‘Scream 7’ proves that nostalgia alone can’t save a slasher franchise
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There are certain movies that hit at exactly the right moment in time. The original “Scream” was one of them.
In 1996, it felt sharp, modern and fearless. It mocked the slasher genre while fully embracing it. The dialogue was clever, the kills were memorable, and that final reveal didn’t just shock audiences, it rewired how we thought about horror movies. It made horror cool again.
Yes, “Scream” shows its age now: the ’90s fashion, the landlines, the pacing are all very much of their era. But the structure, the confidence and the twist still work.
Through the years, the franchise has had its ups and downs. Some sequels managed to keep the spirit alive; others felt like contractual obligations wrapped in a Ghostface mask.
Nearly three decades later, installment No. 7 has been released to theaters.
Heading into watch “Scream 7”, I wasn’t hyped — but I wasn’t dreading it either. I figured at minimum we’d get a fun, bloody slasher with a couple of clever meta jokes and one big reveal to chew on.
Instead, I found myself wishing the movie had trusted its own history a little more.
A familiar setup that feels off
This time, Sidney Prescott is back at the center. She’s married, she has kids, and she’s trying to build a quiet life in a small town far removed from the chaos of Woodsboro.
On paper, that’s a great starting point. The idea of Ghostface stalking Sidney into adulthood and motherhood feels like fertile ground for something tense and emotional.
Naturally, the killings begin again. Teenagers drop. Suspicion spreads. The past resurfaces. However, instead of feeling like a natural continuation, it feels like a screenplay trying very hard to remind us of what we used to love.
Callbacks pop up frequently. Familiar beats echo the original. References are sprinkled throughout. But rather than enhancing the story, they feel like reminders of how well the first film handled similar material.
Nostalgia works best when it sneaks up on you; here, it’s front and center.
Where happened to the humor?
One of the defining traits of the “Scream” franchise has always been its tone. That careful balance between tension and tongue-in-cheek self-awareness.
Even when characters were being chased down hallways, someone was usually commenting on horror tropes or poking fun at the situation.
That edge feels dulled here.
Jasmin Savoy Brown and Mason Gooding return and are clearly positioned as comic relief. The problem is, the humor rarely lands. The lines feel written to sound clever, rather than actually being clever. Instead of sharp meta commentary, we get forced quips that fall flat.
It’s not a performance issue, because both actors are capable. The material just doesn’t give them much to work with.
And when a “Scream” movie isn’t funny, something important is missing.
Bloodier, louder, but not smarter
If you’re going strictly by body count, “Scream 7” delivers. The kills are frequent, graphic and at times shockingly brutal. In fact, this may be one of the franchise’s more violent entries.
The filmmakers clearly made an effort to up the intensity. There are elaborate set pieces and creative death sequences designed to stand out. But here’s the issue: Spectacle only works if you care about the people involved.
This movie introduces several new characters, but few are developed enough to make their fates matter. When someone is attacked, the reaction isn’t dread but, too often, indifference.
The earlier films succeeded because even secondary characters felt like part of a living world. Here, many feel like placeholders. And in a slasher, emotional investment is everything.
The reveal is surprise over sense
Without diving into spoilers, let’s talk about the twist — because that’s where this franchise either lives or dies.
The original “Scream” didn’t just shock viewers; it justified itself. Once the mask came off, you could mentally rewind the film and see how everything lined up. Some sequels managed that, too.
“Scream 7” aims for surprise and, to its credit, the reveal may catch some viewers off guard.
But surprise without logic doesn’t hold.
When the motivations are explained, they feel thin. Even after the classic villain monologue, the reasoning behind the killings remains murky. Certain earlier deaths become harder to rationalize once you know who’s responsible.
A strong twist enhances the entire movie. This one feels like it was built to shock first and explain later — and that’s a gamble that doesn’t fully pay off.
Final thoughts
I didn’t walk into “Scream 7” expecting a masterpiece; I just wanted it to be clever, fun, self-aware. Instead, it feels like a franchise trying to recreate lightning rather than generate it.
Sidney’s return should have felt triumphant. The small-town reset should have added tension. The twist should have sparked more conversation. Instead, much of it feels mechanical, as though the pieces were assembled without fully rediscovering the spark that made the original special.
For a series that once redefined slasher rules, this chapter feels like it’s following them.
And that’s the biggest disappointment of all.
“Scream 7” is rated R for strong bloody violence, gore and language.