Scream 7 (2026)

I know that I may be in the minority, but I need to remind people that I liked Scream VI. I liked it a lot. It gave me hope for whatever might come along next in the series. And then everything started to go wrong, starting with the poor treatment of Melissa Barrera, which would lead to at least one other main cast member leaving in solidarity. There was also some horrible AI campaign used in the marketing, as well as allowing the brand to be platformed on a major gambling site. I started to lose any enthusiasm I may have had for this. I still had to see it though.

Neve Campbell is back as Sidney, married to a cop named Mark Evans (Joel McHale) and with one teenage daughter (Tatum, played by Isabel May) who resents her over-protective nature. She may not resent it when trying to stay alive though, especially when there seems to be a new Ghostface in town. Someone who claims to be Stu Macher. Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox) arrives just in time to help unmask the killer, or killers, and she now has siblings Mindy Meeks-Martin (Jasmin Savoy Brown) and Chad Meeks-Martin (Mason Gooding) working for her.

The second feature to be directed by writer Kevin Williamson, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Guy Busick, everything here shows why Williamson should perhaps just stick to the writing side of things. Having said that, it also shows that Williamson is nowhere near the sharp and savvy writer he once was, having ensnared himself in a sticky trap of the kind of ridiculous rules and contrivances that he used to be able to freshen up and repurpose to great effect. 

It's sadly ironic that a horror movie franchise that so often played around with the rules and conventions of the genre is now so formulaic. There are things that happen here that any Scream fan will see coming miles away, from the technology used (which everyone knew would explain a number of returning characters) to the third act reveal. And it's an odd choice to now give two characters the "cloak of Dewey invincibility", but here we are.

As stale and lethargic as things have gotten behind the camera, they're equally stale and lethargic in front of it. Campbell looks as if she cannot be bothered going through all of the usual plot beats, Cox is so far removed from the character that she once was (albeit with good reason) that she may as well go the whole hog and just start up the Gale & Sidney Stabby Podcast, and newcomer-to-the-series May doesn't have any of the appeal or grit to care about once she ends up in danger. McHale is a decent addition, both Brown and Gooding continue to work well together, and Jimmy Tatro and Michelle Randolph are really enjoyable in the expected opening sequence. That's it though. Anna Camp doesn't make enough of an impression, Sam Rechner and Asa Germann are absolute non-starters, and it's only Celeste O'Connor and Mckenna Grace who feel like youngsters we may enjoy spending some time with. Then we don't get to spend much time with them. Thank goodness we get some enjoyable line deliveries from Matthew Lillard (portraying what should be referred to as Schrödinger's Stu).

As much as I disliked Scream (2022), I can now see, with hindsight, that it had a bit more going for it than I gave it credit for. The cast, whether you liked them or not, at least had some character and energy throughout. The motivation for the kills was an attempt to do something fun and interesting (whether they succeeded is a different matter entirely). And it felt as if everyone involved tried to have some fun (again, success or failure on that front is subjective). This film, opening sequence aside, doesn't have any sense of fun at all. And a Scream movie without a sense of fun is just a weak slasher that references numerous superior films.

4/10

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Prime Time: Bride Hard (2025)

If you want an action comedy with a talented female comedian in the main role then I could direct you towards one or two options. If you want an action comedy set against the backdrop of a wedding then I know of at least one that I would tentatively recommend. Bride Hard gives you a bit of both, although it depends on how talented and funny you find star Rebel Wilson. I would say that this is one of her best vehicles in the last decade, but that's damning it with faint praise.

Wilson plays Sam, a woman trying to enjoy her role as Maid Of Honour for her bestie, Betsy (Anna Camp). Unfortunately, Sam is often called away to her job, which is exciting and dangerous. Unbeknownst to most of the people around her, Sam is a spy. This makes her a bit unreliable when it comes to schedules and parties, leading to her being replaced in the Maid Of Honour role by Virginia (Anna Chlumsky), but she's very handy to have around when the big wedding day is gate-crashed by a group of mercenary robbers. 

