The Wayans and Company have returned to their franchise with Scary Movie (2026). As someone who is anti-Columbusing the work of Black creatives, and someone who suffered through the entire franchise recently, I was rooting for them. As a 90s kid who grew up watching the Wayans family build a comedic empire, it’s hard not to smile as they appear on screen. It’s also impossible to not be happy as you watch the band get back together, even if they’re not playing your favorite music. So, I take no pleasure in having to tell you that this is bad. Is it as bad as the Zucker era of the franchise? Hell no! Truthfully, it’s not even as bad as Scary Movie 2. If anything, it’s like a weird alternate universe’s version of the original Scary Movie. In that single way, this entry is a success.
Scary Movie (2026) is directed by Michael Tiddes (A Haunted House, A Haunted House 2). The script is written by Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans, Keenen Ivory Wayans, Craig Wayans, and Rick Alvarez. Bringing back three of the original creators, along with new collaborators and family members, is a significant step in the right direction. It resets the franchise and allows them to poke fun at the movies they were not in control of, as they basically do away with the meta and almost respond to tweets directly. This also helps them get back on the original path of following in the shadow of Scream, or Scream (2022) in this case. While the commentary isn’t as sharp, it’s also not quite as offensive. While this movie isn’t great, it’s possibly a stepping stone towards them finding a way forward for the brand of parody they seem stuck with.
Legacy Characters and The New Kids on the Block
Don’t let the Scream 6 opening with Teyana Taylor and Carmen Electra fool you. It’s actually a smart fake-out as the movie doubles back for the Scream (2022) opening we expected. We watch Tuesday (Savannah Lee Nassif) walk an absurd version of Jenna Ortega’s Tara Carpenter’s introduction. She gets a dig in at “elevated comedy” for white people, and Judd Apatow gets an obvious mention for that category. This is also about the time you realize cinematographer Terry Stacey and production designer Nicole Elespuru are really going for it. Even Ariyela Wald-Cohain’s costumes look as if they were picked up from the Scream requel’s set. As a Scream stan account, I lived and wished I had even more time to examine some of the details as the plot kept moving forward.
After Tuesday’s stabbing, we meet Sara Campbell (Olivia Rose Keegan) and her boyfriend Jack (Cameron Scott Roberts). Sara is apparently an addict and has taken Jack’s boner pills, so she checks the dick joke box first. With that, we meet our Sam Carpenter dupe and her boyfriend, who is very obviously a killer. It’s his one thing to play because Scary Movie is also back to giving most characters just one thing to play. That’s how we end up with Jess (Benny Zielke) only being here to be the trans son of Greg (Lochlyn Munro). While he’s the film’s equivalent of Wes in Scream (2026), he only truly gets the one thing right until the very end. On the bright side, these jokes were not nearly as offensive as I was worried they would be.
Where My Girls At?
Brenda Meeks (Regina Hall in a Ma wig) is now the mom of the Meeks twins. Dei (Sydney Park) and Brad (Gregg Wayans) are possibly the most understated of the exaggerated versions of Scream characters on display here. They also get some of the moments that had the most potential for laughs. Like when Brad and his uncle Shorty (Marlon Wayans) have a Sinners moment as he uses rolling a joint to explain oral sex. This moment is cute, and hella meta as Marlon is actually Gregg’s uncle. It also leads to a very flammable mishap later on.
Meanwhile, Dei is on their way back from a protest when the Scream 6 subway moment happens. The pronoun and woke bit do go on too long. However, there is also a slightly interesting exchange about older generations trying but failing, which feels dated but rings true. This complements a sneaky J.K. Rowling prop that might be the best joke of the movie. Her train ride mirrors the original by packing her in with familiar faces from popular horror IP. Michael Myers, Jason Voorhees, Chucky, and the new love of my life, Heart Eyes, are on hand as M3GAN busts a move. It’s not funny, but it is fun.
Cindy, Cindy, Cindy
Brenda isn’t the only one with kids. We meet Cindy Campbell (Anna Faris) living her best Halloween (2018) life. Sara and Jack sidestep all of her lethal traps to talk to her about her dry hair and ask for guidance to kill Ghostface and his friends. This puts her back in the fold, and soon the cast is too large. However, there is no need to worry if they knew the legacy characters were crowding out the new class. Much like Scream 4, Scary Movie doesn’t think you should “fuck with the original.” After a plethora of film spoofs, a slightly engaging reveal of so many killers you almost need a scorecard, it does the hard thing. It gets into all the stuff fans probably wondered about and lets some of the original cast take some verbal stabs at their friends who stuck with the franchise after they were gone.
