Reviewing a Scream film is strange, especially for someone who fell in love with horror through the 1996 original; it feels like evaluating a piece of my own history. It’s undoubtedly my favorite horror franchise, and likely always will be. However, affection demands honesty, and the truth is that Scream 7 falls far short of the clever, subversive slasher that defined a generation. Neve Campbell and Isabel May both bring an undeniable sincerity to their roles, but the movie surrounding them feels fundamentally adrift. The self-aware commentary, once the series’ greatest strength, has become its biggest weakness, creating a story that feels like a cynical digital exercise rather than a proper film experience. This is especially noticeable with the returning actors. While the detached quality of these performances was apparently an intentional creative choice to support the narrative, it results in a jarring lack of presence. It's a contradiction: the performers deliver precisely what they were asked to do – a representation of reality – but that process strips these icons of their emotional impact, reducing them to empty digital additions instead of the welcome returns they should have been. The treatment given to supporting characters is equally cynical. Gale Weathers’ appearance feels entirely perfunctory, serving as little more than obligatory nods to fans, while characters like Chad and Mindy are dragged back into the story with nothing substantial to do. They feel less like survivors of a franchise and more like targets being artificially kept alive for future installments. There's a clear absence of emotional consistency; after enduring such immense trauma, the twins are reduced to smiles, sunshine, and comic relief instead of being allowed any genuine reflection on their losses. While perhaps not essential for a slasher film, the movie suffers from a lack of respectful acknowledgment of the wider group of survivors – the sudden disappearance of Sam, Tara, and Kirby, for instance, creates an unsettling emptiness that makes the world feel smaller and less real. The film’s aggressive attempt to distance itself from its own history is also frustrating. In what seems like an effort to disprove long-standing fan theories, the narrative essentially destroys a central location, severing the connection to the Macher house and Woodsboro in a way that feels spiteful rather than meaningful. By destroying its past, the film inadvertently damages its essence, removing the very foundation that gave the franchise its weight. Ultimately, what’s most disappointing is the movie's lack of substance. A Scream film is only as good as the menace the killer projects, and this installment provides nothing more than shallow, generic antagonists whose motives have no real connection to the legacy they are attempting to dismantle. Kevin Williamson’s return should have felt like a celebration; instead, it represents a complete departure from the gritty, high-stakes tension of the original trilogy. While it remains an entertaining watch simply for being part of the brand, the magic is gone. Wes would be let down. If the franchise hopes to continue, it needs to stop looking at screens and start examining its own core values. It’s time for one final, dramatic confrontation to close the story – for Sidney's sake, and for ours. A disheartening break from what made the series special, substituting cinematic tension for digital tricks and bargain-basement villains. Neve Campbell is a bright spot, but even she can’t rescue a script that treats established characters like disposable marketing tools. Final Grade: C- (2.5/5 Stars)

Source on TMDB