Movie critics have warmed up to genre fare in recent years.
Blame the industry’s maturation, a flood of younger critics influencing the art form or a steady uptick in the content in question.
Genre films are often smarter, slicker and more self-aware than ever before. And “Scream” captures all of the above.
The meta horror series started with Wes Craven’s 1996 original, and the seventh installment is hitting theaters this weekend.
The saga typically boasts solid reviews while attracting rising young stars. “Scream VI” earned an impressive 77 “fresh” score from critics three years ago, accompanied by a 90 percent score from general audiences.
Not this time.
“Scream 7” has a miserable 37 percent “rotten” score from professional reviewers to date, a steep decline for the sturdy franchise. That’s more surprising given the saga’s original screenwriter, Kevin Williamson, returned for chapter 7 as its writer/director. So did OG Final Girl, Sidney Prescott, (Neve Campbell).
Audiences seem to like the sequel, with a 77 percent “fresh” rating at the moment.
So why even evoke the dreaded “review bombing” canard? The film’s culture war baggage, that’s why.
Actress Melissa Barrera appeared in the last two “Scream” films, a likely attempt to build the franchise around a younger star (alongside Jenna Ortega). Except Barrera’s abrasive, and that’s being mild, comments following the Oct. 7 atrocities convinced the studio to cut her from the seventh film.
Agree? Disagree? Either way, the firing enraged the far Left, the pro-Palestinian contingent and, quite possibly, select film critics.
As a RT critic myself, this is shameful. I will NEVER inject politics into my assessment of any movie. It should be a requirement to separate the two. Oh, and review will be up tonight. #Scream7 pic.twitter.com/ZFqbXGpa5e
— Lee McCoy (@Drumdums) February 26, 2026
As someone who has enjoyed every “Scream” film, SCREAM 7 was the first one to truly let me down from beginning (Justice for Melissa Barrera and #FreePalestine) to absurd, hollow end. The once clever tropes are now worn out, and while the brutal kills are staged well, they mean… pic.twitter.com/OdBh7hR5lj
— Matt Neglia (@NextBestPicture) February 26, 2026
Movie reviewers, like every other aspect of Legacy Media, lean aggressively to the Left. No harm, no foul, except it’s become increasingly clear some let their ideoological biases flavor their reviews.
Even esteemed critic Richard Roeper once said so. And have you seen the Rotten Tomatoes chasm for “Starfleet Academy?”
Is the “Scream” a franchise running on fumes? Perhaps. We know the film is headed for a robust opening weekend with or without solid reviews.
What’s undeniable? A media landscape that eagerly plays the “review bomb” card to defend woke films and TV shows won’t bring the topic up for “Scream 7.”
