Scary Movie - 4K Blu-ray Review

[Michael Scott]

Scary Movie



Movie:
4K Video:
Video:
Audio:
Extras:
Final Score:


AV NIRVANA is member and reader-supported. When you purchase an item using our links, we might earn an affiliate commission.
​

Movie
Reboots and sequel-boots (half reboot, half sequel) have been on the rise recently, with Scream, I Know What You Did Last Summer, and several other popular horror franchises trying to walk the line between nostalgia bait with the original casts, AND adding in younger generation actors to try and bridge the gap between both worlds in hopes of making a hit. And sometimes it works (Scream), and sometimes it doesn’t (I Know What You Did Last Summer), but why not bring back the OG horror parody franchise that basically suffered the same fate as the movies they were parodying? Namely, starting strong and then fading into obscurity as each and every sequel past the first couple of films was less and less on ye olde quality meter. And what better way to refresh the franchise than to bring back the Wayans Brothers, who were fired from the series after the 2nd film, and basically let the powers that be drive the franchise into the ground.

And while I’d like to completely lay the Scary Movie’s death rattle at the feet of Paramount after the Wayans Brothers left, after watching Scary Movie 2026, I have to wonder if there just wasn’t enough gas in the tank. There’s only so much parodying that you can do before material is run into the ground, and ingenuity is lost. Especially when you consider the fact that lowbrow comedy like this is usually lightning in a bottle. Kind of like Super Troopers, the first two Scary Movies were hilariously rude, crude, disgusting, and bizarre. But there are only so many times that you can repeat the same jokes before audiences check out. And as much as I LOVE the Wayans Brothers comedies (I’ve probably watched Don’t Be a Menace and White Chicks so many times my wife has considered divorcing me if I ever put the Blu-ray on), this just fell flat. It felt forced, rehashed, and not as funny parodying sequel-boots as it thought it was.

Structurally, the film seemed to hit home, with some really amazing verbal copying of various franchises and horror films from the modern day. You could literally see some really intricate homages to the new Scream, M3ghan, The Substance, Sinners, Terrifier, Smile,e and even Weapons and Get Out in there if you know what to look for. And frankly, that was likely the best part of the entire film. Watching these films get lampooned in both overt and subtle ways. But it just feels like it's all been done before. To the point where I struggled to get any humor out of the parodies, and rather just gave an appreciative nod to the homages. There were a few funny parts near the end (the Ballerina and John Wick joke was pretty hilarious), and Sara (Olivia Rose Keegan) imitates Anna Faris’s quirky tone and facial cues, but even the return of the OG queen herself couldn’t save it.

Maybe Scary Movie is dead? Or maybe it can be rebooted, but I had a hard time getting into this film, even though I loved the first two Scary Movie films back in the early 2000s. And it’s not just a case of rose colored glasses. I rewatched the original 3 before this viewing just to see what was nostalgia, and what was actually funny. And I came out of those original 3 laughing my butt off. This one? I got a couple of good laughs and then just waited for the credits to roll.




Rating:

Rated R for crude sexual content, graphic nudity, strong violence, and drug content and language throughout.




4K Video: Video:

While we can certainly find fault in the film itself, we are not going to be finding much to complain about regarding the 4K UHD transfer. Sadly, there is no Blu-ray included to make this a combo pack (Paramount seemed to have gone back to combo packs recently, but I guess not in every situation), but the 4K UHD, including, looks phenomenal. This is a gorgeous transfer with rich black levels, amazing clarity and color replication, and no signs of any digital artifacting that I could see. About the ONLY thing I could possibly whine about is some minor crush in the darkest of dark scenes, but that’s very minor. Skin tones are accurate and clean, while fine details routinely impress with nuanced detail levels for everything from clothing to the age lines on the OG actors' faces.








Audio:

While it’s not out of the question for a comedy to get an Atmos track, it IS rarer than action or sci-fi films, so I was a bit surprised to see the Atmos track on the disc when I pulled it out. That being said, it’s a solid mix, with tons of activity coming from all angles, ESPECIALLY during the final 20 minutes or so when things cook off. This is of the more active variety of mixing, with crazy hijinks coming from all angles, with screams, crashes, smashes,s and general mayhem all around. About the only thing that I actually had a minor quibble with was the lack of really intense LFE in the film. Don’t get me wrong, there’s plenty of bass, ss and it does a nice job of balancing with the rest of the mix, but there were several points in the film where I was expecting a more intense bass bomb, only for it to just be “moderate.

.





Extras:

• EXTENDED CUT OF THE FILM
• THEATRICAL CUT OF THE FILM - See the original cut audiences couldn't get enough of in theaters.
• Alternate Ending - Because one ending just wasn't enough. See the never-before-seen alternate ending and watch the chaos play out a whole new way.
• Featurettes:
-- Scream Together - Catch up with the original crew — older, wiser, and absolutely no better behaved — as they reunite to reflect on the franchise that redefined parody and why they came back to do it all over again.
-- Fresh Meat - Meet the new cast who knew exactly what they were walking into and got thrown in the deep end anyway.
-- Wayans World - Get a front-row seat to Marlon, Shawn, and Gregg doing what they do best — breaking each other and everyone else on set.
-- Scene Dissection - Go inside the most outrageously unhinged moments in the movie and find out exactly how they got away with it.

Final Score: ​

As much as I really was hoping for a return to Wayans Brothers form, Scary Movie just seems to have run its course. Possibly we could see a better movie in the sequel that the brothers are planning, considering the massive box office return off a paltry $30 million budget, but who knows. All I know is that the first Scary Movie film in years suffered badly from genre fatigue, and too MUCH nostalgia. The 4K UHD disc from Paramount is exceptional in the technical department, though it did suffer a bit in the extras arena. Fans of the film will be pleased with the package, but regular people will likely just skip it, or use it as a rental.



Technical Specifications:

Starring: Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans, Ana Faris, Regina Hall, Dave Sheridan, Damon Wayans Jr.
Directed by: Michael Tiddes
Written by: Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans, Keenen Ivory Wayans
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1 HEVC
Audio: English: Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 Core), French, German, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Czech, Hungarian, Polish DD 5.1
Subtitles: English SDH, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Spanish, Korean
Studio: Paramount Pictures
Rated: R
Runtime: 96 Minutes
Blu-ray Release Date: September 22nd, 2026

Recommendation: Skip It