Remember when the first trailer for Scream 7 came out a few months ago, and how it had Matthew Lillard at the end? Everyone was talking about how he might be coming back as Stu Macher, despite audiences seeing his head crushed by a TV in the first film. Apparently there have been fan theories for years that Stu was alive, and given how mega the films are, it felt like they were playing into that. In hindsight, though, I think that teasing audiences that Stu was alive was a red flag for Scream 7. Because having to bring one of the OG antagonists back from the dead is a sign that the studio doesn’t have faith in the story.
Scream 7 Was in Trouble Before it Even Started
So, right off the bat, Scream 7 was already plagued with controversy. It was supposed to be the third act in the story of Sam Carpenter, Billy Loomis’ secret child and who Spyglass and Paramount had set up to take over for Sydney Prescott. But then they fired her for speaking out against the war in Gaza, and her co-star Jenna quit in protest. So they had no choice but to bring Neve Campbell back as Sydney Prescott Evans, with Jenna’s role taken over by Isabel May as Tatum Evans, Sydney’s eldest daughter.
I love Neve Campbell as Sydney and think she’s one of the best final girls in film history. But while I like seeing her again, I can’t help but feel like bringing her back is the studio trying to profit off nostalgia bait. As tough as Sydney is, a life of being hunted by serial killers and losing loved ones has left its emotional scars. They are on full display in her relationship with her daughter throughout the film. And, again, this is Scream 7 leaning on its meta storytelling, because we saw Laurie Strode explore how trauma effects a final girl in the Halloween reboot trilogy.
I was Distracted by Courtney Cox’s Botox Treatment
It’s never easy growing up in the shadow of a famous parent, and the film shows how Sydney’s life has been a tough subject for both of them. A real sore subject is the fact that Sydney named her daughter Tatum. This was Sydney honoring her best friend, but to everyone else, it’s a reminder of how OG Tatum was a victim of Ghostface. And it doesn’t help that the film has Tatum oscillate between not wanting anything to do with her mom’s legacy and stressing about she’s not as badass as her. Make up your mind, Scream 7!
Still, at least Sydney and Tatum got to develop their relationship and had something to do with the plot. Courtney Cox returns as Gale Weathers again and gets one badass scene, but that’s it. She has no further relevance to the plot. It’s like they only brought her back for the sake of it. And even then, I was distracted by the obvious botox that Courtney got.
And we cannot forget the character that is at the center of the entire franchise, Ghostface. And more importantly, the return of Matthew Lillard.
They Brought Matt Lillard Back…But What About Stu?
Next to Courtney Cox, I’d say the actor from the original Scream who’s done the best for themselves is Matthew Lillard. He’s gone on to play Shaggy in live action and voice him in animation, and he’s gotten praise for playing Springtrap in the FNAF films. Bringing him back for Scream 7 was the film’s major selling point, but it also had to settle the debate: was Stu Macher actually dead? Well, I’m not going to tell you guys. Why? Two reasons. Firstly, it would ruin the fun. Secondly, because no matter what answer I give there would be backlash.
Don’t get me wrong: revealing that Stu was alive all this time is a fun idea. However, it also requires a thorough suspension of disbelief because there are a lot of plot holes that it raises. How could Stu survive getting crushed and electrocuted by a TV? Remember, they were big and heavy back in the 90s! And if he was alive, wouldn’t that have been brought up in subsequent films? That’s a pretty lazy retcon! Also, be honest: do you think that Stu could stay in hiding for 30 years. Thanks to the books and movies, everyone would know who he was. If he were alive, he would be on the FBI’s most wanted list.
The film keeps us guessing about whether Stu is alive or not for most of its run-time, and to its credit, it does a great job of messing with the characters and the audience. It even manages to use AI in an effective fashion by bringing up how it makes it easy to fake being someone else. I know I give it a lot of flak, but this is one instance where I feel like it works to the story’s advantage. And it looks like Matt was having fun reprising his breakout role. Even if he has to take a backseat to Ghostface itself.
Lamest Ghostface Pair Yet…But Cool Kills
Speaking of which, while I cannot tell you if Stu is really back or not, I can say this about our Ghostface pair this time: they suck. And I dont mean they suck because they’re serial killers going around murdering people. I mean that their character and motivations suck. In the past, Ghostface has always been someone tied to their main target and someone who gets talked into doing it for some dumb reason. But it feels like this time our main pair is doing it for the flimsiest, most cringe-inducing reasons imaginable. I think I audibly groaned when I heard about their motivations on-screen at the climax! It’s like the movie isn’t even trying!
If it sounds like I’m calling this movie trash, then I apologize. Even when it’s at its worst storytelling, the Scream movies are still pretty entertaining to watch. Mostly because of how creative the kills can get, and Scream 7 has some of the most creative kills in the franchise. Onscreen disembowlement, shoving a victim’s head through an ice machine. It looks fake as they come, but the shock value is enough to make me love it. Plus, I liked calling out whenever a character is about to do something stupid that will get them killed. I lost track of how many times I called out “run, b****, run!” It’s just entertaining for me!
So, is Scream 7 trash? You could say that it is, but that’s not for lack of effort. Spyglass and Paramount shot themselves in the foot by firing Melissa, and it shows. But to be fair, I’ve never really seen the Scream movies as that scary. I watch it for the meta stuff. And it was fun to see Matthew Lillard come back. But I think it’s time to either end the movies or let the next generation take the reins. And that means that they need to make up with Melissa.
Well, at least we have Scary Movie coming back.
