We all know what we’re getting into with the Scary Movie franchise. It’s going to be gross. It’s going to be irreverent. And it’s going to be filled with lots of jokes about other movies, mostly from the horror genre. The formula has been the same since the 2000 original, itself paying homage to a spoof genre made famous decades earlier by the Zucker brothers, Mel Brooks, and others. The new film very much fits into that framework and even tries to update it in some ways. But, for the most part, it’s never consistently funny or interesting enough to work overall. After losing control of the franchise for its three most recent installments, this sixth Scary Movie is back in the hands of the Wayans family. Marlon and Shawn write, produce, and star, while various other members of the family pitch in either in small cameos or behind the camera. It’s truly a family affair, and that chip on their shoulder from losing the franchise for all this time plays a big role in the film. Directed by Michael Tiddes, the sixth Scary Movie (just called Scary Movie) follows the formula of the fifth Scream (just called Scream) almost religiously. The Ghostface killer is back, and they’re targeting a younger generation in order to get the original cast members back into the mix. Olivia Rose Keegan and Savannah Lee Nassif play sisters Sara and Tuesday, daughters of Cindy (Anna Faris), who has spent the last several decades pulling a Jamie Lee Curtis from the 2018 Halloween, waiting and preparing for Ghostface to come back. Eventually, original characters like Brenda (Regina Hall), Shorty (Marlon Wayans), and Ray (Shawn Wayans) weave back into the story too, some of whom have kids who are involved, and others are just still acting like kids all these years later.
'Scary Movie' Plays the Hits, But Mostly Misses
Anna Faris, Regina Hall, Marlon Wayans, and Shawn Wayans return for the horror spoof, now in theaters.










