All 6 Scary Movie Films, Ranked
The Scary Movie franchise was originally developed by Keenan Ivory Wayans alongside Shawn and Marlon Wayans, with Keenan directing the first two films. The out-of-the-box franchise isn’t exactly what anyone would refer to as “peak comedy” — in fact, it’s as crass as it comes — but it has still withstood time for several decades, reliably keeping general audiences entertained for 90 minutes or so. The movies, most of which star the irreplaceable Anna Faris, Shawn Wayans, Marlon Wayans, and the consummate scene-stealer Regina Hall, are silly and absurd, with jokes so dumb, lewd, and occasionally corny that you might often feel a tad embarrassed when you find yourself giggling along. These spoof movies primarily mock the Scream series, alongside contemporary horror films such as The Ring, Signs, and I Know What You Did Last Summer, as well as other popular films from over the years, like 8 Mile, Thelma & Louise, and Boogie Nights.
The recent release of the sixth entry — simply titled Scary Movie in a nod to 2022’s Scream — has brought the series back to the mainstream. Mainly spoofing the aforementioned Scream but also taking aim at everything from The Substance to Sinners, Get Out, and Weapons, this sixth entry in the series might not be something anyone was hoping, or indeed wanted, but it’s a sort of comfort to know you’ll always have a Scary Movie to count on. There is also something to be said about the franchise’s sheer commitment to low-brow stupidity. When looking at all six films together, it’s not exactly difficult to declare which of the Scary Movies is the best and which is the worst. The series’ early entries are not only the best-received but the most beloved among modern audiences, but is Scary Movie 3 better than Scary Movie or Scary Movie 2?
6
‘Scary Movie 5’ (2013)
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It’s not an overstatement to say that Scary Movie 5 is among the worst movies ever made and the worst in the franchise; it makes its predecessors look like masterpieces, and that’s saying a lot. This movie has so much contempt for the intelligence level of its viewers that it actually becomes insulting. There’s no sugar-coating it; it’s bad in every possible way. Even dreadful films are usually somewhat aware of the fundamentals of movie-making, like spatial awareness and basic film editing — not Scary Movie 5, which fails miserably on every level, to the point where it seems to have trouble merely existing.
The film attempts to spoof the Paranormal Activity franchise and other popular films like Guillermo Del Toro‘s psychological thriller Mama and the Oscar-nominated Black Swan starring Natalie Portman. Alas, there isn’t a single laugh to be found here, not even a little giggle or the kind of snort that you’d let out involuntarily at the average SNL sketch. It’s hard to reconcile that people were actually paid to make this half-attempt travesty, especially with so many talented artists working their butts off. While watching this cinematic train wreck, the average viewer will most likely feel incredibly embarrassed for everybody involved, especially Ashley Tisdale and Simon Rex, two actors who are way too good to be involved in this unacceptable trash. In other words, some movies really shouldn’t exist, and Scary Movie 5 is one of them.
5
‘Scary Movie’ (2026)
After thirteen years of dormancy following the trainwreck that was Scary Movie 5, the franchise came back with a roar. With the Wayans Brothers back at the helm, Scary Movie set out to mock everything from elevated horror to woke culture, and they chose to do it by mainly mocking 2022’s Scream. Anna Faris, Regina Hall and Shawn and Marlon Wayans are back, but the film also features the return of many of the first movie’s main characters, including Lochlyn Munro, Cheri Oteri, Dave Sheridan, and Jon Abrahams. It mainly follows the children of these characters as they face the Ghostface killer again, but the film also spoofs many other horror movies.
Although seeing the original gang is indeed a treat, there’s simply not enough good humor here. Scary Movie commits the cardinal sin of comedy: it doesn’t know when to stop. Most of the jokes go on forever, to the point where they not only become repetitive, but genuinely tiresome. Good bits, like the parodies of The Substance and Get Out, get ruined by overextending their welcome and ending with lazy references to the Epstein Files and KPop Demon Hunters, respectively. There’s also not nearly enough of Faris and Hall, which is arguably the greatest sin; by now, it should be clear this franchise lives and dies with them. The woke humor is far too tame to be incendiary and too lazy to be funny, offering the type of jokes that were already tired in the first Trump administration. Ultimately, Scary Movie fails by trying to be relevant by spoofing a four-year-old movie at a time when horror has a new phenomenon every month. Surely, something like Weapons might’ve been a better choice, especially because the one sequence that mocks it is among the best in the movie. Enough is enough; let’s please leave Scream in the ’90s where it belongs.
4
‘Scary Movie 4’ (2006)
Scary Movie 4 is the second film in the franchise directed by the legendary David Zucker, who co-directed some of the best American comedies of all time, including Ruthless People, Airplane!, and The Naked Gun. Scary Movie 4 is so lightweight and breezy that when it ends, it feels like no time has passed at all. It’s a welcome mockery of the J-horror craze of the early ’90s, insanely intense and graphic torture porn like the Saw series, and several alien invasion blockbusters, primarily Steven Spielberg’s War of the Worlds starring Tom Cruise. The movie also features several cameos by celebrities, most notably NBA star Shaquille O’Neal and famed talk show host Dr. Phil, who both find themselves in one of Jigsaw’s vile games.
