Scream 7 – Movie Reviews by Ry!

Scream 7 – Dull Stabs of Nostalgia: Ghostface is Shamed…  

In the film world, regardless of who you are … it is the experience where perception breeds enjoyment.  From expectations to intrigue, it becomes a matter of that personal question, was watching the movie worth it.  All film experiences are subjective, but there are times when there is a universal agreement, good or bad.  In this review, I look at the latest installment of a popular horror franchise.  In a return of familiarity, we embark on a predictable aspect of been there … done that.  Scream 7 is the epitome of what it means when a franchise has … jumped the shark.

As the years have passed, Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) believes the Ghostface Killer has finally been put to rest.  Hoping for a better life, the past decides to return … making her daughter as the new target.  When it comes to certain IP, we all have a fondness for what we enjoy.  For film, it becomes a matter of believable worlds and emotions to stir.  Every film franchise has moments of glory or reinvention, but if the property is stretched too thin, it can feel hollow.  With this latest installment, there is a sense that returning to the well too much has led to lethargic results.  In this latest entry, Sidney Prescott is back in the spotlight, where we find, she has moved to a new town in hopes of building a better life for her family, especially her daughter, Tatum (Isabel May).  After a slow intro and simple world-building, we dive quickly into a shocking return of a past assailant, who has embarked on a new trail of Ghostface killings.  As this rattles the small town, Sidney embarks on a quest that is two-fold: protect her daughter from this killer and find out if this past assailant has truly come back from the grave.  This is all the development you get, because from this point, the film doesn’t try to expand the meta-aspect of the lore.  What you have are filmmakers relying on nostalgia to blind the audience from the abhorrent logical fallacies compounded in the script.  As things ‘conveniently’ are pieced together by Sidney, the predictability is so bland that you already know what waits around each corner.  Every scene becomes a pathway for the typical ‘the kill of the week’ motif, leading to a hollow horror sandbox.

To put further into perspective how lazy the writing is, you are forced to believe in a faux strife between Sidney and Tatum.  The one-dimensional ‘mother/daughter’ conflict is nothing but a plot point for the sake of pulling in past moments for a wink and a nod to the audience.  Beyond her, the rest of the cast (view the list of actors/actresses on the film’s IMdb page – link), are nothing more than plot fodder for the Ghostface Killings or nostalgic references.  With all of this leading to the inevitable reveal, it all falls on … what is truly the motive at this point?  Scream 7 is a lackluster experience.  If you are a fan, you might find some enjoyment.  For everyone else, I say wait for a better horror experience. 

Full Score – 1.5 out of 5 (Noise on the TV)