Scary Movie: ‘Scream 7’ doesn’t have same sharp edge, critics and local review note
Early reactions to Scream 7 are mixed, with some critics calling it a return to form and others arguing the franchise has lost the cleverness that marked the original — a familiar scary movie debate. Reviewers praise Neve Campbell’s return while faulting writing, direction and a heavier tilt toward gore and trope-driven plotting.
Local take from Bakersfield
In Bakersfield, Calif., a critical assessment argues that what Kevin Williamson packed into the original 1996 script has been drained away like the blood of the endless slashed bodies in the franchise. That local review says where once Scream poked fun at horror tropes, the series with Scream 7 has become a spoof of the tales of Ghostface.
Sidney Prescott’s family and setup
The new film briefly starts in Woodsboro with peripheral carnage, then shows what Sidney Prescott, played by Neve Campbell, has been doing while others faced the wrath of various Ghostfaces in recent entries. The review notes Sidney is happily married to the police chief, played by Joel McHale, in her new hometown and that the couple are raising three children. The two youngest children are written out by staying with their grandmother, while their teenager Tatum, played by Isabel May, spends the film griping about limited freedom and dodging murderous knife swipes from Ghostface.
Direction, writing and production choices
Critics note Kevin Williamson co-wrote and directed Scream 7 alongside co-writer Guy Busick, and that Williamson had not written a script for the franchise since Scream 4 and had never previously directed any of the Scream films. One local critic judged his direction uninspired and prone to telegraphing big moments, saying it feels more like the work of “a person unfamiliar with the film series history than someone who gave birth to it. ” The same review asks rhetorically, “Is anyone shocked anymore to see what happens when a person backs out onto a city street?”
Scary Movie tone and gore
Multiple reviews highlighted an increased focus on obvious deaths and a festival of gore. The Bakersfield critique calls out sequences where a pointed object in a room clearly signals a kill, and argues Williamson takes murders from mayhem to torture, leaning on buckets of blood to hide weaknesses. The film is also criticized for heavy leaning into AI and for implausible police behavior: one scene allows a tossed person to set off a store alarm while police fail to respond, yet other sequences show the police arriving en masse like a small army.
Return of Campbell and casting shifts
Reviewers and critics agree Neve Campbell’s return as the murder magnet Sidney is a major flash from the past and a centerpiece of the film’s nostalgia. The local review notes Campbell’s return replaces the presence of Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega, who starred in the previous two pictures, a change said to disrupt franchise flow—compared in the review to making the next Halloween with Syndney Sweeney instead of Jamie Lee Curtis. The local piece also warns that additional details would slip into spoilers.
Early critics’ verdicts and praise
Christopher Campbell wrote on February 26, 2026 that with the franchise’s 30th anniversary approaching, Scream 7 heads to theaters this weekend and that the first reviews have arrived online with mixed appreciation. Several critics delivered short verdicts: Kristy Puchko called it a return to form and added that the sequel also “makes terrific departures from the franchise’s weakest points” while saying it may be “damn close” to the best in the series. Peter Gray said Scream 7 “proves sturdier than expected, ” praised the intergenerational dynamic and said the mother-daughter relationship provides emotional grounding amid the bloodshed, also calling the tone one of the campier entries. Pete Hammond wrote that it was worth the wait for Williamson to finally steer the ship and said fans will approve. Anthony O’Connor called it “far more engaging than any seventh film in a horror franchise has any right to be. ”
Other critics were less forgiving. Grant Watson labeled it entertaining but not unmissable. William Bibbiani wrote that if you skip Scream 7 you are not missing the best film in the franchise and added that “almost every scene is about how important Sidney Prescott is, ” calling the film an apology to Neve Campbell. Owen Gleiberman summarized the result as Williamson having gone back to basics but delivering something ultimately basic. Manuel São Bento called it a disappointing sequel, Gregory Nussen said the film will be a waste of time for franchise fans, and Taylor Williams described it as an exercise in what those films are lacking: horror filmmaking fundamentals.
Franchise rules and a key reveal
The Bakersfield review objects to a major deviation from a long-established franchise rule that the killer or killers behind the mask are always someone the main character knows—friend, family member or similar. The review states there is a major deviation in this film with the identity of Ghostface. It adds that the reveal does play fair and that who was behind the surprise unmasking “was obvious way before the” unclear in the provided context.
Overall, reviewers are split between praising Neve Campbell’s return and fresh kills, and criticizing pacing, plotting and a reliance on gore and familiar tropes. The film’s mix of nostalgia and new choices has produced a divided early critical response as Scream 7 opens this weekend.
