It’s gross and dumb as hell, but don’t be afraid to laugh at “Scary Movie”

Scary Movie

Starring Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans, Anna Faris, Regina Hall, Kenan Thompson, Dave Sheridan, Lochlyn Munro, Kim Wayans, Cheri Oteri, Chris Elliott, Damon Wayans Jr., Heidi Gardner and Olivia Rose Keegan. Written by Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans, Keenen Ivory Wayans, Craig Wayans and Rick Alvarez. Directed by Michael Tiddes. Now playing at theatres everywhere. 96 minutes. 14A

⭐️⭐️  (out of 4)

Peter Howell

Movie Critic

The Wayans Brothers’ horror parody franchise “Scary Movie” has always trafficked in the gleefully gross and defiantly dumb, peddling excess for edge and usually getting away with it.

What it hasn’t traded in before is nostalgia — until now.

There’s an endearing wistfulness as the “core four” of Shorty (Marlon Wayans), Ray (Shawn Wayans), Cindy (Anna Faris) and Brenda (Regina Hall) reunite for the first time since “Scary Movie 2” in 2001. (The three Wayans-free sequels after that remain the franchise’s true horror show.)

Directed by Michael Tiddes, this “rebootquel” leans heavily on memory, recycling old gags while taking swipes at newer genre fare, including “Sinners,” “Weapons,” “Smile,” “M3GAN,” “The Substance” and more. 

Masked slasher Ghostface again looms large, though the film’s fixation on “Scream 5” (aka “Scream”) from 2022, with barely a nod to its successors, makes the parody feel oddly out of date for a series built on immediacy.

“Scream 7” just came out in February, to be fair. But if “Scary Movie” can make a crack about who won best supporting actress at the Oscars, which happened a month later, surely the Wayans could be more current with their franchise inspiration?

Such quibbles might not matter if the laughs were stronger. The plot is the usual dog’s brunch, stitched together to showcase stoner Shorty, confused Ray, jittery Cindy and take-no-prisoners Brenda, now joined by an assortment of thinly sketched newcomers along with some welcome oldtimers.

What’s more surprising is how hard the film strains to provoke. Jokes aimed at #MeToo, DEI, wokeness and other cultural flashpoints feel less like boundary-pushing and more like box-checking, begging the audience to react. It’s occasionally amusing but more often forced.

Not all of the japes misfire; many land with the expected juvenile splat. But the non-stop buffoonery yields diminishing returns, and even the better bits are echoes of past mirth.

Don’t be afraid to laugh, though. 🌛