REVIEW: “Scary Movie” (2026)

(Source: IMDb) 

It had been thirteen years since Hollywood made a parody of horror movies—namely the abysmal fifth installment of Scary Movie. Similarly, it had been a quarter century since the Wayans Brothers were involved with the series (the last being Scary Movie 2 in 2001). Following a recent resurgence in the comedy genre (specifically, parodies and farces), the Wayans revisit the outrageous franchise they helped set in motion back in 2000, this time for a sixth chapter. Like the 2022 and 2023 revivals of the Scream series, Scary Movie (a.k.a. "Scary Movie 6") is a self-described “reboot-equel” (don't ask), sending up everything from the 2018 Halloween reboot to Get Out, The Substance, and last year’s Sinners and Weapons. 

Original director Keenan Ivory Wayans is credited as a co-writer and co-producer (along with brothers Shawn and Marlon), while directing duties fall to Michael Tiddes (a frequent collaborator of Marlon). The younger siblings return as pothead Shorty (Marlon) and homosexual Ray (Shawn), and reunite with recurring players Anna Faris (as “final girl” Cindy Campbell) and Regina Hall (as the in-your-face Brenda Meeks), as well as original cast members Dave Sheridan (as mentally-challenged officer Doofy and the voice of the “Ghostface” killer), Cheri Oteri (as reporter Gail Hailstorm), and Lochlyn Munro (as athlete-turned-sheriff Greg). Newcomers include Olivia Rose Keegan and Savannah Lee Nassif as Cindy’s daughters (who physically and verbally share uncanny traits with the actress), Cameron Scott Roberts as the questionable boyfriend (a la Jack Quaid from 2022's Scream), and Sydney Park as a woke activist student (a la Jasmin Savoy Brown). To top it off, at least two generations of Wayans family members work in front of and behind the camera. As one character questions, “Why would you try to make a sequel without us?” 

My question, prior to the screening I attended, was whether the movie would be more reference-focused, or if it would have a main through-line. The first trailer practically reveals several Halloween costumes of recent horror movie characters/villains. Turns out this Scary Movie is more like a series of sketches, with a primary focus on the horror genre (and pop culture in general) from the past decade and beyond. Things get crazier when (as non-spoiler as I can write) this installment gets very meta by satirizing its own franchise, along with some of the key players involved throughout. Not to mention generational gaps. While this crazy and convoluted angle may throw some viewers off, it’s (both aesthetically and amusingly) an arguably better outcome than what Scream 7 did earlier this year. (Not all comedy has to make sense, after all.) Add to that some surprise cameos and witty/silly/clever banters peppered everywhere, with at least two moments that are stroke-of-genius, especially for those who’ve followed the Wayans’ careers. 

That being said, the Wayans have described themselves as “equal-opportunity offenders.” Nothing is sacred in this sixth installment, lampooning not just recent horror entries but also current 21st century trends, including religion, politics, gender identity (one character has a trans child), COVID-19, and most definitely racism. Ditto the very concepts and criticisms of both woke and cancel cultures. (AMC Theatres has a fairly accurate summary on their website, which you can read here.) 

On one hand, it’s a subversive throwback to the Wayans' In Living Color days from the early-1990s. On the other hand, said comedy is unmistakably and unapologetically raunchy, sexual (er, dirty), vulgar, and crass. Not to mention mean-spirited at times. And let’s not leave aside unbelievable images of plastic genitals (some dismembered) and gross bodily fluids (although not as much as the second movie had), as well as verbals insults spoken by kids. Like Blazing Saddles and Tropic Thunder before it, it’s the kind of comedy and humor that’s not for the easily offended—nor for everybody, for that matter. As the tagline reads, “Every line will be crossed.”