The ending of ‘Scream 7’ explained: does Sidney Prescott finally defeat Ghostface? 

Spoilers ahead! The post The ending of ‘Scream 7’ explained: does Sidney Prescott finally defeat Ghostface?  appeared first on NME. NewsFilm News The ending of ‘Scream 7’ explained: does Sidney Prescott finally defeat Ghostface? Spoilers ahead! By Max Pilley 6th March 2026 Neve Campbell returns as Sidney Prescott in 'Scream 7'. CREDIT: Paramount Pictures Scream 7 is flying high in cinemas right now, but does Neve Campbell’s Sidney Prescott finally defeat Ghostface? Find out below. READ MORE: ‘Scream 7’ review: ghosts of horror past haunt this nostalgia-heavy sequel The latest instalment in the slasher series is the follow-up to 2023’s Scream VI and the first one to be directed by Kevin Williamson, the writer of the original 1996 movie. Advertisement Williamson also wrote the screenplay for this film, alongside Guy Busick, and this time around, the drama is focused back on Neve Campbell’s Sidney Prescott, the hero of the original film. This time, the Ghostface killer is targeting Sidney’s daughter Tatum, played by Isabel May. Jasmin Savoy Brown and Mason Gooding return from the previous two instalments, although controversially, Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega do not. Courteney Cox, David Arquette and Matthew Lillard reprise their roles. Check out the trailer for Scream 7 here: The production of Scream 7 has been mired in controversy, after Barrera was fired following social media posts in support of Palestine. Some fans vowed to boycott the franchise after the decision, and protesters disrupted a premiere this week, while co-star Ortega later said she would not be returning due to scheduling conflicts. Recommended Campbell, who had missed the previous film due to pay disputes, was offered the lead role in Scream 7 after Barrera’s firing and she agreed to return. In a three-star review of the film, NME wrote: “When Campbell, Cox or both are on screen, Scream 7 is at its best. Campbell now is as indefatigable a scream queen as Jamie Lee Curtis in the Halloween series, while Weathers is probably Cox’s greatest role, even if the Friends faithful prefer Monica Geller. So, even an average Scream film is worth seeing for the dark thrills and bloody spills we can depend on. Just don’t expect to be wowed.” The ending of Scream 7 explained: Does Sidney Prescott finally defeat Ghostface? The film finds Neve Campbell’s Sidney living quietly in Indiana with her husband Mark and daughter Tatum. She is contacted out of the blue by Stu Macher (Matthew Lillard), the character from the 1996 original that she seemingly killed in self defence by dropping a television on his head. Soon afterwards, a Ghostface appears and it killed, but is revealed to be an escaped metal health patient named Karl Gibbs. Advertisement Over the course of the film, several Ghostfaces surface, with a seemingly complex network of killers striving to re-create the conditions that first traumatised Sidney by now targeting Tatum. It is eventually revealed that ‘Stu’ was a deepfake and the true Ghostfaces are revealed as Marco, an IT worker from the mental institution, and Sidney’s neighbour Jessica. Jessica is inspired by reading about Sidney’s original survival story, and reveals she has killed her own parents, who had been tormenting her, and now intends to kill Tatum to create a “new Sidney”. In the final confrontation, Sidney shoots Marco dead while Mark frees Tatum, who in turn shoots Jessica. The neighbour attacks again, however, and Sidney and Tatum ultimately shoot and kill her together. With both killers dead, Sidney survives once more, this time alongside her daughter. Related TopicsExplainerHorrorScreamScream 7 You May Also Like Advertisement TRENDING James Ford talks us through the huge new War Child ‘Help(2)’ album – track-by-track The Kooks to play The Great Escape 20th anniversary show presented by NME ‘Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man’ review: Tommy Shelby is back in business The biggest video game concerts you can’t miss in 2026 Chalk’s uncompromising dance-punk is fuelled by personal vulnerability and political questioning Advertisement More Stories News Every song on the Vladimir soundtrack News The ending of ‘Industry’ season four explained: Did Harper manage to win the battle against Tender? News Is ‘Industry’ returning for a season five? Film News ‘Evil Dead’ actor Bruce Campbell reveals cancer diagnosis Film News Every song on the ‘EPiC: Elvis Presley In Concert’ soundtrack Film News Every song on the ‘Scream 7’ soundtrack