Minority Mindset

Hoping Scream 7 would cleverly address its own legacy felt like a stretch, and the film unfortunately falls into the same pattern as its predecessors – simply acknowledging it instead of truly exploring it. The movie opens with a young couple visiting the house from the original Scream, now a macabre tourist attraction featuring crime scene markings and even an animatronic Ghostface. This feels fitting, because the film itself feels robotic, predictable, and lacks genuine scares. Unsurprisingly, the couple quickly becomes the latest victims. Even the over-the-top opening sequence – complete with a house fire, a falling chandelier, and a fatal plunge onto a knife – feels forced and relies on spectacle rather than cleverness. You can easily guess what’s going to happen. Honestly, even a minor set piece from a Final Destination movie is more imaginative and engaging.

The five-part drama, skillfully created by Craig Mazin, explored the political factors behind the Chernobyl disaster – one of the worst nuclear accidents in history. Featuring a talented cast and incredibly well-written scripts, the series was widely considered the best limited series of 2019. While every episode was strong, one in particular truly made the series exceptional.

This marks Landis’s first major project since 2020, when he was removed from the film Shadow in the Cloud following accusations of sexual assault. The Daily Beast reported that eight women accused him of emotional, physical, and sexual abuse. One woman described his behavior as predatory, saying he felt entitled to pursue any woman he desired and didn’t see his victims as people. In August 2021, Landis responded to the allegations in an essay, calling the accusations a flawed and unfair attempt to damage his reputation.

Despite the ominous lyrics of “Red Right Hand,” often associated with the killer, Ghostface in the Scream movies isn’t a supernatural being. While the 1996 film is famous for bringing the slasher genre back to life, the script by Kevin Williamson, directed by Wes Craven, stood out by keeping the killer’s identity hidden until the final act. Unlike villains like Freddy Krueger or Michael Myers, Ghostface was simply a person—or, actually, two people—wearing a mask. Scream wasn’t just a typical slasher film; it was also a mystery focused on figuring out who the killer was.

Both Star Trek and Star Wars are iconic franchises that have enjoyed success in movies and TV, though they’ve faced challenges along the way. Currently, both are looking to appeal to a new generation of fans. Paramount is planning a fresh start for Star Trek with directors Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley, who previously worked on the well-received Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. Star Wars will return to cinemas this May with The Mandalorian and Grogu, followed by another film in 2027. J.J. Abrams was once heavily involved with both franchises, and his impact on them is now clearly visible.