SPOILER-FREE PLOT SUMMARY
When Tuesday Campbell (played by Savannah Lee Nassif) is attacked by Ghostface, older sister Sara (Olivia Rose Keegan) thinks she was targeted because of what happened to her family two and half decades ago. As a result, Sara pays a visit to her estranged mom Cindy (Anna Faris) who has become a recluse in paranoid preparation for Ghostface’s return. Sara brings her boyfriend Jack (Cameron Scott Roberts) with her and Cindy warns her how the killer “in these movies” is always the love interest. Offering the couple no help whatsoever, they seek out Special Officer Doofy Gilmore (Dave Sheridan) who has been living in his single-wide trailer for the past six years thinking COVID-19 is still happening. After also warning Sara that the killer is always the love interest, he joins their investigative team. Meanwhile, Brenda Meeks (Regina Hall) is also “gathering the troops” in an effort to solve the killings because she’s been through this before as well. Her brother Shorty (Marlon Wayans), husband Ray (Shawn Wayans), daughter Dei (Sydney Park), son Brad (Gregg Wayans) and his girlfriend Val (Ruby Snowber) are joined by the others and set out to solve these stabbings and finally end the Ghostface mystery forever.
SPOILER-FREE REVIEW
Props to Wayans Brothers Entertainment for trying to do a project like this in 2026. Like NAKED GUN last year, I wasn’t sure it could be done given the societal landscape we’re in but theaters were packed on the movie’s opening weekend and that proves there’s still an appetite — or, at the very least, a curiosity — for this style of comedy.
SCARY MOVIE is hilarious at times but tired in others. The Teyana Taylor cold open is funny as hell, the K-Pop Demon Hunters scene is fun and the take on live streamers is an amusing commentary. At the same time, the gay references are antiquated, a lot of the jokes don’t land like intended and there’s a ton of filler seemingly to make SCARY MOVIE long enough for a theatrical release.
A ton of these ideas are perfect for sketch television, to the point where SCARY MOVIE really makes you wish IN LIVING COLOR was still on the air. The TV format is much better suited for some of these flights of fancy. For example, the SINNERS parody porch scene is funny but it’s longer than necessary. Likewise, the church scene — also spoofing SINNERS, by the way — does a disservice to the comedy by going on far too long. There are a handful of similar examples making the audience come to the conclusion that they’re only as long as they are because the studio knew that had to at least reach that 90 minute mark.
With SCARY MOVIE 5 being over 13 years old, there’s a lot of pop culture territory available to spoof. M3GAN, WEAPONS, JOHN WICK, SMILE, THE SUBSTANCE, TERRIFIER, GET OUT and the aforementioned SINNERS all make the cut. Heck, even NOSFERATU gets the mid-credits scene treatment. So, while the mockery list is predictable, the Wayans brothers do enough around the ideas to cash in on most of them.
SCARY MOVIE does offer uproarious laughter, just not enough of it and without any level of consistency. That said, it’s hardly a boring time in the theater. If you’re a fan of the absurd, break-the-fourth-wall comedy genre, you’ll enjoy it. Just don’t expect anything new (other than the specific references, of course).
JKG SCORE: 5.5
Untitled Film Project 