Scary Movie (2026) is directed by Michael Tiddes and features a screenplay by Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans, and Keenen Ivory Wayans. It stars Marlon Wayans, Anna Faris, Regina Hall, Shawn Wayans, Olivia Rose Keegan, Cameron Scott Roberts, Sydney Park, Savannah Lee Nassif, Dave Sheridan, Lochlyn Munro, Cheri Oteri, Chris Elliot, Kim Wayans, Teyana Taylor, Damon Wayans Jr., Heidi Gardner, Kenan Thompson, Benny Zielke, Gregg Wayans, and Ruby Snowber. This sixth installment in the titular horror-movie spoof franchise follows Cindy (Faris), her daughter Sara (Keegan), and her best friend Brenda (Hall) after Ghostface returns to their hometown seeking revenge. As they encounter goofy scenarios spoofing several popular horror movies, they realize the killer’s motivations may be more personal than they ever imagined.
For the most part, the cast, both returning and new, tackle their various roles with energy and ease. Marlon Wayans, Anna Faris, and Regina Hall, easily the 3 most important members of the cast, are thankfully the best of the bunch and remind the audience what ultimately worked about the first 4 installments (the fifth film is the only one I think is a full-on disaster). Olivia Rose Keegan, as Cindy’s daughter, does a fun impression of Anna Faris and successfully leads the new group of teenage characters, spoofing the tendency for franchise horror sequels to replace beloved legacy characters with younger ones who are just lazy carbon copies. The cameos from other legacy characters rarely add anything meaningful or clever, but they’re enjoyable for franchise fans. They’re nice to see in any capacity, even though it’s clear they could’ve been better integrated.
In terms of humor, this is unfortunately the weakest installment, aside from Scary Movie 5 (2013). This is highly disappointing considering the hype around the Wayans brothers’ return, but the film thankfully isn’t a complete disaster. The humor often amounts to a rotation of dick jokes, basic slapstick, and surface-level visual references to recent popular horror movies. I can’t think of a single bit I’d describe as subversive or clever, which is easily the main factor holding the film back. The most perplexing aspect, however, is that this seems to be the Wayans brothers’ intention. In about the first five minutes, a character breaks the fourth wall and outright tells the audience that anyone who enjoys these movies is an idiot. This moment quickly establishes that not even the viewer is safe from being made the butt of a joke. However, it also seems like a convenient excuse to deliver the bare minimum. I laughed at a lot of the film’s hair-brained jokes, but I still recognized them as something a typical 14-year-old could’ve come up with. I think my brother described the experience best when he said it was “acceptable.” Just because you laugh at something stupid doesn’t mean you’re incapable of laughing at something smart.
The experience could also have been improved if the story were cohesive. It often feels like a series of comedic sketches rather than a story with clear, logical progression. Ceratin characters appear for a joke, then quickly disappear, never to be seen again. This is somewhat easy to forgive, considering it’s trying to deliver laughs first and foremost. However, it’s tough to believe an actual story wouldn’t have improved most aspects of the film, including its humor.
Combined with some decent jokes throughout, the final sequence is mostly what makes this a worthy entry in the franchise. Its Ghostface killer reveal is funny, surprising, and all-around infinitely superior to the one we got in Scream 7 earlier this year. It says something profound about the nature of legacy sequels, selflessly acknowledges the third and fourth films (which the Wayans brothers weren’t part of, but fans seem to enjoy), and breaks the fourth wall in a satisfying way. One particular joke here was oddly way too dark to be funny, but I least appreciate that they took the risk/went there. Other than that, the film ends on a high note, which retroactively improves everything else.
Overall, this is a somewhat weak and disappointing, but ultimately serviceable/acceptable, entry in the Scary Movie franchise. It fails to improve upon or even match any other entry except Scary Movie 5, but it is an infinitely better watch than Scream 7, the most recent sequel in the franchise they’re trying to spoof. I didn’t have that on my bingo card for 2026. If you like these movies, have a drink or two, don’t expect a lot, and be prepared to laugh at something dumb. If you do that, you’ll probably have a decent experience. C
