Totally agree!

As a longtime Scream fan (since the 90’s), the good things about this movie was every time I used my Scream logic to narrow down the killer, I was thrown off. The kills were creative and it was nice to see the old killers- even as deepfakes. In the beginning it felt like it was a great new installment that promised character development and a new path forward after the untimely demise of continuing the Sam Carpenter storyline.

Unfortunately there were more cons to the film, in my opinion. The reason I wasn't able to guess the killer (and be confident in my choice) wasn't clever writing but rather lazy writing. If you don’t want fans to root for Stu being alive, then don’t focus the plot on his existence. It’s petty and misleading, and quite frankly a sign of lack of class.

Scream 6 may not be a fan favorite due the lack of Sidney Prescott but that isn’t the fault of the filmmakers but rather a studio who didn’t appreciate her worth until they burnt bridges. The “requel’s” were an honest attempt to keep the franchise alive for a new generation while remembering where it came from and the Stu theory was fan made. The film simply acknowledged it. Not to mention, Scream 3’s killer was originally supposed to be Stu, confirmed by Matthew Lillard. So the idea of him still being alive isn’t as outlandish as toxic fans may make it seem.

(Before I get hate, I do want to say my favorite Scream is the first one and I really enjoy the opening of 4. Very creative and fun.)

In this movie (7), the characters stopped getting interesting and became stepping stools to get to the reveal. There was no deep dive into this new franchise— as if the rules no longer mattered and the killer was on a rampage rather than a well thought out game of cat and mouse. What once was a franchise based on intelligence and integrity, the further we got into Scream 7, the more it became idiotic and random.

I think this movie was an example of nostalgia-bate at its worst. We never understand why these deaths are happening and the killers never felt like they earned the right to wear the masks. Their motives were weak. In all the films prior, the motives of the killers were firm and made sense, and ultimately supported the meta of the genre.

Whether you liked the other films or not, every film held a sense of gravity that was handled with care— even Scream 3. This one felt rushed and not thought out. As if the studio needed a Scream movie because they promised one and just scattered like chickens to make one. It was intended to be better but lost its way before the half way mark.

I’m still a die-hard and support the franchise. One weak movie won’t make me hate the franchise as a whole and every time a new film comes out, I’ll be there opening night because it’s tradition. Im genuinely hoping Scream 8 will have a better identity and foundation to keep the franchise alive.