Scream 7 (English) Review {2.0/5} & Review Rating
Star Cast: Neve Campbell, Isabel May
Director: Kevin Williamson
Scream 7 Movie Review Synopsis:
SCREAM 7 is the story of a mother trying to protect her daughter. Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) lives in Pine Grove, Indiana, with her husband, police officer Mark Evans (Joel McHale), and daughter Tatum (Isabel May). She runs a coffee shop and tries to move away from her traumatic past. She is overprotective about Tatum, causing friction in the mother-daughter relationship. One day, during a college play rehearsal, a masked man dressed as Ghostface unleashes terror and murders Tatum’s classmates, Hannah (McKenna Grace) and Aaron. Around the same time, Sidney receives a chilling call from a stranger who threatens her family. To her shock, the caller video-calls her — and resembles Stu Macher, who tried to kill Sidney nearly 30 years ago and was presumed dead. Meanwhile, the internet is abuzz with conspiracy theories claiming that Stu never actually died. Fearing for their safety, Sidney, Tatum and Mark decide to leave town. But Ghostface, who has been hiding in their attic, attacks them before they can escape. Soon, Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox), along with Mindy (Jasmin Savoy Brown) and Chad (Mason Gooding), arrives in Pine Grove, escalating the chaos further. What happens next forms the rest of the film.
Scream 7 Movie Story Review:
James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick's story is in sync with the series. Kevin Williamson and Guy Busick's screenplay has its share of scary moments, but also falters in a few scenes. The dialogues are clever and the meta references and self-aware humour add to the fun.
Kevin Williamson's direction is fair. He has been involved with the past films of the series as writer and producer and this is the first time he's directing a SCREAM film. He manages to induce fear in certain scenes and keep the viewers on the edge of their seats. Also, the mother-daughter angle works fairly well, contributing to the emotional quotient. The film begins on a horrifying note and it continues with the twin murders in the college. The scene where Ghostface attacks Sidney and her family and the sequence thereafter add to the fun. The pre-climax is nail-biting.
On the flipside, the suspense and the reason for the killer to commit the murders are childish; one wonders how the finale even got approved. As it happened in the previous films of the series, the goings-on often get illogical, taking away the charm of the genuinely well-executed scenes. It is baffling that the cops are nowhere to be found during the killing spree during the curfew. Sidney doesn't call the police and they don't even arrive after an alarm goes off in a shop. Lastly, though the SCREAM series is huge, there's barely any patronage in India.
Scream 7 Movie Review Performances:
Neve Campbell’s return will be loved by the fans. Performance-wise, she’s lovely as always. Isabel May looks pretty and delivers a confident and worthy performance. Joel McHale lends able support. Courteney Cox shines yet again. Jasmin Savoy Brown and Mason Gooding do well, as expected. Asa Germann (Lucas; neighbour) and Anna Camp (Lucas' mother) leave a mark. Sam Rechner (Ben; Tatum's boyfriend), Celeste O'Connor (Chloe; Tatum's friend), Mark Consuelos (Robbie; TV host) and Ethan Embry (Marco; mental health institution employee) do well in small roles. Jimmy Tatro (Scott) and Michelle Randolph (Madison), who appear in cameos, set the mood for the film.
Scream 7 movie music and other technical aspects:
Marco Beltrami's music is in sync with the film's theme. Ramsey Nickell's cinematography adds to the tension. John Collins' production design and Leigh Leverett's costumes are appropriate. Jim Page's editing is sharp.
Scream 7 Movie Review Conclusion:
On the whole, SCREAM 7 has its share of nail-biting and genuinely scary moments. However, the underwhelming climax and illogical developments dilute the overall impact. While the franchise enjoys a massive global fan base, it has never found strong patronage among Indian audiences. As a result, just like the previous instalment, this film too is likely to struggle at the box office despite minimal competition.