A Disappointing Return For The Franchise

As someone who usually enjoys the Scream franchise, I went into Scream 7 genuinely excited to watch it. The Scream movies are known for shocking Ghostface reveals, stomach-turning motives, and a near-perfect mix of horror and comedy. I wasn’t expecting a perfect film, but I did expect something that at least felt like the other Scream entries. Instead, I walked out feeling disappointed and, honestly, a little annoyed, because everything that usually makes the franchise fun didn’t land for me in this movie. 

Stu Machers return?

Before Scream 7 came out, a lot of fans, including me, were hype about the idea that the original Ghostface, Stu Macher, might finally be coming back. Theories started spreading online, and Stu even appeared on the cast list, which made a lot of other people, me included, think he would return, especially because Scream is a franchise that loves twists.

I went in expecting a big, shocking reveal—something that would tie back to the original movie and reward its fans—but instead, what we got were AI videos.

Throughout the movie, Stu does show up, but only in AI video form, no real in-person return, no major twist involving him being alive, and nothing that felt as big as the buildup I had in my head. I spent the whole movie waiting for someone tied back to the original Scream, other than Sidney, to walk through the door, but they never did, which left a pretty empty feeling. Technically, yes, they “included” him, but to me it mostly felt like a tease.

Kills That Deliver on Horror

After I got over the disappointment of Stu only being an AI face in the movie, I had to admit that it still had some really strong horror moments. The kills were extremely gory, even for this franchise that usually leans into comedy. The kills lived up to what I was expecting. If you’re only watching Scream 7 just to see brutal kills, then this is a good movie to watch. 

In my personal opinion, the best kill was the opening scene. Stu Macher’s house from the original Scream movie being set on fire as the first kill was wild. It grabbed my attention and made me think, “If the rest of the kills are going to be like this, then it can be a great movie.” That opening scene really set my expectations high, especially because it took such a creative approach and was so intense. It was a very bold choice, but a good one as well. 

The kills in this movie are the reason it’s hard for me to say Scream 7 is a bad movie overall. The setup of certain scenes, especially the opening, is really strong, and it works both visually and technically. Scream 7 also has a great atmosphere, and the way Ghostface moves through scenes felt very satisfying to watch. So while I was unhappy with the Stu situation and the Ghostface reveal, I can’t say there aren’t parts of this movie that are genuinely good. 

The Characters That Keep The Film From Being Bad

The characters in this movie also helped keep it from falling completely apart. Seeing Sidney come back was something I really loved because she’s the heart of the franchise, and every time she’s on screen, it feels like the original Scream again. A big thing that made this movie even more special was how she finally talked about her best friend, Tatum, from the original film. In the first Scream movie, Tatum passed away in a garage door accident, but before she died, she was a really memorable and funny character. So when I watched Scream 7 and found out that Sidney named her daughter Tatum, it created a real emotional moment and showed that Tatum still matters to her. 

Another thing that kept me interested was seeing Sidney and Gale back together as the duo they’ve become over the years. Their relationship changed a lot throughout the franchise, especially in the beginning. It went from Sidney punching Gale all the time to Sidney trusting her. Whenever Sidney and Gale share scenes, it reminds me why I like these movies in the first place. The energy that they give on screen, their history, and the way they work together to understand Ghostface add a lot of weight to the Scream franchise. Even some of the newer characters felt pretty likable, which made it even more frustrating to not fully like the movie. 

Final Verdict

Overall, Scream 7 left me with really mixed feelings. On one hand, it has an amazing opening kill and gory, intense deaths that fit the franchise really well. The return of Sidney and Gale gave the movie an emotional weight that I appreciated. 

On the other hand, the way Stu Macher was handled—especially with the AI videos instead of a real comeback—and the disappointing Ghostface reveal kept the movie from becoming what it could have been. For me, Scream has always been more than just blood and kills; it’s also about the clever motives and the plot twists. As a fan of the Scream franchise, I wouldn’t call this a bad movie, but I also wouldn’t call it an outstanding one.