Scream 7's Freaky Cameos From Dead Characters Explained

Warning: This article contains major spoilers for "Scream 7."

Who knew that "Scream 7" would turn into a far bigger reunion than anyone could've anticipated? The marketing has certainly played up the nostalgia of it all, from Neve Campbell's return as Sidney Prescott (now going by the name Sidney Evans) to the more meta narrative surrounding original "Scream" writer Kevin Williamson taking his turn in the director's chair. There were even all the sly hints and teases about the possible resurrection of one Stu Macher (Matthew Lillard), adding yet another layer to what this sequel has going for it.

While the overly-nostalgic final result isn't what some of us may've hoped for with "Scream 7," the film's biggest surprises are bound to leave fans buzzing. No, the Stu who frequently tortures Sidney in all those Skype calls may not have been the real Stu, but the effect this has on our franchise final girl's psyche is no less profound. And that's before the biggest gut-punch of all goes down in the third act, when Sidney is lured back to the not-so-safe confines of her home and she's treated to a haunted house filled with some seriously sick mind games.

This involves a parade of cameos displayed in even more of those AI-recreated videos depicting various figures from Sidney's past. There's Stu, of course, who turns out to be Anna Camp's unassuming mom, Jessica Bowden, pulling the strings. But her deviousness extends to even more traumatizing memories of Sidney's past experiences. Longtime "Scream" fans will recognize the familiar face of Laurie Metcalf's Nancy Loomis, the heartbroken mother of Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich), and Scott Foley's Roman Bridger, Sidney's half-brother from "Scream 3." And, naturally, there's David Arquette's Dewey Riley for some extra heartbreak. Here's how they fit into "Scream 7."

"It's always someone you know," as "Scream 7" reminds us on multiple occasions about the true identity of the killer wearing the Ghostface mask, but this is taking it to a whole other level. For those who know their "Scream" lore, like the poor "Stab"-obsessed victim in the film's cold open sequence (played by Jimmy Tatro), the climactic moments in Sidney's house ought to have set off all sorts of alarm bells. The first unfriendly face that Sidney sees on a screen is Mrs. Nancy Loomis, the woman who initially goes by the alias of Debbie Salt. The ending of "Scream 2" unmasks her as one of the killers (alongside Timothy Olyphant's partner in crime Mickey), reminding Sidney of the earliest betrayal she experienced with Billy in the original 1996 film.

The second cameo hits just as close to home, especially for those who remember the events of "Scream 3." The trilogy-capper focuses most on Sidney's fractured state of mind and her attempts to move on from the first two films. But, unbeknownst to her, she has been associating all along with yet another threatening figure bent on revenge. The final act of "Scream 3" reveals that Roman Bridger is both Sidney's half brother and the man responsible for killing her mother — a double whammy that clearly still haunts Sidney all these years later.

But it isn't until the AI image shifts to a ghostly video of Dewey Riley, our lovable hero brutally killed off in 2022's "Scream," that Sidney clearly has had enough. This and the visage of Stu Macher taunting her incessantly are simply too much to take. It's only when she steps outside, however, that she realizes the gravest threat of all.

Man, Sidney really needs a long vacation. The fact that the franchise's original star has had to go through all of these harrowing nightmares is bad enough, but "Scream 7" almost takes things a little too far. Not only does this unearth all the PTSD from her past (which "Scream 3" admittedly tied into a satisfying conclusion to her arc), but her loved ones are now placed directly in harm's way. Making matters worse is the reveal that her husband Mark (Joel McHale) and daughter Tatum (Isabel May) are next on the chopping block. Mark is already near death, but the villainous Ghostface Jessica Bowden forces Tatum to watch as she plans to murder her mom right in front of her — thus creating a whole new cycle of violence that, in her twisted mind, would turn Tatum into the next Sidney Prescott.

It's a brutal twist of the knife, and "Scream 7" certainly makes a meal of it ... but at what cost? It doesn't help that the various cameos feel right on the edge of becoming gratuitous. Since they only appear in video calls, rather than any dream sequences or hallucinations (as the previous two movies did with Skeet Ulrich's Billy Loomis), they can't help but feel oddly detached from the action. And looming large overhead is the Sidney of it all as well. Here's yet another horrific event added to her ever-growing list of traumas. With the ending leaving itself somewhat open to more sequels to come, along with the film's healthy box office prospects, it's fair to wonder whether our favorite scream queen will ever actually get the closure she deserves. That's as bleak as it gets.

"Scream 7" is now playing in theaters.