‘Scream 7’ Review: Neve Campbell Returns for a Back-to-Basics Sequel That’s a Little Too Basic
#Scream 7 #Neve Campbell #Ghostface #horror sequel #Owen Gleiberman review #Sidney Prescott #horror franchise #back-to-basics
📌 Key Takeaways
- Neve Campbell returns as Sidney Prescott in 'Scream 7'
- The film is described as back-to-basics but too basic
- A key scene features Sidney and her daughter evading Ghostface in their home
- The review questions the franchise's continued relevance
- The film attempts to stay clever but falls short of expectations
📖 Full Retelling
Film critic Owen Gleiberman published his review of 'Scream 7' on February 26, 2026, at 6:00am PT, analyzing the latest installment in the horror franchise where Neve Campbell returns as Sidney Prescott in a back-to-basics sequel that struggles to find its footing amid the familiar homicidal pursuit by Ghostface. The review describes the film as having enough shocks and humor to keep audiences entertained for a weekend but ultimately finding it too basic despite attempts at complexity. Williamson has returned to the franchise fundamentals, but the result is a sequel that merely nods at being convoluted without delivering true depth. The article specifically highlights a scene where Sidney Prescott and her teenage daughter Tatum (Isabel May) attempt to evade Ghostface in their home, crawling along a catwalk behind the living-room wall while the killer stabs from the other side before they escape to the street where the antagonist is hit by a car driven by an old friend. This sequence exemplifies the film's approach of trying to lead the audience while simultaneously lagging behind their expectations. The review questions whether the franchise still has relevance in today's horror landscape, asking 'Does anyone even care anymore who Ghostface is?' and suggesting that while the film attempts to stay clever and ahead of audience expectations, it ultimately falls short, feeling both too predictable and not clever enough to justify another installment.
🏷️ Themes
Horror franchise, Film criticism, Sequel analysis
📚 Related People & Topics
Neve Campbell
Canadian actress (born 1973)
Neve Adrianne Campbell (; born October 3, 1973) is a Canadian actress. Having amassed several credits and accolades over three decades, Campbell emerged as a scream queen in the late 1990s for starring in horror films. She has also appeared in Canadian and American television, blockbusters and indep...
Sidney Prescott
Fictional character in the Scream franchise
Sidney Prescott is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the Scream franchise. The character was created by Kevin Williamson and is portrayed by Canadian actress Neve Campbell. She first appeared in Scream (1996), followed by four sequels: Scream 2 (1997), Scream 3 (2000), Scream 4 (2011...
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Feb 26, 2026 6:00am PT ‘Scream 7’ Review: Neve Campbell Returns for a Back-to-Basics Sequel That’s a Little Too Basic The trauma of Sidney Prescott is once again front and center in a thriller that makes you ask: Does anyone even care anymore who Ghostface is? By Owen Gleiberman Plus Icon Owen Gleiberman Chief Film Critic @OwenGleiberman Latest ‘Midwinter Break’ Review: Lesley Manville and Ciarán Hinds in a Touching Wee Drama of Late-in-Life Marital Crisis 2 days ago Remembering Tom Noonan, Whose Performance in ‘Manhunter’ Is the Greatest Portrayal of a Psycho Killer in Movie History 5 days ago ‘I Can Only Imagine 2’ Review: Now That He’s a Christian Rock Star, Bart Millard Has More Problems Than Ever. But Is He Only Imagining Them? 6 days ago See All The “Scream” movies, at their best, are delectable booby-trapped entertainments, and part of that is how cleverly they stay a step ahead of us. But there’s a moment in “ Scream 7 ” that typifies the sensation this new movie gives you: that it’s leading the audience and lagging behind it at the same time. We’re watching a homicidal pursuit through the home of Sidney Prescott ( Neve Campbell ), who is not only back but once again the central character (let’s call her the Final Girl as Mom). Sidney and her teenage daughter, Tatum (Isabel May), a kind of Final Girl in Training, are attempting to elude the blade of Ghostface. There’s a good bit where they inch along a catwalk behind the living-room wall, with Ghostface stabbing it from the other side. He misses, and they wind up on the street outside, where the killer gets smashed by a car that comes barreling out of nowhere (the driver, in fact, turns out to be an old friend). Related Stories Formula 1 Podcast 'Up to Speed' Gets in Gear With Hosts Will Buxton, Naomi Schiff, David Coulthard and Jolie Sharpe
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