Marlon Wayans in “Scary Movie.”
Paramount Pictures/Quantrell Colbert
The Wayans Bros. are back with another Scary Movie, but Rotten Tomatoes critics aren’t too thrilled about it.
Scary Movie, the sixth movie in the horror movie parody series, plays in Thursday previews before opening in theaters nationwide on Friday. The series kicked off in 2000 with the same title as the current movie and seemed to come to an end with Scary Movie 5 in 2013.
The new film skewers such hit horror film and TV shows as M3GAN, Terrifier, Get Out, Weapons, Sinners, Longlegs, Terrifier, M3GAN, Wednesday, and Scream, among others. The film also took aim at Michael Jackson and the late singer’s biopic Michael in its promotional materials.
Directed by Michael Tiddes, Scary Movie stars Damon Wayans Jr., Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans, Anna Faris, Regina Hall, Lochlyn Munro, Cheri Oteri and Chris Elliot. Scary Movie is written by Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans, Keenen Ivory Wayans, Craig Wayans and Rick Alvarez.
Scary Movie reviews began posting on Thursday morning, and as of this publication, the film has received a 25% “rotten” critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomatometer based on 28 reviews. RT’s Critics Consensus, Audience Summary and Popcornmeter score are still pending.
Note: This article will be updated with the current RT critics’ score as more reviews are posted.
Anna Faris and Regina Hall in “Scary Movie.”
Paramount Pictures/Quantrell Colbert
What Are Individual Critics Saying About ‘Scary Movie’?
Owen Gleiberman of Variety is among the top critics on RT who gives Scary Movie a “rotten” score, writing in his review summary, “It’s jammed with spoof-genre history, but that makes it feel more exhausting than exhilarating. It’s a top-heavy satirical party that’s become so meta it’s meh.”
David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter also knocks the film with a “rotten” score on RT, writing, “This kind of broad, slapstick parody needs a steady stream of laugh-out-loud moments, but the new Scary Movie generates barely a trickle.”
Mark Kennedy of The Associated Press isn’t a fan of Scary Movie either, writing in his “rotten” RT review summary, “Especially toward the end, the filmmakers tread water with their references to M3GAN, Get Out, Candyman and The Substance — simply showing us a set-up from those films without doing anything to really skewer them.”
Kim Newman of Empire Magazine also points out the film’s lost potential in his “rotten” review summary on RT, noting, “The posters — inspired parodies of recent horror films —are wittier than the film, suggesting that maybe next time get those ad creatives into the writers’ room. Not your favorite Scary Movie.”
Jesse Hassenger of the Guardian also deems Scary Movie “rotten,” writing in his RT summary, “The Wayans would probably describe this as classic take-no-prisoners comedy, prioritizing belly laughs above satire, horror or any sense of propriety. But honestly? They seem a little scared, too.”
As of this publication, the only “fresh” score on RT for Scary Movie comes from Alison Foreman of IndieWire, who writes, “The good news is that the Wayans have still mostly reclaimed the franchise they founded … For longtime Scary Movie fans, that development alone carries enough genuine emotional weight to make a trip to the movie theater worthwhile.”
Rated R, Scary Movie plays in Thursday previews before opening in theaters nationwide on Friday.