Scary Movie delivers exactly what you would expect from it. Head to theaters, turn off your brain, and laugh for ninety minutes. We all need a break.
Let’s be completely honest with ourselves: nobody walks into a theater for Scary Movie expecting their lives to be changed in any way. You go in with a giant bucket of popcorn, a massive soda, and the fully conscious decision to leave your brain at the door. That is exactly what I did, and I don’t regret a single second of it.
For ninety minutes straight, I just sat back and laughed. It was ridiculous, utterly shameless, and it delivered exactly what it promised. The world is stressful and intense, and this film delivered the break I needed.
Is it as good as the original, lightning-in-a-bottle Scary Movie from 2000? No, probably not. That first movie changed the landscape of parody for a generation. But I will boldly state that this is, without a single doubt, the best sequel this franchise has ever produced. It breathes life back into a series that had lost its way for a while.
The absolute best part of this entire experience was seeing the core family back together. I am so incredibly glad that the Wayans brothers are back in charge of this franchise, because quite frankly, they should have been all along. The series always belonged to them. Watching Marlon Wayans slide back into the chaotic energy of Shorty and Shawn Wayans bringing Ray back to life felt like a nostalgic fever dream in the best way possible.
Of course, we also get the undisputed queens of horror parody: Anna Faris and Regina Hall. Seeing Cindy and Brenda back on screen together is pure cinematic comfort. Their comedic chemistry hasn’t aged a day. They bounce off each other with the exact same frantic, brilliant comedic timing they had over two decades ago.
They just get it. They understand the assignment. They know how to commit completely to a bit, no matter how absurd, degrading, or downright stupid the joke is, and that commitment is what makes the whole thing work.
Nothing is sacred in this movie. It takes shots at those artsy, slow-burn A24-style horror flicks that take themselves a bit too seriously. Scary Movie rips into the trope of bringing back old characters just to pass the torch to a younger cast. And, of course, it parodies movies that completely took the world by storm over the last couple of years, blending traditional horror targets with massive pop culture juggernauts.
Does every single joke land? Absolutely not. There are definitely moments where a gag runs a little too long, or a punchline feels a bit dated. But honestly, it’s genuinely impressive how much they just go for it. They throw a thousand jokes at the wall to see what sticks, and the sheer velocity of the comedy means that if a joke bombs, you’re already laughing at the next three that come immediately after it.
The Wayans brothers do not care who they offend, and in today’s cinematic landscape, that feels incredibly refreshing. They punch in every single direction. It’s silly, it’s boundary-pushing, and it refuses to apologize for its own existence.
Sure, if you’re looking at it strictly as a piece of traditional filmmaking, the plot leaves a lot to be desired. The narrative arc is thin, the pacing can be a bit chaotic, and the logic holding the scenes together is practically nonexistent.
But let’s be fair: no one is watching a Scary Movie installment for a cohesive, tightly wound narrative through-line. We are here to see how they’re going to parody the latest viral internet trends, how they’re going to twist the most famous horror movie killers, and to chuckle at the off-hand pop culture references (and yes, that 6-7 reference had me rolling).
Ultimately, Scary Movie is the return to form I wanted to see. It’s a hilarious, self-aware, and completely dumb fun time at the movies. I truly hope we get another one because I would love to see the Wayans tackle Obsession next.
If you go in expecting an intellectual cinematic experience, you’re doing it wrong. But if you go in wanting to see a bunch of comedy legends relentlessly roast the current state of Hollywood for an hour and a half, you’re going to have a blast. I know I did.
About Scary Movie
Twenty-six years after outrunning a suspiciously familiar masked killer (“Ghostface”), the Core Four are back in the killer’s crosshairs and no horror movie IP is safe. Marlon Wayans (“Shorty”), Shawn Wayans (“Ray”), Anna Faris (“Cindy”), and Regina Hall (“Brenda”) reunite in Scary Movie alongside returning favorites and fresh faces to slash through reboots, remakes, requels, prequels, sequels, spin-offs, elevated horror, origin stories, anything with the word legacy in it, and every “final chapter” that absolutely isn’t final.
Nothing is sacred. No trope survives. Every line gets crossed. The Wayans are back to cancel the Cancel Culture.
Scary Movie comes to theaters on June 5.
