If there’s a franchise that refuses to die, ironically, it’s Scream 7. And the big question surrounding the new chapter is: can you still feel scared or are we just watching another game of references? The answer is: it depends on what you expect.
Since the classic Scream, created by Wes Craven, the saga has always been about metalanguage. It wasn’t just terror, it was terror about terror. In Scream 7, this awareness remains sharp, but now combines the classic ingredients of slashers with current language, such as the culture of hype, true crime and the spectacularization of violence.
In the new film in the franchise, the script is smart when it laughs at itselfeven mentioning some previous films that weren’t that good, and also when he pokes at the franchise itself and makes jokes about subjects more than the acting. It’s a slasher that doesn’t pretend to be anything else and that’s a great success.
Speaking of success, the The film takes great care in classic jump scare sequences and bloody deaths and manages to mix it with good humor. There are at least two scenes that deliver that breathless feeling, without leaving behind the atmosphere of terror. The direction understands the rhythm, alternates uncomfortable silence with brutal explosions of violence and maintains the signature of one of the most successful franchises in cinema.
But there is a problem: the constant feeling of déjà-vu.
The franchise has always played with its own formulas, but here the line between new and nostalgia works, especially with the return of classic actors, such as Neve Campbell and Matthew Lillard.
One of the most interesting points is the clash between characters from the new generation and the shadows of the past. The film understands that “Scream” doesn’t just live on nostalgia, it lives on generational conflict. And it works.
When it focuses on its most recent protagonists, the film gains energy, freshness and even a certain unpredictability.
No spoilers. But it can be said that the revelation divides opinions.
The motivation is consistent with the discourse that the film constructs, however, perhaps it lacks that “absolute shock” factor that marked previous revelations. Still, the execution of the final scene delivers impact, especially due to the thematic weight, not just the surprise.
If you love the franchise, you’ll leave the cinema with that knowing smile of someone who understands the inside joke.
If you’re expecting total reinvention, you might think the film plays it too safe.
Scream 7 doesn’t reinvent the slasher, but it also doesn’t let the flame go out. He understands that the true terror of the franchise was never just the Ghostface mask, it is the affection that the public develops for the characters that cross generations and a touch of good humor.
The film opens this Thursday in theaters.
