Scary Movie 6 Has Been Released, How Are Critics Responding?

Liputan6.com, Jakarta - After more than two decades, the iconic horror-comedy franchise, Scary Movie, returns with its sixth installment, scheduled for release on June 5, 2026, in the United States, by Paramount Pictures.

Also known as Scary Movie 6, the film marks the return of the Wayans family to the helm, a reunion highly anticipated by loyal fans.

The reunion of original cast members Anna Faris, Regina Hall, Marlon Wayans, and Shawn Wayans is cited as the main draw, as they remain charming and hilarious.

So, how's the movie review so far?

Despite high public enthusiasm, early reviews from critics have been mixed.

IGN, in its June 4, 2026, review, stated that the film “will likely deliver what you expect,” with a low joke-hitting ratio, though it ends on a strong note.

"Scary Movie isn’t quite up to the level of the first film in the franchise. While it maintains that film’s strengths, the humor doesn’t feel as fresh as it once did," Dan Bayer from The Next Picture said.

George Simpson from Daily Express even said that the movie is "mostly pretty rubbish, juvenile, and filthy, with the occasional moment of comic gold, just like the other Scary Movies."

In fact, Scary Movie 6 also gets poor score on Rotten Tomatoes by gaining only 29% Tomatometer, which is the lowest score from the entire franchise.

Even so, it still gets decent Popcornmeter score which is 69%.

Scary Movie (2026) is positioned as a spiritual sequel to the first two films in the series.

The story will reunite Cindy Campbell (Anna Faris), Ray Wilkins (Shawn Wayans), and siblings Shorty (Marlon Wayans) and Brenda Meeks (Regina Hall).

They must reunite when the same masked killer from the first film reappears to terrorize.

The film will parody various popular modern horror films, including Get Out (2017), Nope (2022), Longlegs (2024), Heretic (2024), Sinners (2025), and Weapons (2025).

Furthermore, it is likely that the film will also parody the Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer franchises, as the first film did.

The film successfully brings back several original cast members who have become icons of the franchise.

Anna Faris and Regina Hall, who played Cindy Campbell and Brenda Meeks in the first four films, have confirmed their return in August 2025 after previously expressing interest.

Marlon Wayans was also confirmed to return as Shorty in September 2025.

In addition to the main trio, several other familiar faces returning include Shawn Wayans as Ray Wilkins, Jon Abrahams, Lochlyn Munro, Cheri Oteri, Dave Sheridan, Chris Elliott, and Anthony Anderson as Mahalik Phifer, who was confirmed to return in February 2026.

Furthermore, the film also introduces a number of new faces to add freshness, including Damon Wayans Jr., Kim Wayans, Craig Wayans, Heidi Gardner, Olivia Rose Keegan, Savannah Lee Nassif, Cameron Scott Roberts, Sydney Park, Gregg Wayans, Ruby Snowber, and Benny Zielke.

Scary Movie (2026) was directed by Michael Tiddes, with a screenplay written by Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans, Keenen Ivory Wayans, Craig Wayans, and Rick Alvarez.

Marlon Wayans and Rick Alvarez also served as producers through Ugly Baby Productions, along with Miramax and Wayans Bros. Entertainment.

The film has a running time of 96 minutes and a production budget of $30 million.

One notable detail is its R-rating, making it the first film in the franchise to receive that rating since Scary Movie 2 (2001).

This was the Wayans family's first involvement in the production since their departure after Scary Movie 2 in 2001, due to creative conflicts with the original producers.

Production was announced in 2024 and began in fall 2025, with most of the filming taking place at Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta.