20 Most Disappointing Horror Movies of the 2020s (So Far)

Even accepting that Scream 7 was surrounded by red flags galore leading up to its release, the series has an impressive track record of fending off production issues to deliver a quality end product.

But Scream 7 is the first truly bad entry into the franchise - a clear result of the creative pivot caused by the firing of Melissa Barrera in late 2023 after she made pro-Palestinian social media posts.

Barrera's dismissal prompted co-star Jenna Ortega to also depart, and so the third chapter of the Carpenter sisters' story was abruptly culled.

Desperate to find a path forward, producers coaxed Neve Campbell back, who previously sat out Scream VI due to a pay dispute - presumably with a dump-truck full of cash.

Yet the desperation whiffs out of Scream 7's every pore - this is a sequel that was clearly thrown together late in the game, in turn offering up little compelling reason for Sydney to return or return to the well of Matthew Lillard's Stu Macher, alongside the most lacklustre Ghostface reveal of the series.

Scream is a resilient franchise that's often pulled off a win despite enormous behind-the-scenes turmoil, but this time it fell way, way shy of adequacy.