Back in 2026 the slasher sub-genre got a jolt of fresh energy in the form of Wes Craven’s “Scream”. Horror fans immediately responded to the movie’s overt meta treatment that embraced the long-standing slasher clichés both within the film and in the filmmaking. In many ways it revitalized the genre and inspired a new wave of imitators. “Scream” immediately spawned a well-done sequel followed by two considerably lesser films.

Then in 2022 the franchise was revived with the lazily titled “Scream” (again) and then “Scream VI” one year later. This latest era has attempted to blend the nostalgic pull of the older films with its own fresh new spin. But they mostly just give lip service to the superior original film. And neither the new storylines nor the new characters could escape the scripts’ numerous lapses in logic and overall absurdity.

Still, the last two movies made good money at the box office which all but insured a seventh Scream. But pre-production was halted after star Melissa Barrera made incendiary comments which the studio deemed to be antisemitic. The controversy that followed led to the departure of director Christopher Landon and co-star Jenna Ortega. It drove a small segment of online fans to call for a boycott. Meanwhile a considerably smaller and shamelessly inconsiderate group started a campaign to spoil the film’s ending online.

With all of that aside, here’s the good news. Once you move past the ongoing drama, “Scream 7” is an entertaining return to form…of sorts. It takes a very back-to-the-basics approach which works both for the movie and in some regards against it (more on that in a second). A big reason it clicks is not only the return of the original star Neve Campbell, but also the return of Kevin Williamson, the screenwriter of the franchise’s first and best films. He not only co-writes the “Screen 7” script, but this time he also directs.

After declining to return to “Scream VI” due to a pay dispute, Campbell is back as Sidney Prescott. She has made a new life for herself in Pine Grove, Indiana. She’s married to the local police chief, Mark (Joel McHale) and together they have a 17-year-old daughter named Tatum (Isabel May). She has even opened her own coffee shop. She has done everything she can to distance herself from her traumatic past. But Sidney’s efforts have driven a wedge between her and Tatum who has grown frustrated with her evasive mother.

But of course Sidney’s life is turned upside down with the return of Ghostface, a mysterious killer sporting a popular Halloween costume and a voice changer who has a new identity in each film. This time the killing starts at the Macher house, the place of the first film’s murders which has been turned into some kind of museum/Airbnb. Shortly after, Sidney gets a call from Ghostface claiming to be a familiar face from her past. At first she dismisses it as a shameless joke. But when the killer begins targeting Tatum and her friends, Sidney’s mother bear instincts kick into gear.

The story that follows sticks close to the classic slasher formula, and its simplicity turns out to be one of its strengths. Die-hard fans of the popular horror sub-genre will get exactly what they’re looking for from screaming teens to buckets of blood. The same goes for devoted fans of the Scream franchise. Williamson soaks his sequel in fun nostalgia and cool callbacks with the best being the return of Sidney Prescott herself. Those wanting something dramatically different or coming at it with an ax to grind will most likely leave disappointed.

The mother-daughter dynamic is a nice addition and it gives the story heart. Campbell gives her best performance of the series while May is a nice new addition. Meanwhile the supporting cast features a slew of fresh faces and old favorites, some of whom fare much better than others. Unfortunately, much like the previous two films, “Scream 7” ends with a thud. The big reveal doesn’t leave any real impact and it feels plucked out of nowhere. It’s a disappointing payoff.

Still “Scream 7” is a nice return to form for a long-running film series that needed to be reminded of what made it popular. It’s hardly groundbreaking and it’s yet another entry that fumbles its finish. But it nails the basics, from its gloriously gory kills to its classic killer and all-star final girl. For most fans that will be more than enough to remind them of why these movies still have a following some thirty years since its Genesis.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS