Scream 7 – Movie Review (4/5)

SCREAM 7 is yet another sequel in the iconic Ghostface slasher movie franchise. This time, Sidney is back front and center. Well, among many other familiar faces. There are so many wonderful and beloved Scream franchise characters in this one. Also, Kevin Williamson is back to direct. Read our full Scream 7 horror movie review here!

SCREAM 7 goes deep into the meta of both real-life horror movies and the fascination with true crime. Something the Scream franchise has been doing ever since the original sequel, when the movie Stab was introduced as the Hollywood version of the “true crime”, we all witnessed in the first ever Scream movie.

As such, Sidney Prescott is named alongside Jamie Lee Curtis as a real person, not a character. I have always loved that about this horror franchise, and I still do. Also, I love that Neve Campbell is back front and center as Sidney Prescott. Sure, there are still younger characters, but this time, it really is all about Sidney… and what she will do when her family is threatened.

Continue reading our Scream 7 horror movie review below. Find it in US theaters from February 27, 2026.

Sidney versus Ghostface… yet again!

If you’re tired of seeing Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) go up against Ghostface, then it’s nothing compared to how Sidney herself feels. She is so over being hunted down by yet another delusional serial killer in costume. However, crazy people just will not leave her alone. As always, Scream 7 plays out in the meta-universe, where Sidney Prescott is a real person.

She’s someone who survived two serial killers to see a movie made about it. As such, she became famous for being a real-life final girl. Again and again.

I mention this because I find it important that viewers still accept this premise. Scream has always been about what we could (or should) learn from watching horror movies. That way, you’ll be ready if and when danger happens in real life. Something Sidney knows better than most… even if she did sit out the New York events of the previous movie.

Something that, yes, does come up in this sequel.

Also, Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox) is back, and bringing two familiar faces with her in the form of the twins: Mindy and Chad (Jasmin Savoy Brown and Mason Gooding). In that sense, we have quite a few people who have survived several Ghostface attacks already. Something that will always come in handy!

The very real impact of true crime

This time, Sidney is back and clearly used to people recognizing, pranking, and even threatening her. Via the Stab movie franchise that exists in the Scream universe, and the books written about both Gale Weathers and Sidney Prescott herself, the ordeal both women survived has become a true crime phenomenon.

The Scream slasher franchise has been dealing with the true-crime fascination (and its related issues) from before the concept became as huge as it is today. Sure, people have been fascinated with serial killers for the longest time, but the way this franchise has utilized that fascination as a plot point was still very much ahead of its time.

In Scream 7, a new Ghostface killer emerges. Not in Woodsboro or The Big Apple, but rather in the quiet town where Sidney Prescott has built a new life. Her daughter, Tatum (Isabel May), named after her best friend in the original movie, is the age Sidney was when she was first attacked.

Always shoot them in the head

Sidney trusts no one (except for a small handful of people) and will do whatever it takes to protect Tatum. Well, except talk to her about her past, which is what her daughter truly wants. Now, Tatum is the target of the Ghostface killer, who claims to be Stu Macher (Matthew Lillard).

However, with AI, who knows what’s real and what’s simply a well-made deep fake?!

Personally, I liked the core notion of Sidney that whoever the Ghostface killer is this time around, she’s ready to fight.

Whatever happens, we should all have learned one thing by now: Always shoot them in the head. Well, that and the more somber and sad notion that you can’t trust anyone. Not unless you’ve already survived Ghostface with them already – at least that seems to be a fairly safe bet by now.

A cast that should please fans

Also, I loved the new young additions to the cast this time around (even if I also missed Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega). I especially found Isabel May (1923) to be perfect as Sidney Prescott’s daughter, Tatum. She worked both visually – in the sense that she looks enough like Neve Campbell that I can buy it – and in her portrayal of a young woman trying to get to know her own mom.

Among the Scream 7 cast members, we also get some genre actors who have already made huge impacts. I’m thinking about Anna Camp (You, True Blood) as Sidney’s neighbor, Mckenna Grace (Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, Annabelle Comes Home) as Tatum’s friend, and Asa Germann (Gen V) as yet another friend and also a true crime buff.

You’ll also get to see Joel McHale as Sidney’s husband – for the record, her name is now Sidney Evans – and Sam Rechner as Tatum’s boyfriend. Finally, we have Michelle Randolph (The Resort), Jimmy Tatro, Ethan Embry (The Devil’s Candy), Celeste O’Connor, and Timothy Simons (Candy) in key roles.

Watch Scream 7 in theaters

Scream 7 was directed by Kevin Williamson. He is, of course, the creator of the franchise (with the first movie directed by horror master Wes Craven), but this is his first time directing as well. The story comes from James Vanderbilt (Zodiac) & Guy Busick (Final Destination: Bloodlines, Abigail), and the screenplay by Kevin Williamson and Guy Busick.

At the core of Scream 7, we have Sidney being forced to face her traumatic past. However, for this beloved final girl, it could offer some closure or a way forward. At least it’s her hope (though not really her belief) that she can finally put an end to the bloodshed once and for all.

Of course, if Scream 7 is a hit (and it should be), then I’m sure we’ll get yet another sequel. And yes, I will be ready to watch that one as well. I still remember seeing the first Scream in the movie theater at a special preview screening where we got a T-shirt, a Ghostface mask, and a huge (machete-size) plastic “knife”.

I have been hooked since Drew Barrymore was killed in the opening scene. Honestly, I was ready to leave the theater out of fear for what came next. She was supposedly the star of this new slasher horror movie, so if she died first, then all bets were off. The rules had gone out the proverbial window.

To me, these three new movies in the reboot era have lived up to the original vibe, and I love them for that. For the record, this seventh movie in the franchise also features a strong opening scene. One that really takes a stab (pun intended) at the whole true crime fascination.

Scream 7 is out Only in Theaters from February 27, 2026.

📺 Watch trailer

Details

Director: Kevin Williamson
Screenplay: Kevin Williamson & Guy Busick
Cast: Neve Campbell, Isabel May, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Mason Gooding, Anna Camp, David Arquette, Roger L.Jackson, Michelle Randolph, Jimmy Tatro, Mckenna Grace, Asa Germann, Celeste O’Connor, Sam Rechner, Ethan Embry, Mark Consuelos, Tim Simons, Matthew Lillard, Joel McHale, Courteney Cox