Scary Movie 6 Is Another Hollywood Reboot From Our Childhoods. But Have We Outgrown the Joke?

Anna Faris plays Cindy and Regina Hall plays Brenda in Scary Movie from Paramount Pictures. Minor spoilers ahead. If you know the Scary Movie franchise at all,  you know not to go into Scary Movie 6 expecting Oscar-worthy performances, a deeply layered plot, or any plot for that matter.  Of course, there are poop jokes galore and, at one point, somebody literally rolls a vagina like a blunt, but if you go into the theater knowing what to expect you might actually come away with a chuckle or two. There was a time when crude and shock-value humor could carry an entire film, but in 2026, simply being offensive isn’t enough. So the real question becomes: once the nostalgia wears off, is there enough to keep us entertained? Don’t get me wrong, fans of the franchise will definitely appreciate seeing the original cast back together. Anna Faris, Regina Hall, Marlon Wayans, and Shawn Wayans all return to reprise their roles, and honestly, their reunion is pretty special. That said, Hollywood remains committed to one of my least favorite sequel traditions: making the OG character’s children a big part of the plot. I don’t know why every reboot needs a next generation, but the kids never quite measure up to the original cast.  What I love about the film, though, is that it’s pretty self aware. That’s always been the strength of Scary Movie; the creators are in on the joke. They actually end up killing off the kids and making an entire joke about Hollywood’s obsession with rebooting everything. The self-awareness made it funnier. Marlon Wayans plays Shorty, Regina Hall plays Brenda and Shawn Wayans plays Ray in Scary Movie from Paramount Pictures. But no reboot can seem to help itself when it comes to ridiculing Gen Z. Bring on the jokes about pronouns and how much young people complain. At a certain point, it started to feel a little too dad-coded.  One thing I did find myself thinking about was the film’s handling of its trans character Jess (played by Benny Zielk), the son of sheriff Greg Phillippe (Lochlyn Munro). To the movie’s credit, the character isn’t portrayed as a complete punchline. They’re confident, self-assured, and able to hold their own. However, Jess’s transition becomes the butt of the joke for a significant portion of their storyline. And while I appreciated Jess as a character, I found myself wishing the movie trusted the audience to connect with them without relying so heavily on jokes about their identity.  Maybe that’s because I’d like to think we’ve moved past the idea that trans people need to be the punchline in order to be included in the story. I also couldn’t help but notice that the trans character was one of the first people to die. Maybe that’s me reading too much into it, but it was something I took note of while watching. There was a time when shock-value humor could carry an entire film, but simply being offensive isn’t enough anymore. So the real question becomes: once the nostalgia wears off, is there enough to keep us entertained?jessika hardy Where the movie shines, and what Scary Movie has always done best, is its parody of pop culture. When the movie takes cracks at Sinners, White Chicks, KPop Demon Hunters, and a handful of other movies and pop culture moments, those were the jokes that landed the most for me. While I was mostly resigned to the occasional chuckle, the people around me were full-on belly laughing. Maybe I’m the problem. Not everything is for me, and that’s OK. To no one’s surprise, the Wayans brothers carry this entire film. There is genuinely something in that family’s bloodline that is just effortlessly funny. If there are more Scary Movie movies after this, the Wayans brothers must be at the helm. Period. (They even managed to sneak in a White Chicks cameo, which I absolutely lived for.) Marlon Wayans plays Shorty in Scary Movie from Paramount Pictures. Ultimately, even critiquing Scary Movie 6 feels a little silly to me because it’s a movie that’s supposed to be bad. Sometimes, we can just go to the movies to have a good time, not everything has to be expected to win an Oscar. I love seeing the recent surges at the box office and I love when people actually go to the theater en masse, so a part of me is rooting for movies like this one to succeed. Hollywood keeps relying on sequels because they’re hoping moviegoers will show up in droves. And maybe nostalgia is the key ingredient. Maybe that’s why we keep coming back to sequels. Not because they’re original, but because they’re familiar. They remind us of a time in our lives when things felt simpler. If Hollywood has to reheat their nachos to make that happen, by all means, go ahead, but it would be nice to see a little originality sprinkled in with the original. We’re grown now. The jokes need to grow up too. Want more? Sign up for our newsletter to get the best of Refinery29 Entertainment straight to your inbox. Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodn