Despite that success, Scream 7 didn’t receive the most positive of reviews. The film currently has a 31% on Rotten Tomatoes, the lowest of the entire franchise.
Since its release, both fans and critics have been critical of the ending, which has been described as underwhelming and a let-down. Interestingly, there are a few alternate endings, some of which were referenced directly by the creative team behind the film, that would have been a better conclusion to the story of Scream 7 than the audiences got.
Stu Macher Returns From The Dead (For Real)
A major plot point in Scream 7 is the “is he, isn’t he?” question regarding Stu Macher, one of the killers from the very first film in the franchise. Macher is seen via FaceTime and called Sydney on several occasions throughout the story, leading the heroes (and the audience) to wonder if he was actually dead or if he somehow survived.
Ultimately, it was revealed that Matthew Lillard’s character is indeed dead, and that the actual killers were utilizing artificial intelligence technology to pose as him on video. While still satisfying for fans to see Lillard’s long-awaited return, this ending still leaves a bit to be desired, as the tease of Macher’s potential return was far more interesting than the actual reveal itself.
A better ending to Scream 7 could have been Macher as Ghostface, but this time acting alone (as opposed to the first outing, where he worked alongside Billy Loomis). It also would have given Lillard a more prominent role and a chance to truly be in the spotlight once again.
Additionally, some fans have theorized that Macher survived the events of the first film for years now, so this ending could have been a call back to that as well.
Scream 7 ending in this manner would have made it more personal for Sydney, too. The actual conclusion, in which (spoilers) Jessica Bowden, Marco Davis, and Karl Gibbs were revealed to have been collaborating with one another to bring Ghostface back, was different from almost every other storyline in the franchise.
Typically, the people underneath the Ghostface mask are in the life of Sydney Prescott in a significant way, making the reveal of their true identities even more difficult for her.
However, in Scream 7, the killers were somewhat tentatively linked to Sydney, as Bowden is just a neighbor and obsessed fan. Her relationship with Sydney isn’t very developed, which makes the ending feel more like a letdown than anything else.
Having Stu Macher return as the real killer would have fixed this, making the final act of the film much more satisfying and emotionally resonant for both the characters and the audience.
Gale Weathers is Ghostface
Like Sydney, Gale Weathers is another mainstay in the franchise (and a fan favorite). She has appeared in every film in the franchise and, unlike Sydney, even had a sizable role in Scream 6. Her relationship with Sydney, while tumultuous at times, remains one of the latter’s most constant in the decades since the original movie.
It’s that reason that makes Gale Weathers being the Ghostface in Scream 7 such an intriguing concept, and one that would have potentially trumped the actual film that we got. Gale, for all her flaws, is someone that Sydney trusts, so the betrayal that would come from Courtney Cox’s character being revealed as the real Ghostface of the new story would be a major moment for her.
Like Stu Macher, Gale would also have represented a far more personal villain for Sydney to come up against, as opposed to the antagonists that she actually faced. Logistically, this could have tied the seventh film more into its predecessor, as Gale received life-threatening injuries at the hands of Ghostface in the last film.
As Sydney wasn’t present in New York City for that story, Gale could have been upset with her friend and, as a result, turned to violence as a means of revenge. Scream is a franchise that has always embraced the crazy, out there twists, so Gale as Ghostface would have fit right in.
Mindy and Chad Are The Masterminds
Mindy and Chad Meeks-Martin are twin characters that first appeared in Scream 5. In the seventh installment, they are some of the only characters to carry over from the film before, and carry a lot of weight in terms of consistency for the franchise storyline. They aren’t as prominent in Scream 7, but the ending featuring them as the masterminds behind this Ghostface would have been more interesting than what actually happened.
Mindy and Chad are joined at the hip, so their dual presence as Ghostface would have carried over what almost always happens in Scream, with more than one killer. Mindy, in particular, takes a strong interest in the revolving door of Ghostface killers and the story of Sydney, so it wouldn’t be a huge stretch for her and her brother to become the murderers this time around.
Sydney is Ghostface
Arguably the boldest alternate ending on this list, Sydney becoming the killer is, again, something that has been theorized for many years among Scream fans, and would have almost certainly more interesting a twist than the one fans actually got.
Sydney’s absence from the last film also plays into her potential to be Ghostface, as the story could have gone on to explain that she developed murderous tendencies during the events of the sixth installment. It would arguably be the only twist that would truly surprise Scream fans, who are wired to expect the unexpected in the franchise.
Additionally, there’s some precedent for a twist like this in legacy sequel horror films. In last year’s I Know What You Did Last Summer, Freddie Prinze Jr.’s character, who appeared as a lead in the first two films in that series, was revealed to be one of the killers in the new story, so this could have paved the way for Sydney to be Ghostface.
Tatum is the Killer – And Getting Revenge Against Her Mom
Tatum is Sydney’s 17 year old daughter, named after Sydney’s deceased friend from the first film. Right from the offset in Scream 7, there is noticeable tension between the two, with Tatum angry at her mom for being overprotective and secretive when it comes to her past.
That tension was ultimately the primary arc for both characters in the film, but the writers could have gone even more bold by choosing Tatum as Ghostface. Her motive, being angry at her mom and having a difficult childhood living with someone as famous and well known as Sydney, is already written into the story, so it isn’t a huge leap for her to be the killer in Scream 7.