The Wayans Brothers are back for the sixth installment of the Scary Movie franchise, but did it live up to expectations? The series moved forward without their creative touch in Scary Movie 3 through Scary Movie 5. Ever since then, many fans, myself included, felt like something was missing. The original films balanced horror parodies with the kind of over-the-top comedy that only the Wayans could deliver. Scary Movie 2 was the last film in the franchise to feature the Wayans’ full creative involvement. Twenty-five years later, they’re back to see if they can bring that magic to a new generation. After watching it in theaters, however, the jokes are hit or miss, with some feeling more corny than funny.
What’s the Story This Time Around?
I won’t go into detail about everything, but Scary Movie is all over the place. It kicks off with a special guest appearance from Teyana Taylor, who is waiting on her date at a bar. She plays an over-dramatized version of herself and gets lured into a dark alley where Ghostface attempts to slash her. She owns the screen, especially when she does the “CUCKOO” call to her team of men who hilariously jump Ghostface. What killed me was when Ghostface tried to stab her and the knife crinkled, with Taylor making it clear her abs had abs.
Moving forward, we’re introduced to new faces like Cindy’s (Anna Faris) daughter Sara (Olivia Rose Keegan) and her suspicious boyfriend Jack (Cameron Scott Roberts). We meet them at a Final Destination-themed amusement park where the rides are going off the rails as they plan to hunt for Sara’s sister Tuesday, a parody of Wednesday Addams, who is being targeted. They later find Cindy, who is in her Laurie Strode era. They also eventually meet up with Doofy to figure out the killer who has been terrorizing their town since surviving the first film.
We also see familiar faces again. Brenda (Regina Hall) is now dressed as Octavia Spencer from Ma and has two kids in high school. We meet her daughter, Dei (Sydney Park), a socially conscious and overly sensitive student. We also see Brenda’s son, Brad (Gregg Wayans-Benson), a jock with a promiscuous girlfriend who constantly makes sexual innuendos. They later reunite with Shorty (Marlon Wayans). Who would have thought he would now be a millionaire streamer who has somehow been a senior in high school for 25 years? Sounds about right. Ray is then seen doing the most in church while denying his sexuality. His over-the-top fellatio gag involving a microphone is one of those moments that keeps your eyes glued to the screen.
As the film continues, Kim Wayans appears as Nurse Ratchett, who is exactly what her name implies, a “ratchet” nurse who is always on break. It was a delight seeing her on the big screen, and she had the theater laughing. Toward the end of the film, a party erupts into violence as almost everyone gets killed. This leaves only the original cast standing. They end up killing Sara, Jack, and Tuesday.
There isn’t really a structured plot here, just a series of random scenes, character meetups, and movie references stitched together.
What Worked and What Didn’t
The film feels like a parody within a parody, frequently referencing the first two Scary Movie films throughout its runtime. It also takes aim at several recent horror hits, including Sinners, M3GAN, The Substance, Smile, Scream, and Get Out. With it being jam-packed with references, the film eventually leans too heavily on jokes and commentary that already feel familiar from social media.
One of the more entertaining running gags involves Brenda and Cindy joking about the franchise’s history, including being offered large sums of money to return and film Scary Movie 3 and Scary Movie 4 without the Wayans brothers. That self-aware humor works better than most of the newer material. The jokes land especially well when the film leans into absurdity instead of overexplaining every moment. At times, however, the movie falls into that exact trap. Scenes spell out horror tropes instead of trusting the audience to follow along.
Several new characters add very little to the story. Some performances also suffer from awkward comedic timing, making jokes feel forced rather than natural. A few scenes also drag on longer than necessary, weakening punchlines that would’ve hit better with tighter editing. The subplot involving Sara’s boyfriend Jack, who is positioned as a potential killer, feels cliché. While intentional as a parody of horror romance tropes, it becomes more annoying than funny over time.
Despite its inconsistencies, the film does have moments that stand out. The White Chicks callback is easily one of the funniest and most memorable scenes, especially Gail Hailstorm’s transformation into Tiffany Wilson after being injected with “the stuff.” Ghostface’s line, “White Chicks 2 my ass,” is one I agreed with most because it highlights that it is not needed and that reboots need to stop.
The film often feels like a collection of trending ideas stitched together in hopes of going viral, packed with so many pop culture references that it occasionally loses sight of its own story. Even so, there are flashes of the original Scary Movie vibe that remind you what made the franchise work in the first place. The parody of KPop Demon Hunters’ “Golden” is one of the few genuinely surprising moments. It’s entertaining, but also confusing, especially given how it sexualizes characters from a 3D animated kids’ movie. A very strange creative choice.
At its core, though, the film struggles to balance nostalgia with its newer direction. While I appreciate the effort to spotlight newer actors, many of them feel out of place alongside the franchise veterans. The scenes featuring the original cast carry a warmth and chemistry that the newer characters struggle to match, which makes it hard not to wish the film had focused more heavily on them.
Even with limited screen time, Shawn Wayans’ portrayal of Ray is the film’s comedic standout. The parody of the viral “I Am Delivered” video is easily one of the funniest sequences in the entire movie, with Ray fully committing to the bit in a way that captures his known outlandish behavior that we love so much.
Is it the worst movie I’ve ever seen? Nope. Is it a great movie? Not at all. Despite the constant jokes, I didn’t find myself laughing often. I also almost fell asleep in the middle of it. I did appreciate seeing Cindy, Brenda, Ray, and Shorty share the screen again, so I wouldn’t be mad if there is a Scary Movie 7, just make it better next time.
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