Settling into my seat, popcorn purchased, jaw clenched and my friends beside me as emotional support, I mentally prepare myself to jump in my seat and scream — hopefully louder than the title — as “Scream 7” begins to play on the screen of the Cinemark Theater.
And scream, I did. Although I was entertained, the film felt mediocre and worn out as the seventh in the franchise.
“Scream 7” begins with a horror movie junkie and his unimpressed girlfriend checking into a house that previously belonged to Stuart “Stu” Macher, a killer from the original Scream movie.
Stu’s house has been converted into a gruesome tourist trap museum, designed to showcase the numerous murders from previous Scream movies. While in Macher’s old house, the iconic killer, Ghostface, murders both characters, and burns the house to the ground.
While this opening scene was entertaining and set the mood for the movie, it does not correlate whatsoever to the rest of the plot that follows ‘scream queen’ Sydney Prescott and her daughter, Tatum.
Prescott is once again the focus of a mysterious killer connected to her past, dubbed “Ghostface,” but this time the killer focuses on Sydney’s daughter and her friends as a way to get to her.
There were multiple bloody casualties of innocent people throughout the movie, and almost every death involved a jump scare or two that had me clutching my pearls and my popcorn. These bits of horror were well done, but the overall movie came off more as a mystery than a horror. “Scream 7” was less of a horror movie and more “Scooby Doo” with graphic and creative murders in a search to reveal Ghostface’s identity.
As a horror movie fanatic, I expected to be disappointed in the mystery of the film pulling my attention away from the frights. I came for scares, not another whodunnit. However, by the end of the movie, I had to admit waiting for the reveal of the killer kept me on the edge of my seat and engaged in the movie.
I had no idea who the real killer was, and I couldn’t help but turn each suspect over in my mind, looking for the right one.
When Ghostface was finally revealed, I felt more disappointment than shock. It was like opening a present and expecting a new phone, but getting socks instead. I had no problems with who the killer was; I lust wanted more than something plain and boring. I was craving more background and character development from the killer, but instead, their epic reveal felt rushed.
Despite all that, I found the majority of the movie leading up to the reveal of the killer surprisingly satisfying to watch because, unlike most horror movies, the characters in this movie actually tried to fight back. Instead of letting themselves get easily killed by Ghostface, they reached for sharp objects and threw punches that made me want to sign up for self-defense classes myself.
Also, the parallels between this movie and previous Scream movies made up for the lack of depth. There were multiple repeated outfits, lines and scenarios that added nuance and seemed to polish some of the rougher areas in the movie. It made the franchise feel cohesive and like all the viewers were in on some sort of inside joke with every reference they catch.
I found the movie an entertaining watch filled with pockets of unsuspecting humor and good scares, but I definitely won’t be paying to rent it when it comes out on streaming services.