The first Scary Movie was in constant rotation as a video store rental staple for many fellow 90’s babies. Back in the day when raunchy R-rated comedies were among the biggest blockbusters of any given year, the first film in the franchise, directed by In Living Color‘s Keenen Ivory Wayans, was a goofy, infectiously lowbrow parody of the slasher films of the late 90’s that became just as popular as the films it was spoofing. Sure, the film was dumb and fairly offensive, but it managed to poke fun at slasher tropes in ways the Scream franchise was too respectable to do. When Carmen Electra runs out of a house while being chased by Ghostface and chooses a banana to wield instead of a weapon in the opening scene, it was clear what kind of take the Wayans bros had on the slasher formula. Flash forward 26 years and the Wayans Bros have been given the rights back to the franchise after being ousted by the heinous Weinsteins and have returned with most of the original cast back. Their return to the franchise doesn’t have nearly the edgy bite that the marketing campaign suggests, but as a big-screen return of the spoof comedy, it hits just the right amount of guffaws.
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After an attack by Ghostface leaves her sister Tuesday (Savannah Lee Nassif), a Wednesday Addams knockoff, in the hospital, Sara (Olivia Rose Keegan) and her boyfriend Jack (Cameron Scott Roberts) — who is definitely not the killer, as the film humorously points out over and over again — reunite with Sara’s estranged mother, Cindy Campbell (Anna Faris). Cindy has become a shut-in survivalist ala Laurie Strode and the grandmother from Final Destination: Bloodlines who begrudgingly joins them and their crew of newcomers to fend off the returning Ghostface killer. This leads her to reunite with the gang including Brenda (Regina Hall), who looks and acts a lot like Octavia Spencer’s Ma, Shorty (Marlon Wayans), who is still a high school senior after 25 years and makes a killing by streaming with the likes of Kai Cenat, and the closeted Ray (Shawn Wayans). Also returning is Cheri Oteri’s sensalized news anchor Gail Hailstorm, Dave Sheridan’s intellectually disabled retired special officer Doofy and Lochlyn Munro’s Greg, who is now a local police officer.
Directed by recent Wayans collaborator Michael Tiddes, Scary Movie is not exactly what one would call a fresh or intelligent comedy, but one that does supply an ample amount of silly laughs. Given the 20-plus years since the Wayans made a Scary Movie and over 12 years since the last installment in the franchise, the atrocious Scary Movie 5, it’s rather surprising that this latest film has so little to say about the state of the horror genre. Despite a brilliant opening sequence featuring a recent Oscar-nominee poking fun at her recent snub, the film lacks the sharp observations on the horror genre that made the first entry such a unique satire. Given all the time that has passed since the Wayans were last behind a Scary Movie project, one would think the comedic family dynasty would have something distinct or clever to say about the state of the horror genre. Unfortunately, the filmmakers are content with heavy nostalgia bait while poking fun at the fact they are indeed baiting nostalgia and predictable jokes most audience will see the punchline to far in advance. That said, the jokes that do work, are quite hysterical.
Meta jokes regarding the participation of actors in the post-Wayans sequels earn a few hearty chuckles as do a number of well-placed sight gags sprinkled throughout the background of multiple sequences. The film’s most gut-busting moment comes in the style of a KPop Demon Hunters gag that is rather brilliant in its roaring stupidity. It is also a particular joy in seeing Anna Faris and Regina Hall together on-screen again, even if the film fails to give them many stand-out moments between them. If anything, this new Scary Movie serves as a much-needed reminder of the brilliant comedic timing of Anna Faris.
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The film largely feels like a string of vaguely connected parodies with little rhyme or reason as to how they fit into the overall narrative. For as many jokes that manage to get a laugh out of the audience, nearly as many fall flat and serve merely to recreate recent smash hits such as Longlegs, Smile, Terrifier 3 and a dire Sinners gag that wears itself out long before the joke is over. The lack of a strong narrative throughline or tight grasp on editing renders the film rather flabby in its sequencing of certain jokes. There’s rarely a flow to the film which makes the endeavour feel slapdash and — judging by how topical many of the jokes are — feels like it was finished quite recently and not for the better.
Die-hard fans will certainly get a kick out of seeing the core four reuniting, but there is a massive missed opportunity in how the film uses these characters. Ray has always been a one-joke character, but his closeted homosexuality is only good for so many jokes before repetition quickly sets in. Shawn Wayans is game, but the Wayanses have no clue on how to use him. The same goes for a majority of the new cast members with only Olivia Rose Keegan managing to elicit a spark. Her Anna Faris impression is quite stellar, even if it occasionally leans closer to Jennifer Coolidge.
Scary Movie has its fun taking jabs at the entire political spectrum and pop culture, but the jokes themselves are not early as edgy as the Wayans crew is typically known for. The film’s sole trans character is refreshingly not the crux of tired transphobic jokes that haunt the otherwise stellar first film, but the character lacks any purpose other than to jokingly yell at the characters who misgender him; Ghostface, in particular. The amusingly mean-spirited finale manages to get the most gasps out of the viewer, finding a rather satisfying button to conclude the film on.
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If a comedy’s ultimate goal is to make the viewer laugh on a consistent basis, then Scary Movie is indeed a success. However, the film can’t outrun the feeling of being undercooked and missing the mark of properly satirizing the horror genre. Yet, this newest spoof is a welcoming dose of stupidity whose frustrating lack of perspective is ultimately outweighed by its barrage of infectious belly laughs and the sensational comedic abilities of stars Anna Faris and Regina Hall.
Scary Movie is now playing in theaters.
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