New 'Scary Movie' Received Only 23% on RT From Critics, but Is It Really That Bad? (Spoiler, No)

In 2025, a remake of the classic comedy The Naked Gun was released, grossing over $100 million at the box office. Riding a wave of nostalgia, the Wayans brothers – Marlon, Shawn, and Keenen Ivory – decided to revive another legendary franchise.

The sixth installment of Scary Movie was recently released. Critics gave it a mere 23% on Rotten Tomatoes. Is the sixth installment really that terrible, though?

While it's certainly not on par with the iconic original, it still has the spark and nostalgia that made us fall in love with the franchise in the first place.

What Is 'Scary Movie' About?

Ghostface has returned, and Cindy, who has become a recluse since the previous movies, is in danger along with her daughters. Cindy must leave her secluded fortress to save her family from an old enemy.

She reunites with her best friend, Brenda. They are joined by Shorty, now a streamer, and Ray Wilkins. Together, they must plunge into the depths of madness to destroy a horde of maniacs and show a new generation who the franchise's biggest stars are.

As always, the movie features a plethora of parodies, from classics like Scream and Final Destination to modern hits like Smile, M3GAN, John Wick, and Everything Everywhere All at Once.

The New 'Scary Movie' Is Not as Bad as Critics Say, but It's Not a Masterpiece Either

The new Scary Movie has many captivating moments, including an absurd parody of The Substance with a hilarious nod to White Chicks and an inventive explanation for the running kids from Weapons.

These jokes are reminiscent of the best moments of previous installments. However, they fall short of the previous films' sharpness and lightheartedness – eager to please the TikTok audience, the Wayans dumped too many half-baked gags on screen.

Scary Movie begins to resemble a scrolling feed of short videos where, after a series of swipes, one valuable piece of content appears.

Of course, the new installment is funnier than the fifth movie, which fans will be happy to forget. But the new Scary Movie couldn't outdo the others, despite the fact that the third and fourth films were made without the Wayans brothers.

At the same time, the new movie stands apart from the rest of the franchise. While previous films functioned as standalone comedies with cross-references, the sixth one feels more like a special "class reunion" episode for fans eager to see their favorite characters again.

What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'Scary Movie'?

• Scary Movie has 23% from critics and 68% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.

• On IMDb, the movie has a score of 5.5/10.

• On Letterboxd, Scary Movie scored 2.6/5.0.

Where to Watch 'Scary Movie'?

Scary Movie is currently playing in theaters.