Scary Movie (2026) Review

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The same city, the same old mistakes. Someone starts killing again — it looks like the legendary killer Ghostface has returned! And he seems not to be alone, so poor TUESDAY (who is not Wednesday) is definitely in for trouble. The new generation of heroes has only one hope — the UNKILLABLE Sidney Campbell, who went slightly crazy after the previous four films but learned how to survive.

Just like the rest of her veteran friends from the series: Brenda, who is now MA, her husband Ray, who DEFINITELY loves women now (and absolutely not men), — and, of course, Shorty, who over the years has become not smarter at all, but just even more stoned. “Getting a girl is like rolling a joint!”

The old-school idiots will have to face a new incarnation of SCREAM, which has its own WEAPONS in its arsenal, and also — endure THE SUBSTANCE, somehow to GET OUT, greet LONGLEGS with a SMILE — and, of course, find out what all of this means and what these SINNERS did to deserve it all. “Let’s get back to the plot, people!”

 

 

Now I’m going to say something very strange, but the new “Scary Movie” (already the sixth one) is the SMARTEST film of the STUPIDEST franchise. I’m not joking.

Yes, it is still not the best film in the series. Yes, there is absolutely no originality whatsoever. Yes, the energy may no longer be the same. But — it is much better than what could have happened. The guys came back together — and not only completely outdid the weak fourth and terrible fifth parts, which did not even have Anna Faris, — but they actually managed to say something!

“Do you want to quit smoking?” — “Well, to be honest, I tried to quit. But my mother said I ain't raising no quitters. So I quit quitting.”

This is the first time in the history of the series when “Scary Movie” does not just laugh at everything and everyone (something people seem to have forgotten how to do nowadays), but also reflects. About itself, society, the genre… but mostly, of course, about itself and the direction in which popular movies are developing. Endless reboots and sequels, where tired old heroes are joined by bland new ones, and events repeat themselves over and over again — the Matrix still keeps people trapped, Leatherface still starts his chainsaw, Jason still sharpens his machete… the heroes cannot retire, the monsters cannot die — studio caution and greed do not allow it to end.

 

 

“Oh, what an interesting costume! Did you dress up as Woody from ‘Toy Story’?” — “No, it’s my favourite movie — ‘Brokeback Mountain’!”

Sidney, Brenda, Shorty, and Ray directly ask themselves and the audience at the end: is this really what we actually want? Is this how things should be? There is also a more personal question rising to the surface through self-irony and meta-commentary: “Twenty years have passed… are we really still interesting? Do people really still love us?”

 

 

Judging by audience reactions and box office results, the answer is clear: the thirty-million-dollar comedy earned two hundred million more (meaning it made at least 170 million in profit). And 23% freshness on Rotten Tomatoes — for this series, that is like a standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival. The supposedly beloved second movie has only 13% (and that is justified: the film is disgustingly awful and unfunny).

Why did audiences warmly welcome the return of Sidney, Brenda, Shorty, and Ray? It is not just about nostalgia and the popularity of a genre that has not been properly mocked in a long time. It is about the film’s humor itself: the creators spare no one. Not white people, not Black people, not liberals, not conservatives, not gays, not straight people, not trans people — everyone gets targeted. And when everyone is being laughed at, there is seemingly nothing to be offended by, right? A young woman gets stabbed, but what bothers her more is that her pronouns were said incorrectly. Kids get handed the wrong candy — and they run through the streets like Naruto shouting “six seven.” A girl takes pills for everything like an addict and goes through withdrawal. Cops once again pile onto a Black guy, even though there is a literal freak killer standing nearby. Funny? Absolutely! (Even though these things are generally not funny.)

 

 

“You are about to identify as Dead!”

The tone has noticeably changed compared to the first two films. The humor is no longer as rebellious and completely unhinged; it even seems softer — like later episodes of “The Simpsons” (which are generally a rather toothless and kind show for viewers well over forty). If you want, you can even find some hints of grumbling toward the younger generation, with their pronouns, anxiety, smartphones, and slang — but it is more of a joke about society itself and the time we live in. And they really are pretty cursed. Worse than any horror movie.

 

 

That is why the creators take characters familiar since the first movie and place them into the modern context: for example, Officer Doofy, who (spoiler!) turned out to be the mastermind at the end of the original “Scary Movie,” has become much dumber again in this film — this time genuinely, because of COVID-19 and lockdown. (Although his greatest love is still willing to do anything for a journalistic sensation — or almost anything, because it is the #MeToo era.)

“Should we hug?” — “I really want to, but I'm a Republican now, so I'm supposed to be racist…” — “Oh, girl, I think all white people are racists anyway. Come here!”

None of this even tries to form a logical plot, but the ending may surprise you a little. However, its main strength is motivational: it is the creators’ own message, their reflection on their place inside their own creation, the rights to which they lost after the second movie but have now regained. There is some great cinephile self-irony here, even if most jokes do not go beyond ordinary gags. But they are packed tightly into a fairly short film — you can see they tried to keep the best ideas they came up with. It is still not “The Naked Gun” or “Airplane!”, but at least it is watchable — and perhaps (just perhaps!) worth revisiting once. For the meta-irony, ridiculous stupidity, and the bewildered Anna Faris, who, sadly, is no longer at the center of events, but at least is no longer alone.

“Wow, what guns! Are you John Wick?” — “Well, how do I put it…” — “If you said ‘Ballerina,’ nobody would have watched that crap anyway.”

Nature has healed so much that the Wayans brothers have returned. Without producer Weinstein, on their own terms. They went and made fun of everything they wanted. A small auteur film hidden behind the facade of a silly parody of overly serious movies.

I did not think I would like it.

 

Rating 5.5/10, — better than it could have been (and was); a couple of laughs for an evening, without pretending to have the intellectuality or style of an A24 studio film. A bunch of stupidity, funny vulgarity, and friendly uses of the N-word, jokes aimed in every direction — and a pleasant aftertaste, even if you lived in a cave and missed half of what is being mocked. Ghostface has returned — which means the bloody fun continues. But now on its own terms — the series is in excellent hands.

P.S. Forgot to mention: the actors were chosen perfectly. Sidney’s daughter is Anna Faris in her youth brought to life, EXACTLY THE SAME facial expressions, surprised eyes, and that same bewilderment, only on pills. (“Tuesday” is also great, at times she is the spitting image of a young Christina Ricci… what, which Jenna Ortega?)

 

Автор: Updated at Aug 18th 2026