Centenary Students Share Thoughts on Scream 7

*Spoilers for Scream 7 ahead*

One of the biggest icons in the horror genre has returned to the big screen in a movie that has caused a rift across the Centenary campus! This comes in the form of none other than Scream 7, the seventh installment in a franchise which has been a mainstay of the horror genre for 30 years now. Ever since its beginning in 1996, Scream has cemented itself as one of the most popular and revisited names in the entire genre, with each installment exploring the impact of scary movies by balancing out high thrills with meta humor. 

The series’s core plot focuses on a woman named Sidney Prescott, who finds herself in frequent traumatizing encounters with Ghostface – a mysterious figure donning a white mask and black robe – who torments her and her associates through phone calls before killing them. In each film, she must find out who the person behind the call is from a group of suspicious individuals, and take them down. This new installment keeps that story intact, but with an added layer of personal stakes, as the film introduces Prescott’s family and makes them the primary target of Ghostface’s attacks.

This installment was released on the big screen just in time to celebrate the franchise’s new milestone: 30 years of scares. Despite the negative press it received from critics, fans have been welcome to this new installment, resulting in it making $64 million in its first three days of release alone. Many students of Centenary University have expressed enthusiasm for this film, even members of the Cyclone Chronicle team! But now that the film is out in theaters nationwide, including at the local Cinépolis Luxury Cinemas Mansfield, it raises one key question: what do Centenary students have to say about this film? 

Executive managing editor Tanner Sullivan – who wrote his own review of the movie – attended a screening with three additional Cyclone Chronicle writers: Carlee Nigro, Nick Storms, and Sami Swayze. Simultaneously, other members of the editorial staff attended showings of the film as hype continued to build around it. 

“I’ve been a fan of Scream for years,” said staff writer CJ Bowker. “Seeing a new installment to the franchise [led to] pure excitement.”

The film began on a strong note for many of the attendees, including longtime fans of the franchise.

“I had high hopes for this movie,” said Swayze. “In the beginning, I found the film funny and enjoyable.”

“The movie was built up just as well as the others in the series,” said managing editor Elizabeth May. “It had promise and tension.”

Some students soloed out the film’s ensemble cast, which included series veterans – like Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, and Matthew Lillard – along with new suspects like Isabel May, Anna Camp, and Joel McHale. 

“Campbell’s performance as Sidney was fantastic,” said managing editor Carmella Vitel. “I love [her] and Lillard as actors.”

“I do love May as an actress,” said Swayze. “I believe she did a great job at playing Sidney’s daughter.”

“I liked seeing the new actors and actresses cast in the hottest movie of February,” said Storms.

Additionally, the movie’s technical aspects were highlighted, as they provided treats for the audience’s eyes and ears.

“The special effects, soundtrack, and sound design were awesome,” said Vitel. 

The soundtrack – which features songs from performers like Sueco, Jessie Murph, and Jon Toliver – saw further praise, even from students who hadn’t seen the movie. One track in particular, “Twisting the Knife” by Ice Nine Kills and Mckenna Grace – who also stars in the film – was soloed out.

“It was a perfect representation of the Scream franchise,” said junior Evan Flick when asked about the song. “The musical motifs and references made the song all the better. My favorite lyric is probably the second part of the chorus when it says, ‘honestly, I'm not afraid till it's me twisting the knife.’ That line is the best summary for the twists in Scream.” 

But even with these merits, the film could not escape the clutches of criticism. One of the areas that earned more of a mixed reception was the characters, with some enjoying the new suspects while others were not very thrilled.

“The characters were all very likeable and the plot was interesting,” said Nigro.

“It felt as though the side characters didn’t have as much thought put into them,” said May. “They were mostly forgettable without any fully developed personalities.”

But even with those caricature criticisms, the bulk of the film’s backlash came from the writing, including for viewers less familiar with the franchise. 

“I thought the plot was predictable, even as someone who has only seen the first movie,” said Vitel.

The script’s biggest surge of backlash came from the third act and final reveal of Ghostface’s true identity, which was widely considered the film’s fall from grace.

“I HATED the killers,” said Nigro. “Why would they make the killers people who we’ve only seen twice in the movie?”

“I found myself disliking the movie towards the end, especially when the killers were revealed,” said Swayze. “I found it didn’t make much sense, and there was a lot more potential for something better.”

“The reveal was a letdown and had me questioning who the killer even was,” said May.

Some viewers went into the movie expecting the return of Stu Macher – one of the original Ghostface killers from the first Scream – who is theorized to have survived that movie’s events. However, these speculations were ultimately not met by the movie, which threw off those anticipating his return.

“I came into this movie thinking that [Macher] would return as the primary killer of the movie,” said Bowker.  “My expectations were completely flipped on their head.”

Adding salt to this wound is the fact that Macher’s original actor, Lillard, reprised his role in this movie. But if he’s not the killer, how did they bring him back? The answer: by utilizing everyone’s favorite relevant plot point, artificial intelligence (AI), in the form of deepfake videos which are used to taunt the protagonists.

“I didn’t like how they made Stu AI,” said Nigro. “I feel like the movie would’ve been more interesting if he actually came back.”

“I was amazed by the entire film but was disappointed that Stu wasn’t truly behind the mask and cloak,” said Bowker.

With all of these factors in mind, it raises the question on if the movie is worth checking out. The final stances were varied, with the general consensus being that it has some merit, but also a number of flaws. Some individuals left the auditorium feeling a bit let down, especially by the climax.  

“I enjoyed the movie, but it wasn’t groundbreaking for me,” said Vitel.

“I didn’t hate the movie, but I was definitely disappointed by the ending,” said Swayze.

“I’d say this Scream is my least favorite of the franchise,” said May.

However, other students gave the film an overall positive response, even with their faults.

“Scream 7 was a huge success in my books!” said Nigro. “I really enjoyed all of the suspense and the kills, even though they were very gruesome.”

“The movie, in my opinion, was extraordinary,” said Storms. “It’s always a great experience to see [these movies] live.”

“All in all, a spectacular movie,” said Bowker. “I can’t wait to see what comes next.”

If you’re interested in checking this film out, you can find it in a multitude of theaters across the country, including at Route 57’s own Cinépolis Luxury Cinemas Mansfield. You can also check out Bowker’s recap of the fifth and sixth Scream films if you’d like to refresh your memory of the franchise’s formula and key events leading up to this new installment.

The Centenary campus has spoken! If you want to catch a new scary movie from one of the genre’s biggest names, don’t miss Scream 7 – in theaters now!