The ‘Scary Movie 6’ Rotten Tomatoes Score Has Been Revealed

The ‘Scary Movie’ franchise has always had a complicated relationship with critics. Built on gleeful bad taste, shock humor, and an anything-goes approach to parody, the series became a cultural phenomenon in the early 2000s despite reviews that rarely matched its commercial appeal. The franchise earned nearly $900 million worldwide across its run, with the first film alone grossing over $270 million globally, proving that audiences and critics have never quite been on the same page when it comes to the Wayans brothers’ horror spoof universe.

The new installment, known officially as ‘Scary Movie‘ but widely referred to as ‘Scary Movie 6,’ is directed by Michael Tiddes and reunites the original cast, including Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans, Anna Faris, and Regina Hall. The film is a Paramount Pictures and Miramax production billed as a spiritual sequel that picks up with the franchise’s beloved core characters, twenty-six years after they first outran a suspiciously familiar masked killer.

Additional photography took place in April 2026 to incorporate parody material for films that either released or gained significant cultural momentum after the main shoot had wrapped, including ‘Sinners’, ‘Weapons’, and ‘Michael’.

Now that the embargo has lifted and reviews are officially in, the Tomatometer reading is as brutal as many predicted. The new ‘Scary Movie’ debuted with a 22% critical score on Rotten Tomatoes based on 23 reviews, landing it comfortably in rotten territory. For context, the original film holds a 52% on the site, while later entries like ‘Scary Movie 3’ and ‘Scary Movie 4’ sit at 36% and 34% respectively, meaning this new installment falls well below the franchise’s best-received chapters.

The critical consensus emerging from reviews paints a familiar picture. While some critics acknowledge genuinely funny moments, the general feeling is that too much of the film fails to hit its mark, leaving long stretches with very little going on.

Timeout’s reviewer noted that Anna Faris stands out among the cast, observing that playing the material largely deadpan gets the most out of the manic energy on screen, though they acknowledged there is some genuinely funny material buried within the film. Several reviewers also pointed to the chemistry between Faris and Regina Hall as one of the franchise’s enduring strengths, with both performers slipping back into their roles as though no time had passed.

More generously, Nerd Reactor concluded that the film is funnier and more alive than it has any right to be, arguing that when the jokes land, they land hard, and that the Wayans bring back the franchise’s reckless, ridiculous soul even if they don’t fully reinvent it. Empire Online took a more measured position, noting that the film sticks close to the plot of the 2022 ‘Scream’ requel, restaging scenes with the odd wink to camera while delivering the crude comedy footnotes the series is known for.

Prediction markets had broadly anticipated a score in the low-to-mid 30s before reviews dropped, making the actual 22% landing even worse than many expected. Whether that dampens audience enthusiasm remains to be seen. The franchise has historically outperformed its critical reception at the box office, and a built-in nostalgia for the original films could still drive strong opening weekend numbers regardless of what reviewers think.

For a movie that promises every line will be crossed, a 22% Tomatometer may turn out to be just another punchline, so are you planning to catch ‘Scary Movie’ opening weekend, or has the critical reception given you second thoughts?