The Reelist

Tag: horror

  • “Scream 7” review

    “Scream 7” review

    The Scream franchise has long been a favorite of mine. Ever since I saw the original, I was hooked, and I’ve watched every movie in the franchise multiple times. When I saw that Neve Campbell’s Sidney Prescott was coming back as the lead after taking a backseat in Scream (2022), and being entirely absent from Scream 6, I was very interested. Combine that with Kevin Williamson, the writer of the original Scream, along with sequels Scream 2 and Scream 4, returning to the franchise to direct, I thought there was a chance for something special here. Unfortunately, that ended up not being the case. Scream 7 ultimately feels like a pointless entry into a series that has probably gone on for too long at this point. 

    After the fifth Scream installment in 2022, there seemed to have been a passing of the torch. New directors Matt-Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett took over for the late Wes Craven, and the series seemed to have a new lead girl in the form of Melissa Barrera’s Sam Carpenter. After some creative differences and controversies, Scream 7 shifted its attention back to Sidney Prescott. Set approximately two years after the events of Scream 6, the film follows Sidney in Pine Grove, Indiana, where she has settled down with her husband Mark, who is the sheriff, and her daughter, Tatum. Life is good until Sidney gets a call from Ghostface, who begins targeting her and her daughter.

    Neve Campbell returns as Sidney Prescott

    My main issue with this film is that it’s ultimately pretty pointless. After Scream 4, Sidney’s story felt complete. Bringing in a fresh set of characters in 5 with a new story to tell was a great move and injected some life into the franchise. I can’t help but think that the filmmakers took a step back by going back to Sidney. It’s nothing against Neve Campbell either, she’s fine in the movie. It’s just that there isn’t much of a story to tell with Sidney anymore. Ghostface’s motives in this film basically proves that. The motives don’t make much sense and feel kind of ridiculous. There wasn’t a good enough reason to return to Sidney, therefore, Ghostface’s motives aren’t good enough either. 

    There are also some things in this film that simply don’t make any sense. Without going into much detail to avoid spoilers, there are some situations involving AI that really cause the viewer to have to suspend their disbeliefs. I get that it’s a movie, but at some point it does get a bit ridiculous. There are also some events and decisions by characters that either feel out of place or completely illogical. This franchise has always had these issues to an extent due to its meta nature and being in the confines of the horror genre, but this one really pushes its limits. 

    Scream 7 isn’t all bad, however. It is well-paced and never seems to drag. It is consistently interesting and kept me guessing about the identity of Ghostface. I also liked how the film used AI throughout its plot to keep viewers thinking about what’s real and isn’t real. It certainly added to the ‘whodunnit’ nature of the plot, even if its juggling of ideas regarding AI push the boundaries of believability. 

    All in all, Scream 7 feels like a step back for the franchise. There is some good here, but not nearly enough to outweigh the bad and continue the momentum set by the previous two films. It’s frustrating because, while the quality of this film isn’t very good, it will do well at the box office, so there will inevitably be another sequel. And unless the creative team gets overhauled, expect more of the same. 

    Rating: 2/5

  • “Primate” review

    “Primate” review

    I managed to attend a screening of director Johannes Roberts’ new horror film, Primate, at the Philadelphia Film Festival on Saturday, October 25th. The synopsis sounded interesting and I thought there could potentially be something here, not to mention it’s a good time of the year to watch a horror flick. Unfortunately, Primate squanders its potential with a tonally inconsistent script, despite solid visual effects and a suspenseful atmosphere. 

    Primate centers around a girl named Lucy who is traveling back home for vacation with a few friends, just as her father is leaving for a business trip. It is revealed early on that the family has a pet chimpanzee named Ben, who, unbeknownst to them, becomes infected with rabies around the time Lucy arrives back home. The infection turns Ben into a crazy, murderous beast as he hunts down the group one by one. 

