There's so much to discuss!!!!
Last night, I had the pleasure of seeing 'Scream 7' during an early preview screening. As a lifelong fan of this franchise, I was VERY excited to reunite with my beloved Sidney Prescot (now Evans) and Gale Weathers.
Now, before I get into a full review, there are a few things I want to say.
1. FUCK SPYGLASS - We all know what the studio did to Melissa Barrera, and it's reprehensible. Taking a stand on genocide should never get someone fired from their job, but that's exactly what happened. Melissa carried the franchise on her back in 5 & 6, and the studio is disgusting for their actions. Jenna Ortega not returning, standing in solidarity with Melissa, is absolutely commendable.
Saying all of that, there is a boycott of the film from those against Spyglass. And I commend all of those doing so. I have been a fan of this franchise since its inception, and I won't apologize for wanting to see the film.
2. There is plenty wrong with this 7th installment, and I'll dive into all of my thoughts regarding those issues. This film is nowhere near perfect. However, it's a hell of a lot of fun, the kills are GNARLY, and there are still things that worked.
Let's dive into the film and I'll share my thoughts.
Of course:
SPOILERS BELOW
PROS:
1. Neve Campbell - Shifting focus back to our OG queen Sidney also brought out a franchise best performance from Neve Campbell. Having these attacks focused on her daughter Tatum, husband Mark and new friends was exactly what needed to be done. Neve was locked in from beginning to end, and I truly believe this was her best performance in the series. The intensity was there, something that was missing in 'Scream 4' and 'Scream 5. This brought me back to the original trilogy.
2. Opening Sequence - As you can see from the trailer, Ghostface does in fact 'burn it all down' as the tagline suggested.
Attacking a young couple in the Stu Macher house, which is now an airbnb/museum honoring the original season 1 killer, director Kevin Williamson's sharp script comes back to life. The nostalgia, easter eggs, and kills are great and I was hoping would set the tone for the rest of the movie.
3. Isabel May - This is how you introduce a new leading lady!!! '1883' star Isabel May can now call herself a scream queen. Tatum comes to life in this movie, sharing quick quips with Neve, her fight scenes, and ultimately the ending. I was tapped into her the moment her and Neve shared their first scene together.
4. Attack in Sidney's House - The first time we see Mama Bear Sidney get attacked at home with Tatum and husband Mark is a lot of fun. The wall chase sequence (in the trailer) is very well done, as is watching Sidney go into full protective mode.
5. The Kills - Kevin Williamson truly said "there will be blood", because the kills were absolutely brutal in the best way possible. The theatre sequence, the bar fight, all VERY well executed.
CONS
1. Gale Weathers - As someone who created the character of Gale, it really appeared as though Kevin Williamson had no idea how to utilize the brilliant Courteney Cox. Yes, her introduction into this film is pretty damn badass, but what happens afterwards fizzles out. The interview segment with Sidney could have been this highly iconic moment of the franchise, but it felt rushed and pointless in the long run. And having Gale completely MIA in the 3rd act (AGAIN) just pissed me off. Courteney deserved more.
2. New Characters - With the older films, we fell in love with characters due to screentime, interactions with legacy characters, and iconic chase scenes/deaths. Think Hallie in 'Scream 2'.
Unfortunately, this new crop of characters are not memorable at all and I found myself struggling to care during moments of chase/struggle. They weren't built up enough for me to care, and don't get me started on how criminally underused Mckenna Grace was as Hannah. That girl is a STAR and she seemed like a throwaway character.
3. Chad/Mindy - Having the twins in this film without Sam and Tara felt absolutely pointless. This is why I was never excited for them to be on board, following Melissa and Jenna's exits. Acting as new hires for Gale was very silly. You could have easily thrown in random actors/characters to portray staff of Gale's and it would have worked fine. Splitting up the core four just didn't make sense for me.
4. The Reveals
Okay, so this is obviously very HEAVY spoiler section, so beware.
The first reveal of the random Ghostface that Gale/Chad/Mindy take out was very cleverly done by Williamson, although the follow up needed more. The finale reveals lacked what this film needed.
Anna Camp and (to a lesser degree) Ethan Embry give it their all during the big reveal at the end, as Jessica and her accomplice show themselves to Sidney and Tatum. Everyone knew that Anna would give us complete unhinged and she absolutely delivered. Unfortunately, the motive was paper thin and weak. Ethan almost seemed like an afterthought with how quickly Sidney disposes of him.
Yes, I enjoyed Anna's batshit crazy Jessica but unfortunately the ending as a whole fell flat.
5. AI
Stu Macher is dead.
D E A D.
Playing with current tropes, Williamson dives into deepfake AI technology in this film resulting in many former characters making returns. As is hyped in the trailer, yes Matthew Lillard is back and hearing him in full Stu mode was a lot of fun. Unfortunately it just doesn't fully land. There are other cameos that I'll leave out of here.
In conclusion, did I love this movie?
No.
Did I hate this movie?
Absolutely not.
I'm thinking currently, I'm landing around a 3/5 but maybe a rewatch could change that. Neve Campbell is a legit force in this movie and I couldn't be happier that she's back. I just really wish Courteney was utilized better. I had faith Kevin would, but he let me down.
Tell me what you guys think of the movie when you see it!!!!
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