There’s been a bit of a resurgence in the spoof genre in recent years, with films like The Naked Gun and Fackham Hall, and with 13 years having passed since the last offering in the Scary Movie franchise, it seems like an appropriate time to bring the horror parody series back. Reviews are in for the Wayans Brothers’ Scary Movie 6, as it hits the 2026 movie schedule on June 5, and I'm shocked that critics' reaction to the new movie is that most of the jokes aren't funny.
The sixth installment of the Scary Movie series drops the number from its official title, much in the same way that Scream 5 was just called Scream. The movie brings back much of its cast from the first two movies, including Anna Faris as Cindy Campbell. Regina Hall returns as well, along with Marlon and Shawn Wayans and many others. Kim Newman of Empire rates the movie 2 out of 4 stars, writing in his review:
There are okay-ish jokes about the OG SM crew being stuck in the early 2000s, but the film at least references some current concerns — ICE raids, insistence on preferred pronouns, a history curriculum predicated on slavery not being a bad thing. The last ten minutes before the extended end-credits almost start to be funny, playing on tension between the cast holdovers from the first Scary Movie and the younger generation — but it’s a long haul to get there.
David Rooney of THR says the movies that Scary Movie is spoofing may be different, but the jokes are all the same — and many more of them fall flat than inspire laughs from the audience, according to Rooney. The critic concludes:
Fourth walls are shattered, hoary tropes are dismantled, the body count climbs and a joke gets thrown in about the endless supply of Wayanses ready to keep the franchise going. For the first time, that includes In Living Color vet Kim Wayans, going large as irascible hospital staffer Nurse Ratchett. But how many times can we crack up with Shorty in his perennial weed cloud? This ‘rebootiquel,’ as one of the characters refers to it, needs fresh inspiration and not just a lazy retread of the same old meta contortions if it’s to have a life much beyond its opening weekend.
Witney Seibold of SlashFilm rates it 2.5 out of 10, admitting that there are some genuinely funny moments in Scary Movie 6, but the legacy sequel is otherwise a “puerile trash fire.” The movie aims to be offensive, Seibold writes, complaining about issues like gender identity rather than making any sort of statement about the subjects they’re lampooning. The critic says:
I'm sorry to say that jokes made at the expense of queer people — and there are way too many of them — don't stand in as a substitute for pop culture deconstruction. If anything, the Wayans have aged out. They still think it's funny that gay people exist, and make buffoons or victims of its queer characters. … Scary Movie thinks offensive queer jokes and topical references stand in for a perspective. Instead, it's a bunch of kids wiping boogers on each other and giggling. That might make you laugh when you're five, I suppose. Scary Movie hovers around that level of intelligence.
Eric Goldman of IGN acknowledges in his review of Scary Movie 6 that while the jokes miss more than they land, it’s nice to see the Wayans family back in the franchise — especially with OG stars like Anna Faris and Regina Hall. Goldman gives the movie a “Mediocre” 5 out of 10, writing:
Whether you call it Scary Movie 2026 or Scary Movie 6, this is Scary Movie through and through. It’s odd to have nostalgia for something that’s always been as outright silly as this, and yet there is something comforting about seeing Anna Faris, Regina Hall, Marlon Wayans and Shawn Wayans reunited, and they’re all still as innately charming and funny as ever. But the successful joke ratio is too low, with a lot of gags falling flat or just not doing enough with what is being parodied.
For Alison Foreman of IndieWire, seeing the Wayans reclaim their franchise is reason enough to make it out for the upcoming horror movie, but the movie in some ways reads less like a parody of movie culture and more like a representation of what Hollywood executives think modern horror is. Foreman continues:
Despite the time between Scary Movie 6 and the core four’s last appearance in 2001’s Scary Movie 2, the lead actors’ chemistry is largely intact today. Director Michael Tiddes … does a good job reminding viewers why these performers became comedy icons in the first place. But whether the Wayans were protecting against or inviting Paramount’s influence when it came to putting ideas on the page, the Wayans’ uneven return engagement doesn’t ring true to them overall.
There are so many movies from the past 13 years that the Wayans Brothers could choose from to spoof, and along with a Weapons gag, Scary Movie parodies everything from The Substance to Get Out to Sinners and even KPop Demon Hunters. If you liked the early offerings in this franchise, don’t let any negative reviews stop you from seeing this one.
However, with a critics score of 29% on Rotten Tomatoes, don’t go in expecting anything high-brow either. Scary Movie hits theaters Friday, June 5.
