New Horror Movie With 80% on RT Is a Reminder of What the Scream Franchise Lost

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A recent horror sequel has received much better reviews than Scream 7, suggesting the Scream series made a big mistake by replacing its original stars and creative team. The Scream films have a complicated history; the first four were directed by the iconic Wes Craven and centered around Neve Campbell’s character, Sidney Prescott. After Craven’s death, the future of the series became uncertain.

The 2022 Scream reboot brought back Sidney, but the story primarily followed new characters, Sam and Tara. They became the central figures of the franchise after Neve Campbell, who played Sidney, didn’t appear in Scream VI due to disagreements over pay. However, when Melissa Barrera (Sam) and Jenna Ortega (Tara) were removed from the project, the planned Scream VII shifted focus back to Sidney, essentially ignoring the storyline that Sam and Tara had built.

Ready or Not 2 Did Far Better Than Scream 7 With Critics

The transition in Scream 7 felt clumsy, particularly because Chad and Mindy Meeks-Martin, characters returning from the 2022 Scream reboot, were originally established as close friends with Sam and Tara. Poor reviews for Scream 7 pointed to director Kevin Williamson’s inability to successfully navigate these cast changes, with many critics describing the film as uninspired, superficial, and poorly written.

To add to the challenge, the directors of the recent Scream movies have just had a big hit with their new horror sequel, Ready or Not 2: Here I Come. The original Ready or Not from 2019 was a critical success and, surprisingly, predicted the current trend of stories about the wealthy facing consequences – a theme that shows up in popular shows and movies like Succession, The Menu, Glass Onion, Triangle of Sadness, Saltburn, The White Lotus, The Fall of the House of Usher, and Death of a Unicorn.

After the huge critical success of Ready or Not – earning an 89% rating on Rotten Tomatoes – it seemed like a challenge to create another hit. However, directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett previously took risks with their Scream movies, and those were also well-received by critics. Working together as Radio Silence, this directing duo consistently delivers movies that earn strong reviews.

Scream 7 Suffered Badly Due To Losing Radio Silence

Adding to the problems for the poorly received Scream 7, the sequel Ready Or Not 2: Here I Come is getting excellent reviews, currently holding a 77% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. This highlights how important Radio Silence’s creative vision was to the recent success of the Scream films. The difference in reception – Ready Or Not 2 being praised and Scream 7 criticized – casts doubt on the future of the Scream franchise, even though Scream 7 did well at the box office.

Could Scream 8 turn things around for the series and win over critics? Share your thoughts in the comments and join the discussion on the ComicBook Forum!

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2026-03-21 22:16