The Mosley Review: Scream 7
With any iconic franchise that has continued to return over time, there are so many questions to ask when tackling a new installment. For the horror genre, the questions are same. Will the body count be higher? Who is gonna return or make a surprise appearance? Who are the suspects? Who will die? How will they will die and how elaborate or gruesome are the kills? But the real question that needs to have a rock solid answer when writing a new chapter is the hardest question. Why? Why are returning yet again to a franchise that seemingly had a good finale? I asked that question every time a new Scream film is announced and so far they have come up with great answers and solid films even with the third entry being the weakest. Now comes a new chapter that answers the previous questions, but shows that there was no purposeful reason why a new film should exist. I’m not gonna say that I didn't have fun, but it was at the expense of a very nostalgia driven story that retreads almost every plot line of the franchise. That was almost as disappointing as the final sequence of the film that truly was like a wet fart in the elevator. I hate to say it, but this was truly the first time in this beloved franchise that I actually felt bad after seeing it.
Neve Campbell returns as the our favorite horror icon, Sydney Prescott-Evans. I love that she is still the strong and capable lead that we've seen evolve over the years. Now married with a daughter of her own, she faces a new challenge, motherhood. When the real carnage begins, she goes straight into hero mode and she never stops. My only complaint is that after all the years of psychos coming after her, you'd think she would've had a lot more self defense and weapons training. Joel McHale joins the franchise as Sidney's husband, Mark Evans, and he was just as charming and cool. Their relationship was genuine and felt the good chemistry between them. I loved that he was just as tough as Sidney and trusted her when the things got crazy. Isabel May was good and bratty as their teenage daughter, Tatum Evans. The expected angst and cutting language between mother and daughter was typical and almost straight out of a CW teen drama. I liked that there was a bond that had to be created between them and it was cliche by the end, but it doesn't mean it wasn't sort of fun. Courteney Cox returns as our favorite unrelenting reporter, Gale Weathers. She is just as brash and strong willed to be the first to any Ghostface killings. That adrenaline rush she gets when covering these stories is still present, but I did love that there was particular moment of humanity as we check in with her mental state after the events of the past 2 films. The 30 year running quest Gale has for Sidney finally pays off and it was as brutal and mean as you'd expect. Jasmin Savoy Brown and Mason Gooding return as Randy's niece and nephew dynamic duo Mindy and Chad Meeks-Martin. Their fun chemisrty and comedic timing is ever present as they continue to play the detectives. Mckenna Grace and Celeste O'Connor join the franchise as Tatum's friends Hannah Thurman and Chloe Parker and they're both fun and round out the trio of friends. Asa Germann was the perfect amount of obviously weird as Lucas Bowden. Just like everyone today, his obsession with the Woodsboro murders drives him. Anna Camp was great as his mom, Jessica. She was that perfect nosey neighbor you'd find in the small town they all live in. Matthew Lillard returns as Stu Macher and he was having the time of his life reprising the character in a new and relevant way.
The franchise composer Marco Beltrami returns and delivers his iconic intensity to horror. The original themes return and where they're placed was fantastic. From the moment Sidney sees a new dead teen, her theme and resolve is enhanced by his powerful use of the drums. The brilliance of this franchise has always been its ability to stay current and make fun of the current state of film and/or society and that continues here. I'm trying not to spoil it, but the main topic that is sweeping the world now is addressed and it sort of kills the momentum out of the story. There are honestly too many "Do remember that from this sequel?" or "Do remember this jacket?". It almost drowned the film completely from making its own staple in the franchise. All of that should've burned away like the metaphoric opening tried to emphasize, but it never followed through. There's one kill in particular that pays off a running saying of Ghostface, but the rest weren't as inventive or as brutal as I'd hoped. One of the victims truly got off way too easy in my opinion with an accidental death. The finale itself was so lackluster and I found myself so disappointed by the reveal of the killer. Overall, I didn't hate this new entry, but I didn't love it. I would say its on the lower half of my ranking of the franchise for sure. Let me know what you thought of the film or my review in the comments below. Thanks for reading!
