Scary Movie

For Anna Faris, Regina Hall and Marlon & Shawn Wayans, Scary Movie is a classic case of “the old gang get back together again”, a common theme in 2026 after the release of Scream 7 and the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday movie. This sixth instalment in the franchise, penned once more by the Wayans brothers, sees numerous cast members from over the years return to try and stop the mysterious Ghostface from continuing his killing spree, while they also face up to the fact that they are much older and less sprightly than they used to be.

There were a few elements that made the first Scary Movie parody film such a smash hit in 2000. Firstly, it came after the 1990s, when you couldn’t move without bumping into a teen horror film, especially movies like Scream, I Know What You Did Last Summer, and The Blair Witch Project. By this point in time, audiences knew all the tropes and clichés, making it ripe for picking by the comedic Wayans brothers. Secondly, the plot actually followed a coherent path with close copies of iconic movie scenes and tight writing, delivering a gut-busting ride.

Doing the same thing with Scary Movie in 2026 shows how dated the format truly is. The film wastes no time in getting back to business with nods to recent movies such as Weapons, Sinners and even Kpop Demon Hunters, and multiple cultural references that include more cameos than you can shake a stick at. While a number of these light-hearted jibes will undoubtedly please fans, a large amount of the humour and entertainment in the movie comes in the form of pale imitations of the originals. As is the way with parodies, all characters are dispensable, and this is addressed on the nose in a comical fashion, but by the end, this doesn’t rescue the movie from becoming completely nonsensical. Most of the jokes are either recycled from early films or just don’t land without an eyeroll from the viewer, leaving you wondering if any fresh creativity is left in the writing room.

There is absolutely no doubt that upon release, Scary Movie will amass a small fortune at the box office, as seems to be the way with the franchise, but as for the actual quality of what we are witnessing on screen, there is a lot left to be desired. Diehard fans will leave cinemas laughing once more, but perhaps it is time to wrap this slapstick series up for good?