Scary Movie (2026)
Two friends find themselves caught up in mayhem involving killers, monsters and supernatural creatures once again. Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans, Anna Faris, and Regina Hall reunite alongside returning favourites and fresh faces to slash through horror reboots, remakes, requels, prequels, sequels, spin-offs, elevated horror and origin stories. No horror movie is safe in this parody of the ages.
How many times are we going to break the fourth wall? The Wayans brothers' response would probably be, "Hold my beer", or in Shorty's case, hold my bong.
Scary Movie 6 takes audiences on another ridiculous journey through the franchise that helped define the parody genre in the early 2000s. As someone who was a huge fan of the first two films, I went into this sequel with cautious optimism. Scary Movie 3 was decent enough, but for me the fourth and fifth entries completely lost the plot and felt more like collections of random sketches than actual movies. Thankfully, the sixth installment feels much closer to the spirit of what made the originals so entertaining.
One of the biggest strengths of Scary Movie 6 is the return of familiar faces. Seeing Ray, Shorty, Cindy and Brenda back together instantly brings back memories of the franchise's golden years. Their chemistry remains one of the series' strongest assets, and although time has passed since their last appearances, the cast slips back into these characters effortlessly. The nostalgia factor is undeniable, and the filmmakers know exactly how much fans have missed these characters.
Straight off the bat, the movie reminds viewers what kind of experience they're in for. The opening sequence features a fourth-wall break that itself is parodying another fictional horror movie. It's a joke wrapped inside another joke, which is exactly the kind of absurd humour the series built its reputation on. The film constantly acknowledges its own existence, often poking fun at both itself and the audience. While some may find the endless self-awareness a little excessive, it feels appropriate for a franchise that has never taken itself seriously.
The parody genre is not what it once was. There was a period when films like Scary Movie, Not Another Teen Movie and Superhero Movie dominated cinemas. Today's audiences are generally less interested in rapid-fire spoof films, and many of the modern attempts have failed to capture the charm of their predecessors. Because of that, Scary Movie 6 occasionally feels like a relic from another era. Surprisingly, though, that's part of its appeal. Rather than trying to reinvent itself, the film embraces its identity and delivers exactly what fans would expect.
Much of the comedy comes from satirising modern culture. Whether it's social media obsession, influencer culture, celebrity scandals or the endless online arguments surrounding "woke" topics, the movie takes shots at just about everything. The jokes don't always land, but at least the film is willing to make fun of all sides rather than targeting one specific group. The best moments occur when the writers combine contemporary references with the franchise's trademark stupidity.
A standout return comes in the form of Officer Doofy. Fans of the original film will immediately recognise the character and his signature brand of incompetence. His appearance is essentially the same joke that worked in the first movie—a complete parody of the often clueless police officers seen throughout the Scream franchise: but it still gets laughs. Sometimes familiarity works, especially when it taps into what audiences loved in the first place.
Not every classic character makes an appearance, and some returning actors only receive limited screen time. However, the film includes enough recognisable faces to satisfy longtime fans. Rather than feeling like a complete reboot, it genuinely feels connected to the previous entries. The callbacks never become overwhelming, but there are plenty of references that reward viewers who have followed the franchise from the beginning.
Like every comedy, the film has its ups and downs. There are stretches where the jokes feel a little forced and the momentum slows. Some scenes seem determined to squeeze laughs out of concepts that probably weren't strong enough to support an entire sequence. Yet oddly enough, these quieter periods often make the funniest moments stand out even more.
Among the highlights are the film's parodies of current pop culture trends. The K-pop phenomenon, which has become one of the most influential forces in modern entertainment, receives the Scary Movie treatment in a sequence that perfectly captures the franchise's absurd approach to satire. Another recurring joke centres around one of horror's oldest clichés: the love interest who inevitably turns out to be the killer. The movie repeatedly pokes fun at this trope, escalating the joke to increasingly ridiculous levels.
What has always separated Scary Movie from many other parody films is the amount of humour happening in the background. Some of the funniest jokes are not even the focus of the scene. Personally, I've always enjoyed the non-canon bits the most. Whether it's a fake advertisement playing on a television, a bizarre poster hanging on a wall, or a random background extra doing something completely outrageous, these blink-and-you'll-miss-it moments often generate the biggest laughs. Scary Movie 6 continues that tradition, rewarding attentive viewers with countless visual gags scattered throughout the film.
The film also deserves credit for understanding that horror itself has changed significantly since the franchise began. Modern horror tends to lean more toward psychological tension, elevated themes and slow-burn storytelling than the slasher-heavy landscape of the late 1990s. Rather than focusing exclusively on one specific horror trend, Scary Movie 6 casts a wider net, allowing it to parody both classic and contemporary horror conventions.
From a technical standpoint, nobody is going into a Scary Movie expecting award-winning cinematography or groundbreaking special effects. The production values are solid enough, and the movie looks noticeably better than some of the later sequels. More importantly, the pacing remains brisk, ensuring that even when a joke falls flat, another one arrives quickly enough to keep things moving.
Ultimately, Scary Movie 6 succeeds because it remembers what audiences loved about the franchise in the first place. It doesn't try to be cleverer than it is. It doesn't attempt to transform into something sophisticated. Instead, it embraces the chaos, stupidity and relentless joke-making that made the original films cult favourites.
Is it as good as the first two movies? Probably not. Those films captured lightning in a bottle and arrived at the perfect cultural moment. However, Scary Movie 6 comes closer to recapturing that magic than any sequel has in years. It's messy, uneven and occasionally desperate for a laugh, but when it works, it genuinely feels like hanging out with old friends again.
For longtime fans, that's more than enough reason to buy a ticket. While newcomers may not appreciate every callback or recurring gag, anyone who grew up quoting the original films will likely find plenty to enjoy. It may not revive the parody genre entirely, but it proves there's still life left in the franchise.
Scary Movie is in NZ cinemas June 11, 2026
Review written by Jack Kemp
