Despite their films being panned by critics, the Wayans family ended up making more money at the North American box office than any single installment in the Scream series. The movie sparked a franchise that includes 6 films in total, with the most recent released earlier this month. Each film varies wildly in style, mocking not just horror movies but celebrities, politics, and race relations. The newest installment marks the return of the Wayans family to the franchise and opened with record-breaking numbers, proving that spoofs can still be popular even after references fade from people’s memories. With that being said, some Scary Movie entries hold up better than others. Here is our official ranking of every film in the franchise!
Scary Movie 5 (2013)
Directed by Malcolm E. Lee and co-written by former director David Zucker, the 5th installment of the franchise suffers mostly due to its lack of core cast members. Anna Faris and Regina Hall have always been the heart of Scary Movie, and without them, this film feels aimless. Riffing off of Paranormal Activity, Black Swan, and more buzzworthy films from that time period, the film follows a couple who move into a haunted house. While it has some memorable moments, the majority of the jokes feel like desperate attempts to maintain an audience rather than genuine comedy. (Stream on Paramount+ and Pluto TV)
Scary Movie 4 (2006)
This is the second Scary Movie film by veteran director David Zucker, most known for the first two Naked Gun movies as well as Airplane!. While Zucker is a comedy legend and the jokes certainly land better than in the following film, Scary Movie 4 differs from the others in that it makes more fun of celebrity gossip than horror movies. Very few of the movies that are referenced are actually scary. The central plot is a spoof of War of the Worlds, a sci-fi movie about an alien invasion. The film also parodies Brokeback Mountain and Million Dollar Baby, neither of which are scary in the slightest. The film’s opening, featuring Shaq and Dr. Phil, and the riff of M. Knight Shyamalan’s The Village, easily provoke the best laughs of the movie. (Stream on Paramount+ and Pluto TV)
Scary Movie 2 (2001)
Scary Movie 2 came out just a year after the original film, and it’s obvious in how rushed it feels. While the Wayanses inject the film with the same absurd humor as the first, the pivot away from slashers is noticeable. The majority of the film is a spoof of The Haunting, which just doesn’t have the same legendary status as Scream, the original movie’s parody. Chris Elliott, David Cross, and Tim Curry are magnificent additions to the cast (especially Elliott). This movie has its moments, but it simply doesn’t live up to its immediate predecessor. (Stream on Paramount+ and Pluto TV)
Scary Movie (2026)
Above all else, it is enormously satisfying to see the Wayanses take back control over their franchise. Anna Faris, Marlon Wayans, Regina Hall, and Shawn Wayans are finally reunited in this "rebooquel". While it’s far from perfect, the infectious energy and excitement of the original cast is what makes this most recent installment so fun to watch. And after 13 years, they certainly have enough material to spoof. From movies like Sinners and Get Out to real events like Covid-19, Scary Movie pokes fun at every facet of contemporary American culture. Shawn Wayans's character’s gay panic feels a little dated and the movie loses momentum towards the final act, but Scary Movie never promised us perfection, only a good time. (In theatres now)
Scary Movie 3 (2003)
This movie is perhaps the most notorious, partially due to what went down behind-the-scenes. Keenan Ivory, Shawn, and Marlon Wayans signed a very restrictive deal with Miramax to distribute their first two films. Despite the enormous success of their creations, studio heads Harvey and Bob Weinstein refused to offer the brothers better compensation for a third film. The Wayans walked away, and the studio quietly gave the franchise to David Zucker. While Scary Movie 3 was the first installment made without any of the original creators, Zucker handled the transition seamlessly. Scary Movie 3 has the most straightforward plot of the franchise, parodying both Signs and The Ring. While Faris has expressed regret for sticking with the series without the Wayans, this movie is easily her best performance. (Stream on Paramount+ and Pluto TV)
Scary Movie (2000)
Chaotic, absurd, and often offensively funny, no sequel could live up to the original Scary Movie. What is often assumed to be a parody of Scream is actually a parody of '90s slasher culture as a whole, referencing movies such as I Know What You Did Last Summer and Halloween. This movie holds up the most due to its parodies of iconic movies and unforgettable bits. What makes the Wayans' contribution especially powerful is the way they inject the film with references to Black culture that are missing in the franchise’s later installments. (Stream on Paramount+ and Pluto TV)
