FILM REVIEW: SCARY MOVIE (15) ESP RATING: 2.5/5

The Wayans are back... but unfortunately they didn’t bring the magic with them.

I have such a soft spot for the original Scary Movie, released at the start of the Millennium. To really show my age here, I can remember spending hours trying to download the trailer on painfully slow internet. Every half an hour or so, my mates and I would get another few seconds loaded, watch it, then laugh hysterically before waiting for the next bit to buffer. At the time, it felt like the funniest thing we’d ever seen.

And honestly? When the film finally arrived, it kind of was.

Written by and starring the Wayans brothers, with Keenen Ivory Wayans directing, the first Scary Movie wasn’t just a parody of horror films – it was a cultural phenomenon. It captured a moment in time perfectly, and helped define an entire generation of comedy.

After the solid-enough sequel, the Wayans family left the franchise – whether voluntarily or otherwise – and the quality took a noticeable hit.

So, when I heard they were finally returning for the sixth instalment – even though it’s simply known as Scary Movie (just like Scream 5 was simply Scream in 2022) – my expectations immediately shot through the roof.

The film reunites original stars Anna Faris, Regina Hall, Marlon Wayans and Shawn Wayans, alongside a host of returning faces and surprise appearances. Once again, the gang find themselves caught up in a ridiculous mix of murders, monsters, supernatural threats and horror-movie clichés, spoofing everything from Scream, Smile and Weapons to M3GAN, The Substance and Terrifier.

So, have they delivered the goods? Have they restored my faith in this gloriously stupid parody genre that has all but disappeared from cinemas? Sadly not.

This just doesn’t really feel like it was made by the same people behind the original Scary Movie. What’s missing isn’t just the laughs – it’s the structure. The first film actually had a story holding everything together. The characters, as ridiculous as they were, still felt like characters.

Here, the movie feels like a collection of Saturday Night Live sketches stitched together in no particular order, with the thinnest possible plot.

Of course, comedy is probably the most subjective genre there is. You may find the humour here enough to pull it through.

In fact, if you’re also a fan of those later parody films like Date Movie, Epic Movie, and Disaster Movie, there’s a very good chance you’ll have a blast with this.

But they were widely panned, and scarily – despite a thirteen year-hiatus – this is more like them than the iconic original. 

ESP Rating: 2.5/5

Mike Clarke

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGgWAHXuTKc

Showcase Cinema De Lux Peterborough & Odeon Luxe Peterborough, Out Now

Cast: Marlon Wayans, Anna Faris, Shawn Wayans, Regina Hall, Olivia Rose Keegan, Savannah Lee Nassif & Cameron Scott Roberts

Running Time: 1 Hr 36 Mins

Director: Michael Tiddes

Film Review Venue: Showcase Cinema De Lux Peterborough

For all the latest film information & showtimes at Peterborough’s Showcase Cinema De Lux & Odeon Luxe Cinemas go to www.showcasecinemas.co.uk and www.odeon.co.uk