An “On, sh*t, son!” of a sequel.
This new “Scary Movie” could be considered to be what “Scream” (2022) referred to as a “requel,” which means it’s both a sequel and reboot. One that features new actors and characters collaborating with the original actors and characters. And I guess like that 5th movie, instead of this being called “Scary Movie 6,” they just went with “Scary Movie.”
13 years ago, “Scary Movie 5” was further proof that the franchise has deteriorated itself, from the bad poop jokes to the degrading roles from the likes of Ashley Tisdale and Heather Locklear to the lack of the Wayans family. 13 years later, we have the requel with Shawn and Marlon Wayans, Anna Faris, Regina Hall, Cheri Oteri, Dave Sheridan, Jon Abrahams, Lochlyn Munroe, and Chris Elliot returning, young actors I’ve never heard of coming in, and others like Kenan Thompson, Teyona Taylor, and Damon Wayans, Jr. cameoing in.
This sequel promises to be as offensive as possible with the R-rating returning to its form. It wants to take no prisoners with its humor on race, gender, and interests (“My pronouns are “They/Them.” He stabbed them!”), but you have to admit that they’re cramming too many movies, they’re desperate to get laughs, and they’re repeating some of the same jokes we’ve seen in the first two movies.
The horror movies it parodies this time include the recent “Scream” sequels, “Terrifier,” “Weapons,” “Get Out,” “Sinners,” “Halloween” (2018), “Final Destination,” “Longlegs,” “Ma,” “Heart Eyes,” “M3GAN,” “The Substance,” and “Smile.” So, we have Cindy Campbell (Faris) preparing for Ghostface’s return, Shorty (Marlon Wayans) still getting high with the killer, Brenda (Hall) having that Octavia Spencer hairdo, and Ray (Shawn Wayans) still acting gay (When a “Sinner” spoofer says: “….do some half gay sh*t,” he asks: “Why just half gay?”).
This “Scary Movie,” now directed by Marlon’s collaborator Michael Tiddes (“A Haunted House”), only works because of how Marlon brings Shorty to the 2020s, like how he ends up in a “Get Out” and “Kpop Demon Hunters” parody and I like how he has his live streamings with Ghostface fooling around with his buddies. But he also has to give us a glimpse of a worse comedy, when he references “White Chicks.”
If you saw the 2000 spoof, which probably would have been labeled “Scream If You Know What I Did Last Halloween,” you would see that Keenan Ivory Wayans provided the right kind of style and satire with a ZAZ vibe. And he didn’t try so hard to get laughs; he knew who the targets were. I know we’re not usually supposed to praise the performances or story, but the young actors are lousy and the spoofing goes all over the place like a margarita with too many ingredients and not enough heart or flavor. Last year, “The Naked Gun” (2025) and “Fackham Hall” both proved the parody genre was still alive and kicking, but those films knew who the targets were and delivered with the right versatility.
I was a big fan of the original and it was part of my teens, but I think we can agree any “Scary Movie” sequel can’t compare to it. I mean, how could they?