‘Scary Movie (2026)’ review: Resurrecting the good and the bad

The new Scary Movie is a nostalgic trip down memory lane blending horror commentary with inconsistent jokes that don’t always land.

Scary Movie is back! And no, we don’t just mean another parody that takes on the name and some references (*cough* Scary Movie 5 *cough*). Horror-comedy’s original “Core Four” is finally back together in a Scary Movie film helmed by the Wayans family. The franchise hasn’t experienced this reunion since Scary Movie 2, and trust us when we say, Scary Movie (2026) will not let you forget it!

Scary Movie 6 (and for this review, we’re going to refer to it as Scary Movie 6) is a slapstick parody that pokes fun at horror movies of the time. In particular, the film structures itself similarly to Scream (2022), with commentary made on “Elevated Horror” and “Elevated Comedy.” The franchise’s return highlights the rise of “requels,” and a new generation of actors trying to take over established franchises from the original cast.

Sound familiar? It’s Scary Movie’s classic flair of cringe parody with a deeper meaning shoved right in. The nuance isn’t executed with subtlety, but its messy roughness makes it a lot of fun. Though, with its mix of horror parodies and pop culture references, time hasn’t helped Scary Movie 6 avoid the same issues it has experienced in previous installments.

The return of Ghostface.

As mentioned above, Scary Movie 6 is a who’s who of returning cast members and cameo appearances. The film makes it a point of bringing back these characters, or merely calling out nods, from previous sequels to structure its new “rebootquel” trope. Scary Movie 6 is both the connective point for the franchise and a self-aware commentary about the franchise itself.

Set roughly 26 years after the first film, a new string of Ghostface murders begin again. After Cindy Campbell’s (Anna Faris) youngest daughter is attacked, her oldest daughter, Sara (Olivia Rose Keegan), leads an investigation to find Ghostface. Rounding out the group of suspects and hapless victims includes Brenda Meeks (Regina Hall), her weed-smoking brother Shorty (Marlon Wayans), her love interest Ray Wilkins (Shawn Wayans), and a selection of new teen archetypes.

The cameos don’t stop there, as previous characters return in their Scary Movie role. Without giving any spoilers, some familiar faces include Doofy (Dave Sheridan), Gail Hailstorm (Cheri Oteri), and Greg (Lochlyn Munro) from the original film.

The Core Four.

Scary Movie 6 does a good job of honoring its past while also poking fun at everyone returning for another sequel. The film balances the screentime for the new characters, but it still focuses heavily on the original actors. Shorty’s presence in particular gets a weightier role with more screentime. Sure, he’s still the comic relief and has all his weed jokes, but he’s used more ongoingly instead of only making the high punchline.

Comparatively, Scary Movie 6 would’ve benefited from having more screentime for Cindy and Brenda. Specifically, having them on screen together more! Cindy and Brenda’s friendship is a dynamic ball of chemistry. They bring so much fun together, and you can’t help but love to laugh at their friendship. In their varied scenes, Faris and Hall easily prove why we all fell in love with their characters in the first place. If Scary Movie comes back for another sequel, Cindy and Brenda need more scenes together – it is essential for the plot!

And while we’re at it, Ray needs to come back into the mix, too. Out of the Core Four, he had the least significance to the plot. His role feels like something was left on the cutting-room floor. Don’t get me wrong, Ray has his fair share of jokes, but they paled in comparison to the other returning main characters.

Do you like scary movies?

It wouldn’t be a Scary Movie film without its touch of parodies and cringey jokes. Some of the selected parodies include Scream 5 & 6, I Know What You Did Last Summer, Get Out, Sinners, Smile, Wednesday, M3gan, Longlegs, and KPop Demon Hunters, to name a few. When Scary Movie 6 writes a well-thought-out joke, it lands so funny and effectively. The franchise isn’t afraid of making fun of any topic – it’ll go there until the joke is hammered in.

But for every successful joke and nod, there are plenty more that fail to hit their mark. Scary Movie 6’s collection of writers (Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans, Keenen Ivory Wayans, Craig Wayans, and Rick Alvarez) has clear points of view about the topics they want to deconstruct and parody. However, in many cases, the topic gets dragged out consistently, even when the movie and audience have moved past it. This push could stem from the writers wanting to make the obvious joke again and again or stretching out the plot to fill time, which ultimately hurts the pacing.

Welcome to Act 3.

Unfortunately, Scary Movie 6 suffers from a similar issue seen in later sequels: parody over-prioritizing the movie. You might be saying, “But shouldn’t it be a parody movie?” You’re absolutely right; the film should keep true to its jokes and all its references. Though, at the end of the day, Scary Movie 6 shouldn’t forget that it’s a movie. One with a structure, a plot, and development for its characters.

By the two-thirds mark of the movie, Scary Movie 6’s momentum falls out from under it. Without sharing spoilers, the movie fills its runtime with directionless parodies and cringey jokes. Scary Movie 6 makes its desired references, but in most cases, it doesn’t have a reason to get there. Scenes just happen, and Scary Movie 6 already has characters acting outlandishly to fill in comedy time. You’ll be left feeling divisive for much of the movie, depending on whether you connect with the joke or not.

Scary Movie 6 tries to course-correct in its ending. It’s a pointed climax that brings plenty of fun and ties the rest of the film together into a nice bow. But when all is said and done, you can’t forget what it took to get there.

The bottom line.

Scary Movie 6 isn’t a deep or thoughtful film – it’s a cheeky, crass, and campy comedy. We’re here for a good time! A trip down memory lane of the iconic horror-comedy franchise. The return of the Core Four – Cindy, Brenda, Ray, and Shorty – steals the show, reminding us why we love their antics. Scary Movie 6’s inclusion of cameos and horror commentary adds to the fun behind every set piece. But its inconsistent quality of jokes and weaker second half bring down the movie, removing its impact and keeping it from being one of the better sequels.

Scary Movie (2026) is now playing in theaters everywhere. Watch the trailer below.

 

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All images courtesy of Paramount Pictures.