Scream 7 - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray

From the start of Scream 7, director Kevin Williamson emphatically declares this is his Scream movie, a fresh start and pivot for the venerable slasher franchise. And this new era of Ghostface opens in Stu Macher's house, which has been renovated into a morbid true-crime Airbnb with chalk outlines on the floor and an animatronic Ghostface in the corner. As the knife-wielding killer dispatches an unsuspecting couple and triumphantly walks away from the burning house, we almost believe the director is taking audiences into uncharted, blood-soaked territory and is not just another nostalgia cash grab. 

But then, almost immediately, the movie settles into a familiar rhythm as Tatum (Isabel May) is visited by her boyfriend Ben (Sam Rechner) at night in her bedroom to knowingly re-enact the iconic bedroom sequence of the 1996 original. Feeling as though designed to both comfort and disarm viewers, the entire opening is a mix of announcing a new direction while simultaneously drawing on what has come before it, setting up Tatum as the new "Final Girl" fending off a relentless killer.

Beyond the nostalgia factor, the opening also hints at something more ambitious. With the Stu Macher house redesigned as a for-profit murder museum, Williamson seems to be commenting on our collective morbid fascination with true crime, the toxic nature of fandom and our fascination with real-life traumas. Although making a new suburban life for herself, Sidney (Neve Campbell) is surrounded by reminders of her traumatic past, from Tatum's friends Lucas (Asa Germann) and Scott (Jimmy Tatro), teens fixated with the Woodsboro murders and the Stab movies, to coffee shop customers recognizing her. 

Then, there's the AI deepfake used by the killer as a blatant MacGuffin to divert and confuse our would-be heroes. Unfortunately, Williamson lays out these meaty, tantalizing breadcrumbs to suggest a deeper dive into the commodification of trauma and turning real suffering into spectacle, but he never really commits to exploring these weighty themes in any meaningful way. The result is a movie that exists between being an entertaining improvement over its predecessor and a hollow sequel that culminates in a nonsensical and somewhat disappointing conclusion that squanders its potential.

Tragically, the characters and casting also reflect this larger desire for nostalgia while pushing for something new. Campbell's return as the OG survivor Sidney is a genuine highlight, and she does much of the legwork, a woman who rebuilt herself as a small business owner but struggles with not transmitting her trauma to her kids, particularly Tatum. Not surprisingly, her efforts are unsuccessful, which Williamson repeatedly makes clear, making it subsequently feel more perfunctory than a compelling arc. As written, Tatum is mildly interesting but displays typical YA horror tropes, a moody and impulsive teen who is perpetually one bad decision away from fatality. Lacking any established strengths signaling her capabilities against Ghostface, her potential to carry the franchise slowly grows into a flickering ember rather than a blazing fire. 

Reprising her role as intrepid reporter Gale Weathers, Courtney Cox isn't given much to do but trigger warm feelings, largely relegated to a nostalgia-infused cameo. The same can be said for the fleeting appearances of Matthew Lillard, David Arquette and Laurie Metcalf, designed mainly to elicit cheers, like well-intentioned but ultimately underutilized fan service. The biggest head-scratcher is Joel McHale as Sydney's husband Mark, a cop without any real discernible purpose except fodder. Essentially, this is a cast lineup banking on past glories, not future potential.

And finally, the supposed shock reveal at the end is ultimately where it all falls apart, another Scooby-Doo unveiling of a person with a parasocial obsession with Sidney. However, the reveal comes out of nowhere, and the motivation is flimsy nonsense, more of a forcefully contrived twist without any organic build-up. On paper, it is a pointed critique of the true-crime-celebrity-worship theme. But the execution lands like a conveniently constructed red herring solely designed for Williamson's metacommentary on the fandom that lauded and lambasted the previous two movies, almost like a direct jab addressing online conversations and vitriol surrounding his franchise. It honestly feels like trying a little too hard but sacrificing cohesion for a wink and a nod.

Nevertheless, in spite of all its failures and drawbacks, Scream 7 is an entertaining enough ride and a perfectly serviceable late-entry sequel. Or at the very least, it is far better than it has any right to be, coasting largely on its self-aware nostalgia and a compelling enough mystery. But when the mask finally comes off, the movie flounders and fails to finish on a strong note because Williamson clearly came back to the series with something to say but never fully commits to it. It may start with announcing a new beginning for the franchise while still in love with what came before it, but it ultimately leaves fans with more of a sense of déjà vu rather than genuine satisfaction.

