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“Scream 7,” was released to theaters on February 27, 2026, and critics are unhappy with it. “Scream 7,” follows Sidney Prescott in her new and quiet life when suddenly a new killer targets her and her family. The film is the seventh installment in the beloved “Scream,” franchise. With 31% critics score and 76% audience score, “Scream 7” is currently rated the lowest on Rotten Tomatoes.
“Scream 7 is an incoherent, nostalgia-driven mess,” critic John Flickinger said on Rotten Tomatoes.
Kevin Williamson, with additional writers Guy Busick and James Vanderbilt, wrote and directed “Scream 7.” The cast welcomes back iconic stars from the franchise including Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox and Matthew Lillard. They also welcomed new cast members including Isabel May, McKenna Grace, Anna Camp, Joel McHale and Mark Consuelos.
“Scream 7 is a straightforward cash grab,” critic Korey Colemen said on Rotten Tomatoes
Scream 7 Storyline
The film takes place in the fictional town of Pine Grow, Indiana, where Prescott and her family have finally settled. Everything was going fine until a new Ghostface targets her and her family. The killer’s new primary target being Prescott’s eldest daughter, Tatum. Discussions and concerns arise as characters try to figure out if previously believed deceased killer Stu Macher is back for revenge or if there are new and improved killers on the prowl.
Looking on the bright side of things, “Scream 7,” returned the beloved Prescott. After getting informed she would get paid significantly less, the actress, Neve Campbell refused to participate in the sixth film. The film had notable camera shots, with the most memorable one happening at the beginning of the film. Ghostface was walking outside of a burning house, and the viewer sees a long shot of him walking away from his destruction. The pacing of the film was decently executed, and I managed to stay attentive during the film.
Not The Same
The film fell flat compared to the rest of the other films in the franchise. The beginning scene was somewhat enjoyable but not one of the stronger ones. One of my favorite opening scenes is from the original “Scream” because it had the perfect amount of tension and had me engaged thoroughly. In “Scream 7” though, the female character had a bit of a Valley Girl accent and acted in an influencer-esaque way. The character and her boyfriend also exchanged the word, “babe,” a few too many times. There were many references to previous films in, “Scream 7,” but they all felt forced on some level. It seemed like they were used in an attempt to give the viewer a tad bit of nostalgia and remind them why these movies are cult classics.
Moving on from Millennial characters and onto Gen Z, there was not much modern internet slang. Which is well appreciated considering the way it usually causes viewers to flinch at how it is used in cinema. There was one scene where a character said, “sus,” but it felt on brand for them to say it and did not necessarily seem like the writer was attempting to connect to the younger audience. The costume designer has clearly only seen how teens on TikTok dress which unquestionably influenced the way majority of the characters dressed. My friend even pointed it out and said “what the heck are they wearing?”
Disconnected Characters
The acting felt emotionally unavailable and there were not many moments where a viewer may actually forget they are watching a movie and feel scared for a character. Whenever a character was getting attacked, it seemed more like they were getting jumped instead of being chased by a killer. It was difficult to connect with the characters. Some of the characters seemed mildly scared but annoyed that they were about to be murdered. Others knew what danger they were in and attempted to fight for their life.
One thing that did not go unnoticed was the unusual mother-daughter relationships between Prescott and her daughter. Prescott was protective of her daughter in the film, but Tatum would get annoyed and try to do the opposite of what her mom tells her. Though it is not uncommon for teens to act that way towards their parents, yet it felt unnatural the way it happened. For example, Prescott warned Tatum numerous times that there is a killer targeting her and that she should stay home with the doors locked to be safe. But, Tatum decides to go to an unsupervised building with her friends instead.
Disappointing Reveal
The ending reveal was so disappointing that my friend and I could not believe it was the real reveal. The reveal for Ghostface felt so random that even after leaving the theater we could not stop discussing our disappointment. The final fight scene was not even 10 minutes long and just felt flat out pathetic to watch. I kept waiting for more but then I realized that that was that. Paying nearly $70 just for four people to watch, “Scream 7” was a significant rip-off. I would highly recommend just waiting for the film to hit a streaming service instead.
Though “Scream 7” is now ranked the lowest on my personal list. Yet, it was entertaining and I was engaged thoroughly the whole time.
