GamingScream 7’s Rotten Tomatoes Score Is In, And It’s AwfulByPaul Tassi,
Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. News and opinion about video games, television, movies and the internet.Follow AuthorFeb 26, 2026, 09:55am ESTFeb 26, 2026, 10:42am EST--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.Scream 7ParamountReviews are coming in for the hugely controversial Scream 7, the film that fired Melissa Barrera and led to the departure of Jenna Ortega. And they aren’t good. With dozens of reviews in at the time of this writing, Scream 7 has a poor Rotten Tomatoes score.
It is not the lowest in franchise history, but Scream 7 has grabbed a 47% Rotten Tomatoes score. That puts it below nearly every other movie in the franchise, and it could tick a few more percentage points down to become the worst. Here’s the list, as it stands:
- Scream 2 – 83% critic score, 59% audience score
- Scream – 78% critic score, 80% audience score
- Scream VI – 77% critic score, 82% audience score
- Scream (5) – 76% critic score, 82% audience score
- Scream 4 – 61% critic score, 57% audience score
- Scream 7 – 47% critic score, N/A audience score
- Scream 3 – 45% critic score, 38% audience score
Scream 7RTSo yes, right now Scream 7 is the second-lowest, and it seems unlikely it could gain that many more positive reviews to reach the fresh score of Scream 4.
For a while, it seemed like the franchise had really revitalized itself with Scream 5 and Scream VI, both well-received by critics and fans, but Scream 7 seems to have lost the plot, and no doubt Barrera and Ortega being booted out/leaving is a key reason. Barrera was fired for her comments about civilian deaths in Gaza during a time before many other celebrities started speaking out about the issue, and it created an internet uproar. Barrera’s career has continued forward just fine with two films in 2024, a co-starring role on the popular Peacock show, The Copenhagen Test, across from Simu Liu, and two more films in post-production.
Meanwhile, Scream 7 has brought back iconic franchise actors Neve Campbell and Courtney Cox, but that does not seem to have been enough. The movie also has a lot of up-and-coming young stars like Asa Germann (Gen V), Michelle Randolph (Landman) and Mckenna Grace (everything). Critics aren’t biting. Here’s a review sampling:
- The Hollywood Reporter – “There’s a rote quality to the proceedings that makes Scream 7 feel like a slog despite its high body count.”
- Variety – “Williamson has gone back to basics, but the result is a “Scream” sequel that, while it nods in the direction of being seductively convoluted, is really just…basic.”
Here’s a positive one, for good measure:
Okay well that’s sort of positive, at least. We’ll see how Scream 7 performs at the box office. It is not up against any significant new releases, though GOAT and Wuthering Heights are still performing decently well. If it doesn’t beat those, that’s a problem. Scream 5 grossed $137 million worldwide, and Scream VI grossed $166 million. I would be surprised if Scream 7 beat either.
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