The first feature to be produced from a screenplay by Shaina Steinberg, this feels like something that was very loosely plotted to allow plenty of space and time for Wilson to riff in her particular style. That could have gone badly, but the fact that the supporting cast allows for everyone else to have a bit of fun (Camp, Chlumsky, and both Da'Vine Joy Randolph and Gigi Zumbado are especially good as the other members of the bridal party). It's also good to have Stephen Dorff as the main villain, Justin Hartley being a bit of eye candy for the ladies in the first act, and a good selection of fairly familiar faces in some smaller roles.

Simon West knows what he's doing in the director's chair. While the gags aren't always as funny as they could be, nor the action as satisfying and slick as more straightforward, and more violent, outings, the ration feels just about right. This is passable entertainment for those browsing their streaming options and looking for something easygoing and fun, even if one or two moments seem determined to bring you out of the movie with the implausibility of it all.

I would definitely revisit the movies alluded to in the first paragraph ahead of this one, but I didn't mind it while it was on. The pacing is decent, a few of the running gags had me chuckling often enough, and there's some obvious messaging about the bonds of friendship being strained as life keeps throwing life stuff in the way. And it might just put you in the mood to rewatch Bridesmaids, which is always a good thing. 

6/10

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Shudder Saturday: From Black (2023)

It's almost impossible to discuss From Black without mentioning the main film it feels so similar to, A Dark Song. You can throw a stone at any horror convention and hit one of the many people who love A Dark Song, but I'm not one of them. I liked it, there were moments in it that I liked a lot, but there was something in the way the material was executed that stopped me from loving it. From Black, on the other hand, felt much more satisfying.

Anna Camp plays Cora, a recovering addict struggling to deal with the loss of her young son. All evidence points towards him having been snatched/killed, sadly, but Cora becomes torn between wanting to hold on to hope and wanting to have closure. She's eventually offered a potential opportunity from a man named Abel (John Ales), a way to find out what happened to her son, and maybe even to see him again. She'll have to put all of her trust in Abel, no matter what happens around them, but he knows more about the difficulty of the process than she does. Is he trying to give Cora a gift, or pass along a curse?

The fictional feature directorial debut of Thomas Marchese, who also co-wrote the screenplay with first-timer Jessub Flower, From Black is another one of many impressive recent debuts that mark someone out as being worth keeping an eye on. The script manages to avoid feeling overwhelmingly grim and bleak, despite being completely wrapped in a shroud of grief and a hazy atmosphere of Faustian futility (a notion that this particular proposed tranasction will only ever end badly), and Marchese delivers some nice visuals, thanks to cinematographer Duncan Cole, to accompany the central themes, whether they are snippets of languid nightmares or blood-soaked consequences of trying to dabble in some serious supernatural shenanigans. You also get a nicely suitable score from Luigi Janssen.

Cast-wise, this is a case of quality over quantity, with the film generally staying focused on four main characters. Camp is excellent in the main role, believable whether she's shone in her drug-addicted scenes, in her grief, or having started to fight back for the chance to see her son again. Ales is equally good, although his role is often just the facilitator, and deliverer of exposition, and Jennifer LaFleur portrays a surprisingly patient and open-minded local cop. Last, but not least, is Travis Hammer in the role of Wyatt, the ex-partner of Cora who never managed to escape the hold of addiction. Wyatt may seem like an unnecessary character, but he's one vital component of something that has been constructed with an admirable amount of care and consideration.

With a runtime of 100 minutes, some people may think this is slightly overlong. I thought it was perfectly paced. It's very much focused on Cora and her journey, but it's equally about what you can find within yourself when grief shatters your life and settles in to where your happiness may have once resided. There are reservoirs of strength to draw from, but they can be almost impossible to see beyond the veil of darkness and tears, and many can struggle to have even one moment of clarity.

I highly recommend From Black, although I guess that those who loved A Dark Song more than I did may ultimately like this a bit less, especially if making the inevitable comparisons between the two. This is the better film though, in my opinion, and I hope it finds an appreciative audience.

8/10

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Shudder Saturday: A Creepshow Holiday Special (2020)

I don't know why I made a beeline for this, considering my history of being disappointed by pretty much every previous episode of this show, but common sense has never been my main strength. And it was a Shudder release that might have a hint of seasonal trimmings around it. 

