‘Scary Movie’ Review: A Long-Awaited Reunion That Feels Uninspired, Dated, and Short on Laughs

Twenty-five years after helping redefine parody filmmaking, Scary Movie returns with the reunion audiences have spent decades waiting for. Bringing Marlon and Shawn Wayans back together with Anna Faris and Regina Hall, this latest installment has all the ingredients for a triumphant comeback. Instead, it delivers a comedy that feels uninspired, dated, and creatively exhausted.

This latest chapter follows a formula that will be immediately familiar to longtime fans. Ghostface is back, Cindy Campbell is once again caught in the mayhem, and a new generation is forced to confront the franchise’s latest wave of carnage. While the premise offers a straightforward framework for the movie’s spoofs, Scary Movie rarely seems interested in its own story. The narrative quickly gives way to a succession of sketches, references, and sight gags that compete for attention without ever forming a satisfying whole.

This time around, the franchise primarily sets its sights on Scream 5, with brief cameos into The Substance, Get Out, M3GAN, and Sinners. There is certainly no shortage of parody on display. The problem is that there is little rhyme or reason to what gets sent up at any given moment. References appear and disappear with such frequency that they begin to blur together, creating the impression of a movie more interested in reminding audiences of popular titles than finding something funny to say about them. Even the strongest pop culture jokes are so fleeting that they disappear almost as quickly as they’re introduced.

What made the original Scary Movie movies work wasn’t simply that they referenced popular culture. They understood what made those stories ripe for parody. This latest installment rarely demonstrates that same level of insight. The political commentary feels dated, many of the jokes land with a thud, and the energy fades almost as quickly as it begins. As the runtime wears on, the laughs become increasingly scarce, exposing just how heavily the comedy relies on nostalgia to carry it forward.

Perhaps the clearest indication of the movie’s shortcomings came from the audience itself. Genuine laughs were few and far between, replaced largely by scattered chuckles and extended stretches of silence. In fact, Scary Movie became the first movie I’ve ever seriously considered walking out of midway through. I wasn’t alone either. During my screening, several audience members ultimately acted on the same impulse. For a comedy built around eliciting laughter, the lack of it proved difficult to ignore.

If there is a saving grace, it’s the return of the franchise’s core cast. Anna Faris and Regina Hall effortlessly slip back into the chemistry that made the original entries such a success, delivering some of the production’s few genuinely entertaining moments. Their scenes provide brief reminders of why audiences fell in love with these characters in the first place. The return of Marlon and Shawn Wayans carries its own nostalgic appeal, but even their presence can’t overcome material that feels rushed and underdeveloped. Faris and Hall emerge as the clear MVPs, bringing a level of commitment and comedic timing that the screenplay itself rarely matches.

Ironically, its most successful moment arrives at the very end, when it finally acknowledges the true appeal of seeing Scary Movie return after all these years. The parodies and references may drive the premise, but the reunion of Anna Faris, Regina Hall, Marlon Wayans, and Shawn Wayans is ultimately what gives the story its strongest moments. It’s a level of self-awareness that remains largely absent throughout the film.

Had that understanding informed the rest of the sequel, it might have justified its existence. Instead, it spends much of its runtime chasing contemporary references while underutilizing the very reunion that makes its existence worthwhile. The result is a comedy that reminds audiences why they loved these characters without ever giving them a compelling reason to revisit them. You leave the theater not discussing the jokes, the parodies, or even the plot. You leave wondering how a reunion this anticipated resulted in something so uninspired.

★ out of 5