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A 30-year franchise that can't seem to find a period at the end of its repetitive sentence is back with its seventh installment. Will "Scream 7" be the last? That's likely dependent on the Monday morning box office phone calls that everyone involved with the making of the movie will be getting.

Whether you're a casual fan, a horror fan, or a "Scream" scholar, it's undeniable how influential the original 1996 film proved to be on the genre (though, fans do seem to forget that "Scream" owes a lot to movies that came before it). Despite its influence, the "Scream" movies rapidly showed their age from the first sequel in 1997 on, but it hasn't stopped fans from showing up for Ghostface.

"Scream 7," directed and co-written by the series' original writer Kevin Williamson, undeniably shows the franchise's weariness. Since "Scream" was brought back to life in 2022's "Scream," the movies have tried to calibrate themselves for the modern era (including tiresome, on-the-nose speeches about sequels or "requels"). The 2022 edition felt smug, like it was trying to be the new kid on the block while playing the hits, but 2023's "Scream VI" leaned into its inherent silliness enough to be enjoyable. "Scream 7" is barely running on fumes.

After sitting out "Scream VI," Neve Campbell reprises the role of Sidney, who carries the weight of having watched almost everyone around her die at the hands of Ghostface. She is living in a new town with her husband Mark (Joel McHale) and their daughter Tatum (Isabel May), who is learning that it isn't easy being Sidney Prescott's daughter (Sidney insists people use her married name, which is Evans, but she will always be referred to as Sidney Prescott).

Sidney has worked hard to try and have a normal life - despite knowing it's nearly impossible - and to protect her daughter from what she has endured over the years. Adding her daughter into the mix gives "Scream 7" a little extra purpose for the Sidney character, but the movie rarely attempts to try anything new. While the franchise has built its reputation on being self-referential, it has become a dog chasing its own tail. For diehard "Scream" fans, it's time to be insulted that the filmmakers continue to think reheated material is good enough to serve those most dedicated to the series.

Courtney Cox returns as the story-chasing Gale Weathers, and Matthew Lillard makes an early appearance as Stu from the first movie. At some point, everyone comes back (including Mason Gooding, Jr., who was brutally stabbed multiple times in "Scream VI"), so it's impossible to ever be invested in the stakes the "Scream" movies set, because no one is ever truly gone when there's money to be made.

"Scream 7" relies on the audience knowing the tiny nuances of the previous movies, and if someone is sitting in an auditorium for the seventh installment in a three-decade franchise, they will likely catch the winks and nods thrown at the screen. But, as Tony Soprano once said, "'Remember when' is the lowest form of conversation." "Remember when" is really all "Scream 7" has to offer.