It’s been three years since we last checked in with one of the best horror franchises, and it definitely hasn’t been an easy road. Scream 7 lost Jenna Ortega and Melissa Barrera as the Carpenter sisters, changed directors and experienced filming delays. But at long last, here we are, with Neve Campbell making her triumphant return to the Scream franchise. Critics saw the flick ahead of its February 27 release, so let’s see what they’re saying about it.
Sidney Prescott will once again be at the forefront of all the stabby action when Scream 7 premieres on the 2026 movie calendar, but she’s far from the only familiar face we’ll see. In addition to Courteney Cox, Mason Gooding, Jasmin Savoy Brown and others reprising their roles, we’ll get the return of previous Ghostface killers Matthew Lillard and Scott Foley, as well as plenty of new characters. Pete Hammond of Deadline celebrates Kevin Williamson’s direction, saying the horror movie is “wickedly entertaining and sweetly nostalgic.” The critic writes:
Judging from the results [Williamson] is the right guy for the job. After all who knows this material better than this guy, and with a fun script that takes nothing seriously, Scream 7 should be just the ticket to get fans psyched for the further adventures of Sidney Prescott and company. … It may have taken 30 years for Williamson to finally get to steer his own ship, but with Scream 7 it proves well worth the wait. Fans will approve.
Other critics, however, are less than enthusiastic about the upcoming horror movie. Rating the film 3 stars out of 5, NME’s Lou Thomas says Scream 7 is still worth the watch with its references, looping circumstances and tricks. However, when it comes to franchise’s seventh movies — like Wes Craven’s New Nightmare, which was basically a Scream forerunner — this film isn’t anywhere near as noteworthy. Thomas continues:
Anyone hoping for something as revolutionary as what Craven served up in New Nightmare is liable to be slightly disappointed. Six had the New York setting, five had strong savagery and shocks, this one, in contrast, does have surprises but they are quite tame by Scream standards. A smattering of inventive kills, for sure, the ever-reliable Courtney Cox [sic] in the fray as Gale Weathers, yes. But as for the several things some would probably call ‘spoilers’? None are that exciting.
Owen Gleiberman of Variety says Scream 7 gets back to the basics — emphasis on “basic” — as he wonders if anyone even cares who Ghostface is? The critic points out that the movie largely drops the franchise’s signature meta commentary, explaining:
What he’s done instead is to return the series to its ‘roots’ in a straightforward, analog, Jamie Lee Curtis-in-the-rebooted-Halloween-franchise sort of way. Scream 7 has enough shocks and yocks to keep the product churning and the audience, at least for a weekend, turning out. Williamson has gone back to basics, but the result is a Scream sequel that, while it nods in the direction of being seductively convoluted, is really just…basic.
William Bibbiani of The Wrap also says Kevin Williamson seems desperate to get back to the basics, as if the previous two “pretty darn good” movies had whiffed it. It ends up feeling like more of a feature-length celebration of (and apology to) Neve Campbell in what the critic says is a competent but uninspired sequel. Bibbiani writes:
It’s not that Scream 7 is a bad Scream movie. There are no bad Scream movies. Even the worst one is kind of alright, and this is the worst one. It just never seems like there was a story that needed to be told, or a point that needed to be made. There’s hardly even a horror trend to explore, let alone explode. Maybe the next one should be about what happens when horror franchises spin their wheels. The filmmakers could watch Scream 7 for research.
Frank Scheck of THR says to put a knife in this franchise, because it’s done — if not commercially than definitely creatively. The mechanics of the franchise have become “numbingly familiar,” and regardless of who ends up behind the Ghostface mask (or if the trailers give any hints), it’s a letdown. Scheck continues:
The overfamiliarity would be more palatable if the dialogue were as fresh and funny as it was in the early installments, or if the kills were more creatively staged. But there’s a rote quality to the proceedings that makes Scream 7 feel like a slog despite its high body count and copious gore. The supporting players, particularly the younger ones, lack the flair of their predecessors, with Campbell and Cox picking up the slack to fine but unsurprising effect.
While the critics aren’t jumping to call the seventh Scream film the best of the bunch, even many of those who have complaints are still saying the movie’s worth seeing — especially if you’ve already invested in the first six. If you’re pumped about Scream 7’s mix of legacy characters and new cast members, you can check this one out starting Friday, February 27.
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