Although having the plot hinge on a movie that’s not exactly horror is a bizarre choice, Scary Movie 4 makes up for that with a healthy amount of truly stupid humor that mostly thrives because of the people delivering the jokes. Leslie Nielsen returns as one of the dumbest US Presidents ever depicted on the silver screen, while both Faris and Hall give it their all. The latter is great during her scenes at the Tokyo house, a direct spoof of The Grudge (her “Japanese” exchange with the little boy ghost has become a favorite of the internet for a good reason), while the latter is at her best during the film’s second half, which parodies The Village and sees Brenda enter an… arrangement with one of the Jigsaw puppets. The movie also somehow got Bill Pullman to parody his role in The Grudge, which was a nice touch. Scary Movie 4 is far lazier than its predecessor, and Craig Bierko makes for a weird addition to the ensemble, but overall, it’s far from the worst effort in the series.
3
‘Scary Movie 2’ (2001)
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Scary Movie 2 is a fairly decent sequel with some new and familiar talent on board. The film takes place in a spooky mansion where a social experiment sees Cindy and her friends selected as the lucky few participants due to their previous involvement with the mass murders and paranormal events from the first film. It parodies some of the all-time best horror movies, including The Exorcist, The Haunting, Poltergeist, and The Amityville Horror, has the added strength of great comedic actors like the legendary Tim Curry, Chris Elliot, and David Cross, and adds in some non-horror films, like the Oscar-winning Titanic, plus a now-iconic parody of Charlie’s Angels.
Scary Movie 2 has a fair number of jokes that are surprisingly decent and occasionally laugh-out-loud funny. Everything concerning Elliot’s butler Hanson is comedy gold, and his verbal sparring with Cross’ Dwight is politcally incorrectly hilarious. The Nike commercial gag is among the best in the franchise, and Brenda’s reaction to the haunted skeleton has become iconic all on its own. The cinematography, sound design, overall acting by a colorful cast, and solid visual effects are a big improvement from its predecessor, mainly because of the large increase in the budget. Sure, the gross-out gags are more overdone in this sequel, often threatening to take it in uncomfortable and unfunny directions. Like other uneven and overly vulgar comedies, Scary Movie 2 is a little too much in every single scene. It’s the movie equivalent of a college kid’s room: a little bit gross, a little bit uncomfortable, and strangely fascinating in its own way; you never know exactly what you’ll find around the corner, for better and worse.
2
‘Scary Movie 3’ (2003)
The first film of the series to be directed by David Zucker, Scary Movie 3 is arguably the most consistently funny entry of the entire film franchise. It features ridiculous spoofs of massive pop-cultural hits like The Ring, The Matrix, 8 Mile, and M. Night Shyamalan’s Signs, and features many welcome additions to the series. Faris’ character, Cindy Campbell, is now a TV journalist investigating a series of cryptic alien crop circles and a mysterious tape that supposedly kills its victims seven days after they view it. Brenda is back, only to die again, and this time, Charlie Sheen and Simon Rex join in on the fun as the equivalent of Mel Gibson and Joaquin Phoenix‘s characters from Signs.
With the Wayans Brothers no longer in the picture, the entire success of the movie is thrust onto Anna Faris and Regina Hall’s capable shoulders, this time joined by the likes of Leslie Nielsen, Anthony Anderson, Kevin Hart, and Queen Latifah. Faris has amazing comedic and even romantic chemistry with Simon Rex, who brings a lot of himbo energy to the whole thing. Meanwhile, spoof veteran Charlie Sheen is game to fully commit to the plot’s astounding stupidity. As for Hall, she has the film’s standout sequence, engaging in a one-on-one fight against the little girl from The Ring (“Cindy, the TV is leaking.”) Against all odds, Scary Movie 3 works not only as a spoof movie but also as a genuine comedy, thanks to its memorable gags, overall top-notch performances, and its willingness to be something more than just a cheap mockery of horror movies.
1
‘Scary Movie’ (2000)
Let’s be honest, Scary Movie is a weird but one-of-a-kind movie that spawned a different kind of comedy franchise by spoofing some of the most popular horror films. Anna Faris introduces us to Cindy Campbell, this universe’s equivalent to Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell). Joining her are a group of unhinged teenagers far too concerned with drugs, sex, and alcohol to care that a serial killer named Ghostface is targeting their small town. Joining the fun are reporter Gail Hailstorm (Cheri Oteri) and Special Agent Doofy (Dave Sheridan), as well as a town full of eclectic characters, each one dumber and/or more dangerous than the other.
Looking back, it’s easy to appreciate Scary Movie as a genuinely hilarious piece of comedy. Literally, every scene has at least one standout joke, many of which have become iconic in their own right. Whether it’s Cindy crying about Ginger Spice leaving the Spice Girls or Brenda suggesting they rob the guy they just killed, Scary Movie has one memorable line after the other. Then you go into the specific sequences that have become the franchise’s gold standards: Brenda getting killed at the cinema, Cindy fighting Ghostface Matrix-style, everything concerning Cheri Oteri (“I’d like to help you out, kid, but it’s sweeps!”) Plenty of jokes that haven’t aged well and are politically incorrect — maybe even cruel by today’s standards — but that’s kind of the whole point. There is a level of genuine genius in what the film did, launching a profitable franchise and initiating a cinematic movement that marked the 2000s era. Scary Movie is stupidly brilliant, surprisingly quotable, and annoyingly entertaining.
