Scream 7 Ending Defined: Does Sidney Prescott Die?

This text accommodates huge spoilers for “Scream 7.” In case you wanna be stunned, Sidney, then look away!

Let’s get this out of the way in which: no, Sidney Prescott doesn’t die in “Scream 7.” As a matter of reality, a part of the movie’s meta-commentary appears to suggest {that a} “Scream” with out Sidney (as portrayed by Neve Campbell) is not actually “Scream” in any respect. Whereas it is actually true that Campbell and Sidney are integral components inside the franchise, this sentiment feels a bit too belittling of the prior two entries within the collection, which primarily featured a brand new set of protagonists dubbed the “Core 4.” Due to the firing of Melissa Barrera and the next exit of Jenna Ortega, solely two of these characters present up right here. There aren’t fairly sufficient legacy protagonists to take their place, both, as simply Sidney and Gale Weathers (Courtney Cox) stay. As such, Sidney merely can not die.

If that is true, can “Scream” itself die, and may it? That is the meta query co-writer/director Kevin Williamson makes an attempt to discover with “Scream 7,” whose Ghostface killers are revealed to be psychological establishment worker Marco (Ethan Embry) and Sidney’s neighbor, abuse survivor (and former psychological affected person) Jessica (Anna Camp). Williamson is continuous the thematic thread of insane, murderous followers of the “Stab” motion pictures established by writers James Vanderbilt and Man Busick (the latter having a co-writing credit score on this movie) and administrators Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett over the past two installments. This time, the Ghostfaces are followers of Sidney herself and are not loving what she’s been as much as. With their defeat and Sidney’s survival, issues appear to be again to a harmonious established order. But what lies forward for Sidney and “Scream” is a trickier, thornier, extra advanced query.

Other than a gap sequence through which a Ghostface burns down the previous dwelling of Stu Macher (Matthew Lillard) in Woodsboro, California, “Scream 7” largely takes place in Sidney’s new dwelling of Pine Grove, Indiana. She’s been residing there along with her chief of police husband, Mark (Joel McHale), and their teenage daughter, Tatum (Isabel Could). An preliminary assault from one Ghostface leads to the homicide of a few Tatum’s mates, together with Hannah (Mckenna Grace), earlier than Gale, Mindy (Jasmin Savoy Brown), and Chad (Mason Gooding) dispatch the killer with their automotive. This Ghostface is revealed to be Karl Gibbs (Kraig Drake), an escaped psychological affected person from a close-by establishment. With two Ghostface killers nonetheless on the free, the suspects are whittled down. Mark is attacked and incapacitated, Tatum’s mates Chloe (Celeste O’Connor), Lucas (Asa Germann) — who’s Jessica’s son — and Ben (Sam Rechner) are killed, and Sidney is tortured with AI recreations of previous Ghostface killers, together with Stu.

Lastly, Jessica and Marco are unmasked, and their evil plan is revealed. This cycle of Ghostface homicide was begun by Jessica, who learn Sidney’s guide “Out of Darkness” (from “Scream 4”), which impressed her to homicide her abusive husband. Believing that Sidney ought to at all times be killing the unhealthy guys, Jessica was so traumatized to study that she had subsequently vanished and was not even concerned within the Ghostface murders in NYC from 2023 that she tracked Sidney down, befriended Marco (a former data technologist) on the native establishment, and commenced her marketing campaign to do away with Sid and switch Tatum right into a “Sidney 2.0.” As an alternative of this, Sidney and Tatum be part of forces to finish Marco and Jessica perpetually. Mark is taken off to get well at a hospital, Sidney and Gale reaffirm their friendship, Sidney and Tatum bond, and Chad and Mindy are allowed by Gale to report the story.

