once again, it wants you to guess the killer
For the most part, Scream 7 keeps you on your toes, urging you to work alongside Sidney and Tatum and figure out the killer. It pays homage to the original iconic characters, reminding us how it all began 30 years ago. Reporter Gale Weathers, played by Courteney Cox, returns for a special appearance, and Williamson is happy to play to the gallery.
#4
But, it completely crashes toward the end
After an exhilarating first hour, Scream 7 begins to go through the motions, and the narrative becomes tedious. Unlike the previous parts, this installment doesn't have enough interesting characters to drive the story, which undercuts its intensity. Moreover, the killer's reveal lacks utter logic and feels like a half-baked, last-minute addition rather than a well-thought-out plot point.
Verdict
Worth watching, but bogged down by its disappointing ending
There's a lot of fun to be had with Scream 7; the ensemble keeps you constantly engaged, and it seems like Ghostface's knife won't lose its edge anytime soon. But the disappointing ending leaves you feeling cheated, and, like its protagonist, the franchise is worryingly tied to its past. The scream is somewhat muted this time. 3/5 stars.