“Hello, Sidney. Did you miss me? Nice little town you found, you and your pretty daughter. Reminds me of where we grew up.”
Honestly, after the last film, in which the creators broke the tradition that the three O.G. characters (Sidney, Gale, and Dewey) always made it to the final credits, I thought was going to be the end for the franchise after all. Because if there was one thing I knew, which had held true for five films, was that those three were not to be touched. So when the powers that be made the decision to kill off David Arquette’s character (I know I shouldn’t be revealing spoilers; however, if you haven’t seen the previous film, you shouldn’t be reading a review for its sequel, so sorry not sorry), I was of the opinion that there was nowhere else for the story to go. Let’s revisit the previous killers from the previous films: Sidney’s boyfriend Billy and his sidekick Stu, Billy’s mom teamed up with a movie obsessed psychopath, Sidney’s secret half-brother, and Sidney’s cousin. For the sake of keeping this centered on the Neve Campbell’s contribution to the franchise, we won’t list the killers from the Carpenter-sisters-led films. Long story short, the killers tended to share some connection to Sidney. So where do we go from here? What’s left to do? I would have guessed nowhere. And apparently, I was wrong. However, I’m not too sure I liked where we ended up.
The film starts in the typical fashion, with Sydney having rebuilt her life for what seems to be the 100th time. This time we find her living in a small town in Indiana with her husband and daughter, who were hinted at in the previous film. However, unable to escape the past, she receives a phone call from another obsessed killer that is looking to try their luck on the franchise’s final girl. These details are done in a matter-of-fact sequence which has become a tried and proved method. To be fair, the film does attempt a fresh spin by offering a ghost from Sidney’s past as a likely culprit. I did find this deviation intriguing, as it did break up the monotony. I also enjoyed that the film dove more into Sidney’s home life, which the previous films have never really gotten into. While her husband is mentioned in the fifth film, this was the first opportunity we had to lay eyes on him. However, most of the emphasis is placed on Isabel May’s character, Tatum, named after Sidney’s best friend from the first film. Campbell still plays a pivotal role in the film, but I definitely detected the foundations of a possible passing of the torch.
These feelings were heightened during the killer reveal and the disclosing of their motivation as far as Tatum was concerned. It was an intriguing premise, but if I’m honest, it felt like a variation of this idea was explored already in a previous film, Scream 5 to be exact. So, while intriguing, it didn’t exactly feel groundbreaking.
The film does resurrect some characters in one fashion or another, including a fan favorite OG character along with several ghosts of Sidney’s past, which I have to reiterate have always been an important detail for the franchise. Usually the killer or killers share some sort of connection to Sidney. And while there is definitely a connection in this film, it was a weak one in my opinion. I will give points for the film keeping up with times and injecting modern cutting-edge technology as a way to explain certain character’s reemergence.
This film did have some notable achievements, however, such as this was first film in the series directed by Kevin Williamson, who wrote Scream, Scream 2, and Scream 4. Supposedly, Kevin Williamson convinced Neve Campbell to consider returning, and Neve Campbell convinced Kevin Williamson to direct it. In addition, with this film, the Scream franchise broke $1 billion at the global box office. Supposedly it was the sixth horror franchise to gross $1 billion worldwide, after Alien, Resident Evil, The Conjuring, It, and Saw. Joining the franchise are Isabel May (1883), Joel McHale (Community), Michelle Randolph (Landman), and the one I was most excited for, McKenna Grace, who is becoming quite the scream queen. Not to mention, with the this film, she has been attached to several popular franchises: Ghostbusters, Five Nights at Freddy’s, with her portrayals in Hunger Games and Scooby Doo to come later this year.
Video
Scream 7 is presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.39:1. The ultra-high-definition 2160p image is arrived at by an HEVC codec with an average bitrate of 65 mbps. The ultra-high-definition image presentation is drawn from a native 4K source and digital intermediate. The black levels and contrast get a pretty good bump from the Dolby Vision’s ability to provide nice deep and inky blacks while still allowing you to observe enough detail from the shadow definition. The bright white mask of Ghost Face in the dark offers a rather powerful ability to give us that kind of contrast depth. Colors in the daylight shots are pretty natural with nice fleshtones and, of course, a good bit of deep crimson for all of that blood. Detail is high, and it allows one to soak in the atmosphere of the production design. But I have to say it’s those whites against blacks that stand out for me every moment they are together on the screen.
Audio
The Dolby Atmos audio presentation defaults to 7.1. The soundfield changes drastically throughout. This film returns the franchise to those small town environments and away from the last film’s hectic New York locations. That gives you a rather close and intimate atmosphere where the surrounds become aggressive during the action scenes and provide for some sweet ear candy along the way without ever getting too busy. Dialog comes through, as do the score’s action highlights. You might call them stabs. Subs aren’t terribly heavy but add just a hint of depth to the entire soundscape.
Special Features
There’s a Blu-ray copy of the film included. The extras are found one on each disc.
Scar Tissue – The Making Of Scream 7: (21:49) The standard behind the scenes feature focuses on the fact that the franchise’s original writer/creator Williamson finally gets to direct a film in the franchise. The cast and crew give us their thoughts on that, while also providing clips of the other films, and give us a nice look at where this film fits with the rest. I was glad to see a lot of love shown for the late Wes Craven, who really brought it all to life back in the beginning.
Building Tension – Production Design: (8:13) Obviously, this is a brief look at the film’s production design. The focus is on the sets, and we are treated to some conceptual art. They rebuilt the outside of the original house on a set just to burn it down after just a few minutes on the screen.
Dance Of Death – Stunts: (6:22) There’s some continuity here, as the film’s stunt coordinator has been with the franchise from the beginning, working on most of them throughout the years. A huge look at the high school theater kill with McKenna Grace on the wires.
Music Video: (3:27) Ive Nine Kills and McKenna Grace deliver the film’s main song, Twisting The Knife. It’s got a very James Bond feel to it.
Final Thoughts:
It’s my understanding that a eighth film is already in development, but I find myself questioning the wisdom in that. I’m just not sure there is anywhere else to take the story. I heard there was a alternative ending to the film, which alluded that one of the killers of Sidney’s past had survived. That would be a interesting angle to pursue if I’m being honest, but it’s my understanding that the idea wasn’t well received by the test audience, so I’m guessing not many people share my opinion on that idea. At this point, I can really only see shock-value ending left: Sidney has to die, or she has to be the killer. And another Kevin Williamson-written franchise has already the latter idea with no success. But who knows, Scream has already succeeded where other franchises have failed. So why should this be any different?
Parts of this review were written by Gino Sassani
