“Scream 7”'s First Mixed Reviews All Agree on Neve Campbell's 'Indispensable' Return as Sidney Prescott

Tommy McArdleThu, February 26, 2026 at 3:22 PM UTC

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Neve Campbell in Scream 7Credit: Jessica Miglio/Paramount Pictures -

Scream 7 received mixed reviews from critics, who largely praised Neve Campbell's performance in the movie but criticized its plot

Matthew Lillard, David Arquette, Courteney Cox, Mason Gooding, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Joel McHale, Scott Foley, Anna Camp and Mark Consuelos also appear in the movie

Scream 7 is in theaters Friday, Feb. 27

The first reviews for Scream 7 are slashing their way through the internet.

Neve Campbell reprises her long-running role as Sidney Prescott in the latest Scream installment, in theaters Friday, Feb. 27. After film critics began to see the movie for the first time on Wednesday, Feb. 25, a mixed set of reviews began to trickle out

Mashable entertainment editor Kristy Puchko wrote in her review of the movie that Scream 7 is "a return to form" for the franchise in some ways, given Campbell's return to the lead role after she notably did not take part in 2023's Scream VI.

"Between the comic relief of the Meeks-Martin twins, Lillard's irrepressible energy, and the kinetic crew of new teens (including McKenna Grace, Asa Germann, Celeste O'Connor, and Sam Rechner), there's a levity that makes this movie wildly and unapologetically fun," Puck wrote. "This frivolity contrasts all the more sharply with the intense kill scenes, making their stabs hit home all the harder."

Deadline's chief film critic Pete Hammond wrote that Kevin Williamson, who created the Scream movies and directs an entry in the franchise for the first time with Scream 7, "is the right guy for the job" after seeing the film. "Campbell is indispensable here and a solid actor who never overplays the terror but comes loaded for bear when her daughter inherits the curse of Ghostface," he wrote. "[Isabel] May, coming from the Jennifer Lawrence school of acting, could not be better in taking on the family business, so to speak, but still needing mom to close the deal."

Courteney Cox in Scream 7Credit: Jessica Miglio

Not all reviews were positive, though. The Hollywood Reporter critic Franck Scheck wrote that the "mechanics of the series have become so numbingly familiar that the films have the stale feel of Pink Floyd cover bands" in Scream's latest movie. "The overfamiliarity would be more palatable if the dialogue were as fresh and funny as it was in the early installments, or if the kills were more creatively staged," Scheck added. "But there’s a rote quality to the proceedings that makes Scream 7 feel like a slog despite its high body count and copious gore. The supporting players, particularly the younger ones, lack the flair of their predecessors, with Campbell and Cox picking up the slack to fine but unsurprising effect."

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MovieWeb's Eric Goldman wrote in a review that Scream 7 "is the one that feels the most like it's going through the motions, by far." "Campbell continues to make Sidney a very compelling, relatable heroine and May is also easy to invest in as a daughter who’s frustrated that her mom never gives her more personal insight into the infamous events that defined her," Goldman wrote, adding elsewhere in his review, "Scream 7 gets the job done, but that’s about it."

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Ghostface in Scream 7Credit: Paramount Pictures

Variety critic Owen Glieberman, meanwhile, wrote that the movie "has enough shocks and yocks to keep the product churning and the audience, at least for a weekend, turning out." "Williamson has gone back to basics, but the result is a Scream' sequel that, while it nods in the direction of being seductively convoluted, is really just…basic," he added.

The movie also stars Matthew Lillard, David Arquette, Courteney Cox, Mason Gooding, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Joel McHale, Scott Foley, Anna Camp, Mark Consuelos, Ethan Embry, Asa Germann, Mckenna Grace, Celeste O'Connor, Sam Rechner, Michelle Randolph and Jimmy Tatro.

"When a new Ghostface killer emerges in the quiet town where Sidney Prescott has built a new life, her darkest fears are realized as her daughter (Isabel May) becomes the next target," an official synopsis reads. "Determined to protect her family, Sidney must face the horrors of her past to put an end to the bloodshed once and for all."

Scream 7 is in theaters Feb. 27.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”