On February 27, 2026, the seventh installment in the Scream franchise released in theatres in the US. The film brought back Neve Campbell as Sidney Prescott, the main character of the original Scream, and Courtney Cox also returned as news reporter Gale Weathers.
Fans were especially excited about the return of Matthew Lilliard, who played one of the original Ghostface killers, Stu Macher. Leading up to release, there was plenty of speculation surrounding Lilliard’s role in Scream 7.
Movies in the Scream franchise are known for hitting a few key points: the opening sequence, the cast of characters (usually a friend group), the deaths, and of course the Ghostface killer reveal. These four categories are how the success of Scream 7 will be measured.
The movie opens with a young couple arriving at the Macher house from the first film, which has been turned into an AirBNB for fans of the in-universe film franchise, Stab. While clearly hoping to target the audience’s nostalgia with this scene, the opening itself isn’t bad. It’s predictable, sure, but it’s still fun. No problems there.
As for the characters, there are certainly strong points and weak ones. Scream 7 centers around Sidney Prescott’s daughter, Tatum (named after Sidney’s best friend from the original). Tatum herself is a solid character, though she falls a bit into the classic teenager stereotype. Her friends, however, are a bit forgettable. There’s Hannah and Chloe, two of Tatum’s best friends. Then there’s Lucas, the weird-kid in the friend group who’s obsessed with the Woodsboro murders. And, of course, Tatum’s boyfriend Ben. Most of these characters get killed off relatively close together, and are replaced pretty quickly by Mindy and Chad, assistants to Gale Weathers. This is actually one of the weaker ensembles from the Scream franchise, none of Tatum’s friends are particularly compelling, and Ben is an unabashed rehashing of Billy Loomis.
At least the deaths in this installment are thrilling and gory. Lucas’s death in particular was the kind of thing that audiences’ want from these movies. Hannah’s death scene is also a standout, though some fans have expressed that it felt out of place in a Scream film.
Lastly, the biggest disappointment from Scream 7: the killer reveal. By the time this scene comes up in the movie, most viewers will have already figured out who the killers are. If not, they’ll at least know that Stu Macher has not actually returned from the dead. If he had, maybe this ending would be a little bit more exciting. Though we won’t say who’s really donning the Ghostface mask this time, we can reveal that the twist is best described as “meh.”
Scream 7 is a harmless movie. There’s nothing to hate about it, it just wasn’t spectacular. It could still be a fun watch, but it’s nothing special. The Pomegranate rates it 2.5/5 pomegranate seeds.
