How many movies does it take for a franchise to lose its original charm? For Scream, it’s not seven. A lot of movie series make one too many movies even when the sequels keep dropping off in quality. But the Scream franchise now has seven movies, and I haven’t been disappointed by a single one. Through the use of a few recurring characters, and lots of callbacks to earlier movies, Scream 7 utilizes nostalgia to preserve the original appeal of the series alive.

Still, Scream 7 is not stuck in the past. It has a very modern horror feel due to the characters’ use of tech like AI and live cameras. There’s also plenty of new characters, creative deaths, and in true Scream fashion, a shocking ghostface reveal during the final fight scene. What makes the movie so great is that even after six others, it hasn’t gotten predictable. You never know who’s going to get the call next, who’s trustworthy, or who is really dead.

This movie had some of the most shocking death scenes of the franchise. A good slasher will have your heart beating fast and this one certainly delivered. Some scenes might have you covering your eyes, but for true fans of the slasher genre, Scream 7 does not disappoint. 

The franchise has always succeeded in using characters who are hyper-aware of their situation to increase realism and fear factor for the viewer. Scream 7 especially does a great job of building tension by comparing its characters and killers to those of both previous years and its own fictional movie series, “Stab”.

Of course, the tension and the realism can only be sold so well due to the movie’s great actors. It has an impressive cast, including returning cast members Neve Campbell and Courtney Cox playing their beloved characters Sydney Prescott and Gale Weathers, respectively. In terms of newly introduced characters, Scream 7 is stacked with big actors like Mckenna Grace, Isabel May, and Anna Camp. Anna Camp in particular does some amazing acting in her role as Jessica. She showed such depth of skill while playing one of the killers.

As a Scream fan, I can confidently say that Scream 7 lives up to the franchise’s name. I loved the callbacks to the early movies and the parallels between Sydney and her daughter, Tatum. This movie will surely keep you on the edge of your seat, disturb you, and shock you. It’s absolutely worth the watch for all horror fans!