The place the primary 4 “Scream” motion pictures, directed by Wes Craven, doubled as meta treatises on the affect and present state of the horror movie (particularly slasher motion pictures), “Scream” 2022 and “Scream VI” explored the results of poisonous fandom on the subsequent era of survivors of the Woodsboro murders, in addition to on tradition generally. “Scream 7″ continues this theme in a extra particular, roundabout approach, as Jessica (and Marco, to a lesser extent) seeks to punish Sidney for making an attempt to close away and transfer past her previous. The meta connotation to that is Neve Campbell’s much-publicized absence from “Scream VI” on account of a contract dispute, with the movie implying that Campbell did Sidney and “Scream” followers a disservice by refusing to take part. The film even goes as far as to have Campbell as Sidney apologize to Gale on the finish for not being in New York when she/the followers/the collection wanted her. Basically, Kevin Williamson is equating Sidney and Campbell with “Scream” in a similar way that the “Halloween” movies deal with Jamie Lee Curtis’ Laurie Strode: a heroine that the collection cannot do with out.

But “Halloween” has actually confirmed itself to be viable with out Laurie or Curtis’ involvement, and the profitable “Scream VI” appeared to point the identical. There isn’t any query that Sidney and Campbell have been an important part of “Scream” so far, however do they should be a part of each installment, particularly if the powers that be behind the franchise insist on it persevering with indefinitely? The final two installments alone present that there are a plethora of younger actors and new characters who may stick with it in Sidney’s stead, as much as and together with Isabel Could’s Tatum.

So, setting apart Campbell’s clear devotion to the collection and her character, this sentiment leaves Sidney and “Scream” in a clumsy place. That is exacerbated by the truth that the franchise has tried to depart Sidney at peace a number of occasions earlier than, most notably on the conclusion of “Scream 3.” Should not Sidney get to maneuver on and reside a contented, regular life? “Scream 7” seems to suggest that maybe she should not. But it additionally raises up Tatum as her mom’s successor, somebody who can carry ahead her mother’s survivor power and decided legacy. It might be pure for her to be positioned as the subsequent Sidney, solely she’s not. 

This might be Williamson fearful that he is mixing his messages: turning into the subsequent Sidney was one thing which Scream 4’s killer desperately wished, and that was a want which Williamson and Wes Craven revealed to be morally bankrupt, at the least for that character in that trend. Maybe Williamson actually does see “Scream” as Sidney’s story above all else, and whereas that is commendable, it isn’t all that sensible for a 30-year-old franchise, both.

All of this could be much less of a problem if a number of pure successors to the collection weren’t ready within the wings. After all, the decision to the story of Sam Carpenter (Melissa Barrera) and her sister Tara (Jenna Ortega) continues to be up within the air, because of the behind-the-scenes points. Williamson generously by no means retcons or awkwardly aborts their story, so it may nonetheless be addressed in a future sequel ought to the precise factor be carried out. In the meantime, Tatum is clearly able to carrying on her mom’s legacy. There isn’t any cause why a narrative about Tatum and Sam could not be the subsequent step within the collection, and maybe it ought to.

This query lies on the coronary heart of “Scream 7,” which appears to reply it with a non-committal “perhaps.” For all of the adoration it provides Sidney and Campbell by placing them on a pedestal, it additionally seeks to reject clinging to nostalgia, the latter being the primary theme of the prior two installments. So far, the movie’s cameo parade of prior Ghostface killers and victims, delivered by Marco’s AI necromancy, seems to refute the concept that our heroes and villains of days passed by ought to by no means be allowed to relaxation. So what about Sidney? “Scream 7” might be seen as a definitive, we-mean-it, for-real-this-time fond farewell to the character. But it may be interpreted as a “And I Am Telling You I am Not Going,” too.

the remainder of the collection to foretell which path it’s going to take subsequent is not a lot assist. In my ending defined piece for “Scream VI,” I noticed how that movie appeared to intentionally mirror “Scream 2” as 2022’s “Scream” paralleled “Scream” 1996. By design or by chance (most likely a little bit of each), “Scream 7” is the brand new “Scream 3,” a de facto ultimate chapter that options underwhelming revelations as a part of a thematically imbalanced movie. As we all know, that film turned out to be hardly the top of the collection, so is a possible “Scream 8” going to be a cumulative work like “Scream 4” grew to become? 

Is Sidney lastly freed from Ghostface’s menace, or is she to be a recurring visitor star, or does the collection intend Campbell to do battle with slashers till her passing? Solely time will inform. For now, a phrase of warning from Sidney herself to these in command of “Scream” who could squeeze all of the life out of it if they are not cautious: do not f*** with the unique.