Review by Jon Donnis
The long running slasher saga returns with Scream 7, a direct follow up to Scream VI and the seventh entry in the famous horror franchise. This time the story pulls the focus back toward Sidney Prescott, placing her once again at the centre of a new Ghostface killing spree. The result is a film that feels very familiar, sometimes almost deliberately so, but it still delivers an entertaining and suitably violent experience for fans who know exactly what they are signing up for.
The film opens with a classic style prologue set in Woodsboro. Two Stab obsessed fans decide to visit the old home of Stu Macher after hearing rumours that he might have survived the events of the original killings. It is a curiosity that ends in brutal fashion when Ghostface appears and murders the pair before setting the house on fire. The sequence feels like a clear nod to the history of the series and immediately sets the tone for the film. It is violent, tense and unapologetically tied to the past.
The story then moves to Pine Grove, Indiana, where Sidney Prescott has attempted to build a quiet life far away from the horrors that once defined her. She runs a coffeehouse, is married to police officer Mark Evans, and spends her days raising her children. Among them is her teenage daughter Tatum, named after Sidney's late best friend Tatum Riley. For a brief moment the film allows Sidney the illusion of peace, though anyone familiar with the franchise will know that it cannot last.
The return of Ghostface shatters that calm. Sidney receives a chilling call from the killer who claims to be an older and scarred Stu Macher. Whether that claim is genuine or not becomes part of the mystery, but the threat is immediate. The killer reveals that he is standing outside a theatre where Sidney's daughter and her classmates are rehearsing. Sidney races there with the police, but the attack has already begun. Two students are murdered before Ghostface disappears into the night.
From that point onward the story unfolds in the familiar rhythm of suspicion and escalating violence that the series is known for. Tatum becomes the central target of the new attacks, which creates a strong emotional hook for the story. Sidney is no longer just protecting herself. She is trying to prevent her daughter from experiencing the same trauma that shaped her own life.
The biggest strength of the film is the return of Neve Campbell as Sidney Prescott. Campbell remains the heart of the series and her presence instantly grounds the story. She plays Sidney with the calm determination of someone who has endured years of violence yet refuses to be defined by it. Even when the plot becomes chaotic, her performance keeps the emotional focus intact.
The supporting cast provides solid backup throughout the film. Isabel May takes on the role of Tatum and carries much of the tension once the attacks begin to circle around her group of friends. Jasmin Savoy Brown and Mason Gooding return as the Meeks Martin twins, survivors of previous Ghostface attacks who once again find themselves caught in the middle of the carnage. Meanwhile Courteney Cox appears once more as Gale Weathers, the determined reporter who has spent years documenting the bloody history of these murders.
The film does not hold back when it comes to violence. Several of the kill scenes are particularly intense, with Ghostface stalking characters through houses, streets and dimly lit interiors before striking with brutal efficiency. The gore is present and the tension is handled well during these moments, reminding audiences why the Ghostface killer remains such a memorable horror figure.
Where the film struggles slightly is in its lack of originality. Scream 7 clearly understands what its audience expects and it rarely attempts to move beyond that formula. The structure of the story, the suspects and even the eventual revelations follow patterns that long time fans of the series will recognise almost immediately. Nothing here feels wildly new or experimental.
That cautious approach makes the film feel safe at times. The story relies heavily on nostalgia and familiar franchise ideas rather than taking bold risks. For devoted fans that nostalgia can be enjoyable. Seeing the story circle back toward earlier events in Woodsboro gives the film a sense of continuity. At the same time it also highlights how little the formula has changed.
The running time of one hour and fifty minutes occasionally stretches the pacing as well. Some scenes linger longer than necessary while the characters attempt to figure out who might be behind the mask. The tension eventually builds towards a violent and chaotic final confrontation, but the middle portion of the film can feel slightly drawn out.
Despite those issues, Scream 7 remains an entertaining slasher film. It delivers the suspense, the gore and the returning characters that audiences expect from the series. The emotional core provided by Sidney's relationship with her daughter adds weight to the story, and Neve Campbell's performance reminds viewers why Sidney Prescott remains one of horror cinema's most enduring survivors.
In the end Scream 7 feels very much like a film made for fans of the franchise. It does not attempt to reinvent the series and it rarely pushes the story into new territory. What it does offer is a familiar and bloody return to the world of Ghostface, packed with nostalgia and anchored by a strong central performance.
It may not reach the heights of the very best entries in the saga, but it is still a solid and enjoyable addition to the series. I would score Scream 7 a respectable 7 out of 10.
Out in cinemas now
