Scary Film 2026’s Greatest Film Parody Is not About Horror At All

This text comprises delicate spoilers for “Scary Film.”

In relation to discussing the perfect jokes or bits in a parody movie, clearly everybody’s mileage could fluctuate. Throwing a ton of gags on the wall and seeing what sticks has lengthy been a part of the method for the parody movie, and that goes double for the “Scary Film” franchise. It is virtually a function of them, because the sequence has prided itself on punching down, up, and each which approach with its deluge of jokes ever for the reason that 2000 unique. 

“Scary Film,” the self-titled newest installment within the sequence (parodying the “again to fundamentals” titling conference adopted by 2018’s “Halloween” and 2022’s “Scream”), carries on the franchise’s custom of mixing collectively parodies of (largely) latest horror motion pictures, popular culture references, topical humor, and the like. One other custom that the Wayans household have not shied away from upon their return to the sequence is its penchant for ribald, gross-out, and simply plain offensive jokes. 

Whereas the movie resorting to lowest widespread denominator gags definitely is not commendable, it does create a tone the place audiences expect the worst. Thus, when the film makes a surprisingly intellectual (or no less than not lowbrow) joke, it feels that rather more intelligent than it would in any other case. That is precisely the case with the perfect film parody in “Scary Film,” which is not about horror in any respect. It is a fake trailer parodying the latest field workplace sensation “Michael,” and in comparison with loads of the remainder of the film, the primary gag in it may really be referred to as healthful.

Regardless of the “Scary Film” screenwriters’ (which embody Marlon, Shawn, Keenen Ivory and Craig Wayans, together with Rick Alvarez) ideas are about Michael Jackson and the allegations towards him, they’re definitely conscious of the controversy surrounding the function movie. Antoine Fuqua’s film (backed by a portion of the Jackson household themselves) is notably toothless in the way in which it would not go anyplace close to the extra unsavory parts of the pop star’s life. So when a trailer that recreates pictures from “Michael” pops up throughout in the course of “Scary Film,” when a hospitalized Tuesday (Savannah Lee Nassif) is watching TV in her room, it is simple to count on that the Wayans and firm would possibly take such a parody uncomfortably far. Within the screening I used to be in, loud groans, moans, and shocked laughter rippled across the auditorium as everybody collectively braced themselves.

As an alternative, the film pulled a quick one on us. Quite than make any apparent jokes, the pretend trailer reveals Kenan Thompson in a recording studio in Jackson garb, being instructed by varied buddies and cohorts about all of the methods he is inferior to Michael (he cannot sing or dance as effectively, appears awkward, and so forth.). After some extra riffing and a climactic fall down some stairs, the punchline is revealed by the movie’s title: “Jermaine,” which means Kenan was really taking part in Jermaine Jackson, Michael’s much less profitable brother. 

It is a terrific gag on a pair ranges: it implicitly makes enjoyable of the “Michael” film’s hagiography; it is a simple parody of a real-life celeb; and it may be inferred that the Wayans are poking some enjoyable at themselves, too, as they’re additionally a part of a Black leisure dynasty. “Scary Film” could experience being dumb, but it surely may also be simply plain intelligent, too.

“Scary Film” is in theaters now.