If you told 1996 Kevin Williamson, the great deconstructionist, that he’d be writing and directing “Scream 7” 30 years later and it would be a generic character piece rather than an industry-skewering commentary, I bet he’d feel a little disappointed in himself. That’s how I feel, too … just a little disappointed that an entry with Williamson (back for the first time since 2011’s “Scream 4”) and Stu Macher actor Matthew Lillard (back for the first time since the O.G.) is so safely generic.
There are certain Rules … aren’t there?
Granted, all the “Scream” films and TV series are generic, but at their best they comment on slashers. “Scream VI” (2023) started to change that, and “Scream 7” locks it in: No more of a savvy character (originally Jamie Kennedy’s Randy, and recently Jasmin Savoy Brown’s Mindy) analyzing tropes to predict the events and culprit(s), highlighted by a mid-film presentation of The Rules of (Whatever Type of Film This Is).
Mindy timidly notes that as franchises go on, deceased characters tend to be resurrected – in this case it might be Stu, who is seemingly taunting Sidney (Neve Campbell) by phone and video. But Mindy’s brother, Chad (Mason Gooding), says “yeah, yeah, whatever” and shuts her down. Even though their tech-savvy friend has told them if it’s a fake, it’s a flawless one. Indeed, I detect more AI fakery in Courteney Cox’s face than Lillard’s.
“Scream 7” (2026)
Director: Kevin Williamson
Writers: Kevin Williamson (screenplay), Guy Busick (screenplay, story), James Vanderbilt (story)
Stars: Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, Isabel May
That’s the extent of “Scream 7’s” direct engagement with The Rules. (Ironically and unfortunately, the film continues its 2020s tradition wherein you can’t assume anyone in the immediate story is truly dead. They’ll likely be safely wheeled to an ambulance in the coda, or perhaps even up and about and laughing about their close call.)
Another Rule Williamson might’ve dug into is the soft reboot, like how in “Halloween H20” (1998) Laurie Strode suddenly has a teenage son. Here, Sidney suddenly has a family in Pine Grove (in Indiana, the web tells me). “Scream 7’s” main character is her 17-year-old daughter, Tatum (Isabel May).
Another Rule-that-Could’ve-Been is the addition of science fiction into long-in-the-tooth franchises. The perfection of the Stu deepfake (if it is a fake) points to that theme. So Williamson does include tropes, but he doesn’t exposit on them. Generally, this is admirable in screenwriting, but in “Scream” films we want the writer to show off.
Sid has to get vicious
Williamson instead centers “Scream 7” on the familiar theme of a mother passing her positive attributes to her daughter. Sidney has sheltered and protected Tatum, but now that the Ghostface threat is at their doorstep, she must make hard parenting decisions so Tatum can defend herself. The teen’s foil, appropriately, is the first film’s Tatum (Rose McGowan), who is crushed in a garage door and who many fans feel unusual sympathy for.
As a study of genetics and legacy, “Scream 7” is well-written. Williamson’s mystery plotting is also sturdy; it dodges the plot illogic that soured “Scream VI.” The motivation of the killer(s) fits with Sidney’s character arc and gives a twist to the O.G.’s concept of the killer(s) shaping reality into a storyline. I also like how these last couple films have been willing to unmask at least one Ghostface long before the conclusion, adding layers to the puzzle.
The pleasant surprise here is the direction. Previously, Williamson had only directed the indie-style “Teaching Mrs. Tingle” (1999), which I love, but not for directorial flair. It seems like he must’ve helmed an episode of “Dawson’s Creek,” but he never did.
“Scream 7’s” gore-eography is excellent, not seeming to come from a first-time slasher director. A highlight is when Tatum’s theater buddy Hannah (Mckenna Grace) is yanked all over the stage by suspension wires while Ghostface swipes his or her knife on each pass. An even more gore-ific showdown comes in a curfew-closed bar.
In measured fashion, Williamson proves he hasn’t lost his craftsmanship with age. He’ll reportedly be back for the next one, and it will likely also be solid. But I’m unconvinced he’s willing to take the extra daring step to make “Scream 8” great.