Adam Pally plays Robert Weston, a man who thinks he may be a lycanthrope, and may be responsible for killing a number of people. He heads along to a Shapeshifters Anonymous meeting, headed up by a woman (Anna Camp) who claims she can turn into a cheetah. Other people are there, claiming to be able to turn into other animals, but the meeting is interrupted by an attempted invasion by many people dressed as Santa. This is where it gets Christmassy, but in a very Creepshow kind of way. Santa doesn't like shapeshifters, and he and his army of helpers will do all they can to destroy them.

Maybe a lot of the stops were pulled out for this holiday special, or maybe it's a sign of better things to come, but this is a lot of fun, and gets the feel of the Creepshow brand right more than any other episode so far. The tone is more comedic than horror, but there's a good amount of blood and gore, a nice feeling of things being a bit off-kilter, and some impressive creature design work in the second half of the episode.

The whole cast do well in their roles, with Camp and Pally making for very enjoyable leads, ably supported by Pete Burris (who can turn into a tortoise), Frank Nicotero (cousin of Greg, playing a character here who can turn into a boar), and Candy McLellan (who can turn into a hippo . . . when she dresses up, she's actually just a Furry they allow into the meeting every week). There's also Derek Russo as Ryan, a strong and silent type who only joins in with everyone for the wonderfully crazy third act.

Based on a story by J. A. Konrath, the writing and direction from Greg Nicotero is pretty perfect. Okay, I may be being a bit too positive because of my expectations going into this thing, but it's really very difficult to think of how this slice of festive fun could have been made any better, certainly under the umbrella of the Creepshow name. Some viewers may want a more sedate, traditional, Christmas horror, but that's not "on brand", as it were. Don't look for that here. This is colourful silliness, with no weak segments throughout the 45-minute runtime.

I never thought I would say this, but this special is the best Christmas-themed horror viewing I have had this year. 2020 continues to be a very odd year.

8/10

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Netflix And Chill: The Lovebirds (2020)

Director Michael Showalter reteams with star Kumail Nanjiani (after their success with The Big Sick) for this comedy thriller that concerns a couple (Nanjiani and Issa Rae) who have the potential end of their relationship interrupted by an untimely murder. Not that there's ever such a thing as a timely murder.

Rae and Nanjiani are two solid leads, even as we meet them in the midst of growing tension. While in their car, a stranger (Paul Sparks) commandeers their vehicle, using it to kill a man on a bicycle that he was chasing, and then flees. Leilani (Rae) and Jibran (Nanjiani) do not want to stick around at the crime scene. They know things look bad for them, which means they need to show some initiative and try to find the killer. This brings them into contact with other bad people (such as Edie, played by Anna Camp), forces them to make up a story as they get friends helping them, and obviously has them reappraising how they view one another.

Written by Aaron Abrams and Brendan Gall, The Lovebirds is a film that doesn't do enough to help the talented leads. The main premise is very familiar, and could be used to add on a whole load of jokes, but it's all put together in a way that feels very paint-by-numbers. There's no tension here, which wouldn't be so bad if the laughs kept coming, but there's also not enough comedy, so little of it that the leads feel restricted by the way the script doesn't let them be as funny as fans know they can be.

Showalter goes through the motions with his direction, but he is equally responsible for failing his leads. Set-pieces are too low-key, the pacing feels off, despite the film coming in at just under the 90-minute mark, and the plot just feels like it's getting in the way of the characters being able to act in a way that could be much more entertaining.

I feel a bit patronising going on about how good both Rae and Najiani are, despite being hampered by the material, but they make the movie watchable. I have liked Nanjiani for a good few years now, but I wasn't familiar with Rae, who works wonderfully both on her own and alongside her co-star. Sparks is fine, with limited screentime, and Camp does her best to steal the scenes that she features in, and Andrene Ward-Hammond is a typically stolid cop trying to catch a criminal as some innocent people complicate the matter more than they should.

I did laugh, now and then, and there's a fun little punchline at the very end of the movie to pay off a small gag from earlier, but I spent most of the runtime just willing The Lovebirds to be better, for me and for the cast. It doesn't manage that. It just manages to be above average. Just. Not far enough above average to make it worth recommending though.

6/10

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