The Wasteland Reviewer

Scream 7 (2026) Written Review

How excited should you be for the seventh entry in a horror franchise (especially in a slasher one)? So many of those iconic slasher franchises have gone through absolute trash and terrible stretches in their history. But that is not always the case! Just look at Scream. Generally, this is considered one of the most consistently strong slasher franchises. All the other major ones have downright terrible entries. But it is not the case for Scream. Some might have lesser feelings with some of the sequels, but Scream is still the most consistently strong slasher franchise. Then we have Scream 7 to challenge that streak. After major reworkings after the unjustified firing of Melissa Barrera, the franchise returns to its roots with Sidney Prescott as the main protagonist again. 

But the big question…does Kevin Williamson step up behind the camera? Williamson has a strong connection to Scream as he was the writer of the original film. After Christopher Landon ditched the film, Williamson is put in the saddle and does a fine job. This is certainly not the sharpest film in the franchise from a directorial standpoint (Williamson is not Wes Craven) but there are some strong visual moments. There is one kill that is pulled off with ropes and a harness to lift the victim through the air, and it is executed so brutally but shockingly intense on screen. The kills this time around are quite brutal and savage for the franchise. There has always been a lot of blood in Scream, but the twisted kills go to a whole new level with Scream 7. The pacing of the film can be a bit uneven, and this is one of the few Scream films that you feel that almost two-hour runtime. The film certainly has a good sense of humor, but the tone is certainly inconsistent. Overall, Williamson steps up and does a fine job to bring this reworked film to life. 

Does the screenplay fair any better? Honestly, the script just might be even worse. There are certainly things that work well. The journey that Sidney goes on as a paranoid and protective mother of a teenage daughter brings the franchise to a new depth and complexity. The journey that Sidney’s daughter, Tatum, and she tries to become a fighter like her mother is quite powerful as well. But there are few other elements that truly work. The mystery of who Ghost Face is this time is frustrating. There is a revelation about a returning character that feels like it is so forced for nostalgia that the identity and reveal feels incredibly flat. The logic behind this outing is nonexistent. The dialogue in this film is quite flat and clunky. There are plenty of moments where exposition or spelling out ideas and themes just overtakes the experience for the worse. There are some actors whose natural charisma is overshadowed by terrible writing. The biggest sin of Scream 7 is that it lacks any clever meta-commentary. The humor feels forced and unfunny (most of the time) and this film just feels like a slasher film instead of a film commentating on slasher films.

How does the cast fare? Neve Campbell is great with a veteran presence and some genuine and authentic emotion. Her performance is by far the best in the franchise for Campbell, which is a wonderful positive to latch onto here. Courtney Cox returns as Gale Weathers throwing curse words around and plenty of attitude. Cox sells some of the effects of the brutal attack she faced in Scream VI and has a few significant moments with Campbell. The main issue is that Gale was not necessarily in this film. Joel McHale is a charismatic man and outside of some good physicality in a showdown with Ghost Face he is mostly wasted with clunky and awkward dialogue. His presence as Sidney’s husband had a lot of potential. Isabel May is a strong performer but her turn as Tatum falls so flat and just doesn’t deliver in a way that makes her arc feel impactful. Most of the new teenage characters lack depth or characterization and the performers are not given much to work with. This becomes abundantly clear when Mindy (Jasmin Savoy Brown) and Chad (Mason Gooding) show up. Their presence is completely pointless, but their charisma and character work just makes the new characters look even worse. Overall, Campbell is really the only actor who gets to truly shine with how Scream 7 turned out. 

Is Scream 7 a good addition to this franchise? Unfortunately, this is the first film in the Scream franchise that just isn’t good. A legendary streak is over. This film is, at best, a serviceable slasher. As a Scream film, it fails miserably. No true meta-commentary. Flat humor. A lack of mystery and logic. This feels like an obnoxious nostalgia grab that Scream used to make fun of. Maybe Scream 8 will be better.