It’s Not Exactly Woke or Broke
The return of Doofy Gilmore (Dave Sheridan) is another thing that could have been so much worse. While they retcon the character to a less offensive version of how we met him in the original Scary Movie, it’s still not great. Yet, it’s another time where it seems like they’re pulling punches and trying to be a bit smarter. Ray (Shawn Wayans) rolls into a Sinner’s church moment to remind you his character is still closeted. Scary Movie still thinks that should be the joke and his sole purpose. However, it feels like even the actor and the franchise have toned it down a little compared to where it started out. I’m not going to lie and say Scary Movie is funny or worth the wait. However, I am going to mention that it at least marks a little growth while still not being my bag.
An I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025) joke is one of the few that stood out the most. That requel also suffered from nostalgia not letting it stay dead. So, while Smile, The Substance, Terrifier 3, Get Out, John Wick, and even Michael are on the chopping block, they don’t feel as weighted. Especially when thinking about a super quick callback to White Chicks. It feels as if reclaiming their franchise is closing out a chapter for the Wayans. It’s almost as if they know the brand of humor that made them needs to shift gears. They seem stuck in the past and the present at the same time. Maybe I’m just uncharacteristically hopeful. Or maybe I’m just happy this isn’t as bad as Scary Movie 2, 3, 4, or 5. However, this feels like the kind of bad time that I can’t be too mad at.
Final Scary Movie Thoughts
The crew overexplains their jokes, the gags feel flat and forced, and the entire script could have been workshopped a little more. However, there is some restraint and an attempt to be better in places that are actually commendable. If people are going to flock to the theater to see a bad movie, it should be this one. While my theater was as quiet as a morgue, it felt good to see that these kids had grown up a little. It felt full circle to see Shorty Meeks as a 25-year senior in high school with Brenda’s kids. It was even adorable to watch them rehash the joke we met him with in the original film. While I don’t have the nostalgia and love for this franchise as most of my generation does, I do feel this would be a fine ending for the Scary Movie franchise.
Maybe ending it here would allow them to take the reassembled team on a new adventure. One where they can figure out how to do what they do best for a new generation. Or maybe Hollywood will do what it always does and spit out two to three more sequels, killing all the goodwill earned here. All I know is that’s a wrap on my time with the Scary Movie franchise, and I’m excited to be free!
Scary Movie (2026) Review // A Family Reunion You Can’t Escape
The Wayans and Company have returned to their franchise with Scary Movie (2026). As someone who is anti-Columbusing the work of Black creatives, and someone who suffered through the entire franchise recently, I was rooting for them. As a 90s kid who grew up watching the Wayans family build a comedic empire, it’s hard not to smile as they appear on screen. It’s also impossible to not be happy as you watch the band get back together, even if they’re not playing your favorite music. So, I take no pleasure in having to tell you that this is bad. Is it as bad as the Zucker era of the franchise? Hell no! Truthfully, it’s not even as bad as Scary Movie 2. If anything, it’s like a weird alternate universe’s version of the original Scary Movie. In that single way, this entry is a success.
Scary Movie (2026) is directed by Michael Tiddes (A Haunted House, A Haunted House 2). The script is written by Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans, Keenen Ivory Wayans, Craig Wayans, and Rick Alvarez. Bringing back three of the original creators, along with new collaborators and family members, is a significant step in the right direction. It resets the franchise and allows them to poke fun at the movies they were not in control of, as they basically do away with the meta and almost respond to tweets directly. This also helps them get back on the original path of following in the shadow of Scream, or Scream (2022) in this case. While the commentary isn’t as sharp, it’s also not quite as offensive. While this movie isn’t great, it’s possibly a stepping stone towards them finding a way forward for the brand of parody they seem stuck with.
Legacy Characters and The New Kids on the Block
Don’t let the Scream 6 opening with Teyana Taylor and Carmen Electra fool you. It’s actually a smart fake-out as the movie doubles back for the Scream (2022) opening we expected. We watch Tuesday (Savannah Lee Nassif) walk an absurd version of Jenna Ortega’s Tara Carpenter’s introduction. She gets a dig in at “elevated comedy” for white people, and Judd Apatow gets an obvious mention for that category. This is also about the time you realize cinematographer Terry Stacey and production designer Nicole Elespuru are really going for it. Even Ariyela Wald-Cohain’s costumes look as if they were picked up from the Scream requel’s set. As a Scream stan account, I lived and wished I had even more time to examine some of the details as the plot kept moving forward.