    Johnny Sequoyah as Lucy

    There are some things that this film does well. The opening scene is effective and chilling enough to set the tone for the events that follow. The film also has a condensed atmosphere that adds to the tension. The smaller scale helps keep the audience on edge because the threat of Ben is lurking at every corner. The visual effects and CGI are well-done, especially when it comes to the gore that is quite plentiful throughout. 

    My main issue with the film is that it is tonally inconsistent. It tries to blend some comedic elements into the horror, so what ends up happening is that the film is neither truly scary nor funny. The filmmaker’s main focus seems to be horror, but the horror is never fully achieved due to this weird mix. Sure, there are some moments, but the moments don’t add up to a complete experience. This movie, like many others in the horror genre, also suffers from some really dumb writing, as in the characters making several dumb decisions. It would be easy to overlook it if there were one or maybe two instances, but there are several throughout. Many other horror films have this problem, but that doesn’t excuse this one. 

    This is a frustrating film in some ways. It’s not that it’s not interesting or entertaining. At a brisk 89 minutes, it’s paced pretty well and never feels dull or uninteresting. It’s mainly that it’s not quite sure what it wants to be and never fully leans in one direction. It turns out that Primate doesn’t have much bite after all. 

    Rating: 2.5/5

  • “I Know What You Did Last Summer” (2025) review

    “I Know What You Did Last Summer” (2025) review

    I must admit, I admired the original I Know What You Did Last Summer. It had that late 90s charm to it while also being effectively creepy. The sequel, I Still Know What You Did Last Summer, wasn’t quite as good but still worked well enough. And we don’t talk about the third movie. Almost 30 years later and there’s a new installment in the franchise, with the same exact title as the original. It’s following the trend of “legacy sequels” that have been releasing in the horror genre over the past decade or so. So, does this movie represent a return to form for the franchise? Sadly, the answer is no. 

    I Know What You Did Last Summer, directed by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson, follows a group of five young adult friends – Danica, Ava, Milo, Teddy, and Stevie – on July 4th weekend. While hanging out on the side of a road to catch a view of the fireworks, Teddy’s antics cause a pickup truck to swerve and crash. Frantically deciding whether to call the police or disappear and act like it never happened, the friends choose the latter. The film fast forwards a year later when Danica receives an ominous note at her bridal shower containing the words “I know what you did last summer”, setting the stage for the ensuing murder spree by a person dressed in fisherman gear. It’s a very similar premise to the original, with minor differences here and there. 

    Like many horror movies that are part of franchises these days, the film brings back legacy characters from previous installments, namely ex- husband and wife Ray Bronson and Julie James, played by Freddie Prinze Jr. and Jennifer Love Hewitt, respectively. Although it’s a welcome sight to see these characters back, it feels more like nostalgia bait, as they’re not given much to do other than offer small pieces of advice here and there. The inclusion of these legacy characters opens up the possibility of exploring themes such as trauma and its lasting effects, but the film only briefly touches on it. 

    When talking about horror movies, the main question that tends to be asked is, is the movie scary? Well, not really. Granted, the original wasn’t known to be an all-time scare fest, but at least at the time it had an original plot, and it had its moments, whether it was jump scares or tension built through suspense. In this movie, there’s just not much there, not even any of the usual cheap jump scares. It’s also not very interesting past the initial setup when Danica receives the ominous note.  It’s often too chatty, especially towards the end, which is where the film ultimately falls apart. From characters making questionable choices, to a weird plot twist involving the killer reveal that feels out of place, the movie fails to stick its landing. 

    In the end, I walked away from this movie feeling disappointed and wondering why it was even made. It doesn’t bring anything new to the table, and I think that’s partly why it’s so uninteresting and pointless. Other horror franchises like Halloween, Scream, and Final Destination breathed new life into their respective franchises with recent entries, so why couldn’t this one follow in their steps? Maybe some things should stay buried in the past after all. 

    Rating: 2/5