Scream 8 Needs to Get These 3 Things Right in Order to Course Correct From the Last Movie

Scream 8 is inevitable, but after the critical reception of the previous entry, it needs to get some things right in order to keep the franchise going. Scream 7 was a hit at the box office, with the return of Neve Campbell being a major draw for longtime fans of the franchise. However, Scream 7 is one of the worst-reviewed movies in the series, signaling that something has gone horribly wrong.

After the events of Scream 7, there isn’t a clear future for the franchise, with the film not really setting up any sort of continued story. This is mostly because Scream 7‘s story is a last-minute pivot, as the franchise abandoned plans to follow up on Scream VI’s story after the firing of Melissa Barrera and the exit of Jenna Ortega and the film’s directors. With the future of the Scream franchise in flux, here’s what it needs to do to get back on track.

3) Scream 8 Needs To Have A Compelling Ghostface Mystery

Scream 7‘s story is pretty terrible, and much of this comes down to its lack of a compelling Ghostface mystery. In the seventh film, it was revealed that Ghostface was two individuals: Sidney’s neighbor and a supervisor at a mental institution. This duo teamed up and recreated the Ghostface killings in order to turn Sidney’s daughter into the new Sidney, a weak motivation that isn’t properly set up in the film. Scream 7‘s Ghostface mystery is one of the franchise’s least interesting, with the reveal not feeling satisfying due to how small a role these two characters played before the reveal.

So, for Scream 8 to properly course-correct, it needs to focus on being a good murder mystery. On top of being a parody slasher series, Scream is also a murder mystery, with it functioning as a proper whodunnit in the first few films. While many elements of Scream are satirical, fans can actually become invested in attempting to figure out who the killer is in each entry. Scream 8 needs to come up with proper suspects that viewers care about, a strong motivation, and a satisfying reveal in order to not cheapen the character of Ghostface once again.

2) Scream 8 Needs To Focus On A Proper Sidney Successor

2022’s Scream acted as a new chapter in the Scream saga, creating new protagonists in the form of Sam and Tara Carpenter while also bringing Sidney back as a supporting character. This was a smart move, as Sidney had already been the focus of four Scream stories, so it was hard to come up with something we hadn’t seen before. When Neve Campbell declined to return for Scream VI, it wasn’t that big of a deal, as the Carpenter sisters functioned as interesting protagonists that could carry a story on their own. However, Scream 7 brought Sidney back as the main character. While this worked as Scream‘s one-time get-out-of-jail-free card, Scream 8 can’t do it again.

So, Scream 8 needs to find a proper Sidney successor. Sidney’s daughter Tatum Evans was introduced in the seventh film, and she is a perfect candidate for the next Scream protagonist. However, Scream 8 could also come up with a wholly original character, something the franchise already did with the Carpenters. Either way, Scream 8 shouldn’t focus on Sidney, or else the franchise may get stale.

1) Scream 8 Needs To Do Something New With Its Horror Satire

Scream is a horror series, a slasher series, and a murder mystery series, but most importantly, it is a parody series. The original film is a satirical take on the horde of slasher movies and generic tropes that overran movie theaters in the 80s and 90s, made clear by the fact that it was directed by a horror icon, Wes Craven. The next few Scream movies attempted to keep this satirical angle up, but none were as successful as the original. 2022’s Scream did manage to do something new with it, with the film acting as a parody of horror reboots and remakes.

However, Scream 7 didn’t do anything new, with it being nothing more than a generic slasher film that lost its satirical teeth. Scream 8 needs to find a new parody angle, bringing back the comedic side that fans originally fell in love with. There are tons of new horror tropes and ideas that have come about since the original Scream movie, so surely Scream 8 can find something to satirize in its new story.

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