Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Mostly unfunny return to crude, bloody comedy-horror series.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Scary Movie
What's the Story?
In SCARY MOVIE, the Ghostface Killer returns and threatens teen Tuesday (Savannah Lee Nassif). Her sister, Sara (Olivia Rose Keegan), visits her in the hospital, bringing along her boyfriend, Jack (Cameron Scott Roberts). Sara and Tuesday are the daughters of Cindy (Anna Faris), though Sara is estranged from her mother, and Cindy has hidden herself away for years in a house full of booby traps. Then Cindy is reunited with Brenda (Regina Hall), Shorty (Marlon Wayans), and Ray (Shawn Wayans), and, together, the old friends and the new ones try to figure out where the killer will strike next, who among them might actually be wearing the mask, and what the heck is going on.
Is It Any Good?
Not much has changed for this old franchise, which once offered guilty pleasure giggles but, even with up-to-date references, now has a worn-out feeling, and most of the gags just don't land. Releasing 26 years after the first entry in the series and 13 years after its most recent predecessor, Scary Movie is modeled after the plot of the fifth Scream movie, which, for whatever reason, was called simply Scream; hence, this one is Scary Movie, rather than Scary Movie 6. But it opens with a callback to Scream VI and Samara Weaving's opening scare in the alleyway. This time, it happens to Teyana Taylor, and the outcome is a bit different (and less than hilarious).
The movie takes side trips to try to lampoon movies like Sinners, Get Out, Terrifier 3, The Substance, Longlegs, and more, also without getting much in the way of laughs. And it rolls out a few modern jokes about things like the Epstein Files, pronouns, DEI, ICE raids, etc. with about the same results. It can't even manage a tinge of nostalgia (as the Scream films do so well), probably because the people here aren't really characters, but rather simple sketches, delivery devices for the jokes. That said, Scary Movie does manage maybe a half-dozen surprise laughs that are likely to catch viewers off guard, so it's not a total waste. But the irreverent days of the original Scary Movie (2000) (and maybe its first sequel) are long, long gone.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Scary Movie's sexual humor. Who do you think that type of comedy is intended to appeal to? Does it succeed? Is there anything here on that subject that can be taken seriously?
Is the movie actually scary? How does it use images from traditional horror movies and take most of the fear out of them?
Did you notice any stereotypes? How did they make you feel? Why are accurate depictions in the media important?
What's the appeal of this franchise, which has been going since the year 2000?
Movie Details
- In theaters : June 5, 2026
- Cast : Marlon Wayans , Regina Hall , Anna Faris
- Director : Michael Tiddes
- Inclusion Information : Black Movie Actor(s) , Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studios : Paramount , Miramax
- Genre : Comedy
- Topics : Family Stories ( Moms ) , Holidays ( Halloween )
- Run time : 96 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : crude sexual content, graphic nudity, strong violence, and drug content and language throughout
- Last updated : June 5, 2026
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