Going into Scary Movie 6, my expectations were actually pretty low. The first two Scary Movie films worked. They were funny, they were timely, and they knew exactly what they were parodying. After that, the franchise lost its way.
When I heard the Wayans were back, I thought this was going to be a redemption story. I thought they would come back and remind everyone why these movies worked in the first place. I expected something they could be proud of. Something that felt fresh while still honoring what made the originals successful.
That didn’t happen.
One of the biggest issues for me was the screenplay. The film has five credited writers: Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans, Keenen Ivory Wayans, Rick Alvarez, and Craig Wayans.
I’m all for collaboration. Some of my favorite comedy projects came from strong creative partnerships. Look at Hollywood Shuffle with Robert Townsend and Keenen Ivory Wayans. That partnership worked because it felt unified.
Here, the screenplay felt like several different pieces written separately and then stitched together. Nothing really connected. The jokes felt dated. Not nostalgic. Dated.
The movie leans heavily into comedy beats that may have worked 25 years ago, but comedy evolves. Audiences evolve. The problem isn’t that they used an old recipe. The problem is that they didn’t evolve the recipe. I kept waiting for the film to surprise me, and it never did.
One moment that really disappointed me involved Chris Elliott. When I saw him in the trailer doing a parody of Nicolas Cage’s character from Longlegs, I got excited. Chris Elliott has always been an important part of this franchise, and I thought there was real potential there.
Then he was barely in the movie. He’s on screen for what feels like a New York minute, and that’s it. I honestly thought that parody had the potential to become one of the funniest running gags in the movie. Instead, it felt like an introduction to something that never happened. Whether it was cut or simply never developed, it was a missed opportunity.
The movie also feels incredibly choppy. Rather than focusing on one or two strong horror parodies, it tries to tackle everything at once. There’s a constant stream of references, cameos, and different ideas being thrown at the audience. Instead of creating momentum, it creates chaos. Again, nothing connects.
The overacting also became a problem. I understand that exaggerated performances are part of the Scary Movie formula. That’s always been there. The difference is that in the better entries, there were characters who grounded scenes enough to make the absurdity work. Here, everybody is operating at the same volume all the time. When that goes on for an hour and thirty-six minutes, it becomes exhausting rather than funny.
What frustrates me most is that I know what the Wayans are capable of. I’ve seen them perform stand-up. I’ve watched the work they’ve created throughout their careers. The talent is there. That’s why this feels like such a letdown.
The movie doesn’t feel like it needed more talent. It feels like it needed more care. More attention to the writing. More attention to building jokes that connect with today’s audiences instead of relying on old formulas.
I wanted to walk away excited that this franchise had found its footing again.
I didn’t.
⭐ Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