After Tuesday’s stabbing, we meet Sara Campbell (Olivia Rose Keegan) and her boyfriend Jack (Cameron Scott Roberts). Sara is apparently an addict and has taken Jack’s boner pills, so she checks the dick joke box first. With that, we meet our Sam Carpenter dupe and her boyfriend, who is very obviously a killer. It’s his one thing to play because Scary Movie is also back to giving most characters just one thing to play. That’s how we end up with Jess (Benny Zielke) only being here to be the trans son of Greg (Lochlyn Munro). While he’s the film’s equivalent of Wes in Scream (2026), he only truly gets the one thing right until the very end. On the bright side, these jokes were not nearly as offensive as I was worried they would be.
Where My Girls At?
Brenda Meeks (Regina Hall in a Ma wig) is now the mom of the Meeks twins. Dei (Sydney Park) and Brad (Gregg Wayans) are possibly the most understated of the exaggerated versions of Scream characters on display here. They also get some of the moments that had the most potential for laughs. Like when Brad and his uncle Shorty (Marlon Wayans) have a Sinners moment as he uses rolling a joint to explain oral sex. This moment is cute, and hella meta as Marlon is actually Gregg’s uncle. It also leads to a very flammable mishap later on.
Meanwhile, Dei is on their way back from a protest when the Scream 6 subway moment happens. The pronoun and woke bit do go on too long. However, there is also a slightly interesting exchange about older generations trying but failing, which feels dated but rings true. This complements a sneaky J.K. Rowling prop that might be the best joke of the movie. Her train ride mirrors the original by packing her in with familiar faces from popular horror IP. Michael Myers, Jason Voorhees, Chucky, and the new love of my life, Heart Eyes, are on hand as M3GAN busts a move. It’s not funny, but it is fun.
Cindy, Cindy, Cindy
Brenda isn’t the only one with kids. We meet Cindy Campbell (Anna Faris) living her best Halloween (2018) life. Sara and Jack sidestep all of her lethal traps to talk to her about her dry hair and ask for guidance to kill Ghostface and his friends. This puts her back in the fold, and soon the cast is too large. However, there is no need to worry if they knew the legacy characters were crowding out the new class. Much like Scream 4, Scary Movie doesn’t think you should “fuck with the original.” After a plethora of film spoofs, a slightly engaging reveal of so many killers you almost need a scorecard, it does the hard thing. It gets into all the stuff fans probably wondered about and lets some of the original cast take some verbal stabs at their friends who stuck with the franchise after they were gone.
It’s Not Exactly Woke or Broke
The return of Doofy Gilmore (Dave Sheridan) is another thing that could have been so much worse. While they retcon the character to a less offensive version of how we met him in the original Scary Movie, it’s still not great. Yet, it’s another time where it seems like they’re pulling punches and trying to be a bit smarter. Ray (Shawn Wayans) rolls into a Sinner’s church moment to remind you his character is still closeted. Scary Movie still thinks that should be the joke and his sole purpose. However, it feels like even the actor and the franchise have toned it down a little compared to where it started out. I’m not going to lie and say Scary Movie is funny or worth the wait. However, I am going to mention that it at least marks a little growth while still not being my bag.
An I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025) joke is one of the few that stood out the most. That requel also suffered from nostalgia not letting it stay dead. So, while Smile, The Substance, Terrifier 3, Get Out, John Wick, and even Michael are on the chopping block, they don’t feel as weighted. Especially when thinking about a super quick callback to White Chicks. It feels as if reclaiming their franchise is closing out a chapter for the Wayans. It’s almost as if they know the brand of humor that made them needs to shift gears. They seem stuck in the past and the present at the same time. Maybe I’m just uncharacteristically hopeful. Or maybe I’m just happy this isn’t as bad as Scary Movie 2, 3, 4, or 5. However, this feels like the kind of bad time that I can’t be too mad at.
Final Scary Movie Thoughts
The crew overexplains their jokes, the gags feel flat and forced, and the entire script could have been workshopped a little more. However, there is some restraint and an attempt to be better in places that are actually commendable. If people are going to flock to the theater to see a bad movie, it should be this one. While my theater was as quiet as a morgue, it felt good to see that these kids had grown up a little. It felt full circle to see Shorty Meeks as a 25-year senior in high school with Brenda’s kids. It was even adorable to watch them rehash the joke we met him with in the original film. While I don’t have the nostalgia and love for this franchise as most of my generation does, I do feel this would be a fine ending for the Scary Movie franchise.
Maybe ending it here would allow them to take the reassembled team on a new adventure. One where they can figure out how to do what they do best for a new generation. Or maybe Hollywood will do what it always does and spit out two to three more sequels, killing all the goodwill earned here. All I know is that’s a wrap on my time with the Scary Movie franchise, and I’m excited to be free!
Miss Sharai Bohannon
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