Vital Disc Stats: The Ultra HD Blu-ray
Following the biggest box office haul in franchise history, lucky number Scream 7 stabs its way onto 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray from Paramount, which also includes a digital copy in Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos. The dual-layered UHD66 disc sits comfortably opposite a region-free BD50 copy of the movie. Both are housed inside a standard black keepcase with a glossy slipcover. At startup, the disc loads to a static menu screen with the usual options along the bottom and music playing in the background.

The seventh chapter in the saga debuts on Ultra HD with an outstanding video, coming straight from a 4K digital intermediate. The freshly-minted, native 4K transfer arrives with a spot-on contrast balance, showering the picture with clean, brilliant whites and crisp, radiant specular highlights that allow for better clarity within the hottest spots. With much of the movie taking place at night and inside low-lit interiors, pristine black levels deliver rich, stygian shadows without crushing the finer details within the darkest corners, providing the 2.39:1 image with great dimensionality and a lovely cinematic appeal. The Dolby Vision HDR presentation also showcases a richly-saturated palette, bathing the visuals in warm yellows, animated reds, fiery oranges and steely blues, and highly revealing facial complexions appear healthy and lifelike. Overall, the HEVC H.265 encode boasts sharp, distinct details, from the stitching and fabric of costumes to the fine lines of furniture, buildings and streets. However, there are several instances of mild aliasing along the sharpest edges of the background and some very mild, negligible posterization in the distance of a couple daylight exteriors. (Dolby Vision HDR Video Rating: 94/100)

Sydney returns to home theaters with a stellar, reference-quality Dolby Atmos soundtrack, immersing viewers in this world of demented horror and true-crime fanatics. Imaging is continuously busy with lots of activity filling the background and seamlessly moving across the three front channels and top heights, creating a highly engaging and spacious half-dome soundstage. Several other atmospherics, some more understated than others, flawlessly pan into the surrounds and overhead, generating an enveloping hemispheric soundfield that is sustained throughout. The midrange is remarkably extensive and dynamic while maintaining superb clarity and distinction during the most chaotic and bombastic moments. This is complemented by a robust and authoritative low-end that sometimes reaches into the lower depths, supplying the visuals with an excellent sense of presence and weight. All the while, dialogue is always prioritized and precise, never drowned out by the loudest action sequences, making this an outstanding object-based mix. (Dolby Atmos Audio Rating: 98/100)

Taking a stab at the bonus features, Scream 7 comes in with a respectable but not expansive assortment. The Making-Of is a nice 20-minute piece; it can be a little EPK Talking Head at times, but with all personalities involved, we do glean some interesting nuggets. The brief featurettes are a bit meatier and on point, looking at the design of the film, but also the intense stuntwork and kills. After that, there's a collection of five minutes of deleted scenes that are more like extensions than whole new pieces, likely trimmed for time and pace rather than what they would have added to the feature. 

4K UHD / Blu-ray

• Scar Tissue: The Making of Scream 7 (HD 21:49)
• Building Tension: Production Design (HD 8:13)
• Dance of Death: Stunts (HD 6:27)
• Ice Nine Kills Presents "Twisting the Knife" Music Video (HD 3:27)
• Deleted Scenes (HD 5:09 Total)
• Scott is Ghostface
• Chloe and Lucas Connect
• Tatum and Ben Say Goodbye
• Jessica and Sidney Chat
• Tatum and Ben Leave Bar
• Chad and Mindy

In spite of its failures and drawbacks, most of which are arguably personal gripes, Kevin Williamson's Scream 7 is an entertaining enough ride and a perfectly serviceable late-entry sequel, mainly coasting on self-aware nostalgia, a compelling enough mystery and the return of Neve Campbell as the now-iconic Sidney. However, when the mask finally comes off, the movie flounders and fails to finish on a strong note or fully commit to any of its thematic ideas. Coming from Paramount, the horror sequel debuts on 4K Ultra HD with an outstanding Dolby Vision HDR presentation and a stellar, reference-quality Dolby Atmos soundtrack. With a decent selection of supplements to enjoy, the overall UHD package is a Highly Recommended addition to the collection.

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