Scary Movie 6 Review: The Wayans Are Raunchier and Funnier Than Ever

If you thought the Wayans were done taking the mick out of everything under the sun—particularly horror movies and the latest sad state of pop culture—think again. After a staggering 25 years, the original crew is back for Scary Movie 6, and I can only assume they’ve spent the intervening decades sharpening their supply of dodgy jokes and unhinged parody routines. You know what you’re in for: nothing sacred, everything up for grabs.

What's Going On This Time?

We kick off with Sara (Olivia Rose Keegan), who's—plot twist—the estranged daughter of Cindy Campbell (yep, Anna Faris, back again and still somehow alive after all these films). Sara's day job? Working with her boyfriend (Cameron Scott Roberts) at some naff theme park featuring rides that put your life insurance policy to the test. Naturally, any chance of a quiet existence is scuppered as soon as she learns her younger sister Tuesday (Savannah Lee Nassif) is being stalked by, you guessed it, another Ghostface killer. Sara’s got Mum Issues, but she heads home to try and keep her sibling alive.

Cindy’s still clinging onto her best mate Brenda (Regina Hall), who’s married the terminally confused Ray Wilkins (Shawn Wayans). They’ve got a daughter intent on correcting everyone’s politics (Sydney Park) and a sportsman son who’d rather forget his embarrassing mum and perpetually baked uncle. Speaking of, yes, Shorty Meeks (Marlon Wayans) is inexplicably not dead yet and still orbiting the planet via a cloud of smoke. The lot of them seem to be on Ghostface's hit list, but this time they're not exactly lining up to be cannon fodder—unless, of course, their family therapy sessions get them murdered first.

Raunch, Satire, and Sledgehammer Comedy

Let’s not pretend we don’t know the score here. The Wayans are in full, unapologetic form. If it can be skewered—race, gender, horror clichés, politics, you name it—they’re loading it into the cannon. The dialogue involves n-bombs scattered about like dropped crisps and a constant parade of naked blokes, plus jokes about LGBTQ+ life that are as unsubtle as they are frequent. It is, for better or worse, the same Wayans’ sense of humour that made ‘Don’t Be a Menace’, ‘White Chicks’, and the original ‘Scary Movie’ both loved and loathed. They’re not suddenly delicate, but they’re not outright nasty either; remember, Marlon has a transgender child and seems pretty clear the goal is to take the mick out of everyone.

The script doesn’t let the right-wing crowd off lightly. Any MAGA types or Fox News diehards tuning in: brace yourselves. Nobody gets spared the mockery baton. The point is, sensitivity is checked at the door, and if you’re going in with a chip on your shoulder, you’re probably missing the fact that the joke’s on everyone—and sometimes especially on the butt of their own gags.

So, Who’s Back and What Are They Up To?

• Anna Faris - Cindy Campbell, now a boozy but battle-hardened mum
• Marlon Wayans - Shorty Meeks, immortal stoner extraordinaire
• Shawn Wayans - Ray Wilkins, still deep in the closet, still married to Brenda
• Regina Hall - Brenda, Cindy’s best mate from day one
• Olivia Rose Keegan - Sara, Cindy’s estranged and angsty daughter
• Savannah Lee Nassif - Tuesday, the younger sibling in danger
• Cameron Scott Roberts - The boyfriend and also, apparently, Brenda’s son (because that’s not confusing at all)
• Sydney Park - The ‘woke’ daughter of Brenda and Ray

Cracks in the Comedy

Right, so the upshot: does it work? The film is stuffed with the sort of raucous, filthy gags the series is known for, and there are genuinely sidesplitting moments that’ll have even the most reluctant viewer snorting. However, there’s a rhythm problem. For every solid, rapid-fire gag, there’s a scene that drags along like someone’s lost their shopping trolley wheels. The second act, in particular, is padded out—almost as if the cast are improvising and have lost the punchline but carry on anyway because no one yelled 'cut'. Still, just when you think it’s going cold, the last act snaps back and puts the plot back in Cindy’s increasingly exasperated hands. She’s bizarrely on the sidelines for most of the middle stretch, but snaps right into action to face the masked loony just when it matters.

Anna Faris: The Franchise’s Secret Weapon

It would be criminal to overlook Anna Faris, who’s still carrying this entire circus on her back. She’s been the glue for the box office and she’s still the standout in scenes packed with chaos. This time, her Cindy Campbell’s morphed into a vodka-swilling, revenge-hungry mother, spoofing Neve Campbell’s journey in Scream with tongue firmly in cheek. Her timing is ideal, her delivery (as the lone 'straight man' in the asylum) generous—happy to give room for the rest to flail about before she lands the blow. It’s her third-act, ass-kicking turn that really pops; most performers wouldn’t have the range or the patience.

Slices of Horror and More Dumfounding Gags

The film turns up thirteen years after the last one, and it’s not shy about pecking at everything horror’s churned out in that time—Easter eggs galore for genre nerds, with a range from brilliantly silly to just plain daft. They’re peppered in to keep things bouncing along, but between the best bits is space filler—half-hearted clue-hunting to unmask the killer that’s obvious from the off. There’s an ongoing gag that’s so telegraphed you’ll spot it coming before it’s even set up. But the affair boils down to this: the laughs outnumber the groans. It’s not the greatest comedy on offer, but if your threshold for lowbrow humour is high, or you’re just feeling nostalgic for jokes that punch in both directions, you’ll probably have a better time than you’ll want to admit.