If you’re in the mood for horror but don’t want all the psychological baggage, the Scary Movie franchise is for you. The original film hit theaters in the summer of 2000, offering take-no-prisoners parodies of the era’s popular horror movies — namely Scream (1996) and I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997).
The series evolved to follow the genre’s trends, as future installments took aim at the likes of J-horror remakes, the torture porn era, and found footage.
One of the most lucrative comedy franchises of all time, the Scary Movie series has grossed over $830 million globally. It began as the brainchild of the Wayans brothers — writer-stars Marlon and Shawn, and director Keenen Ivory. After the first two films, the series switched hands to seasoned parody veterans David Zucker and Pat Proft before flaming out with the fifth entry in 2013.
Last year, the Wayans brothers announced they were relaunching the franchise. Scary Movie 6, which will see the return of original stars Anna Faris, Regina Hall, and Marlon Wayans, is scheduled for release in 2026.
Whether you’re a longtime fan revisiting the franchise or a curious newcomer looking to the (surprisingly complicated) series lore, you’ve come to the right place. Read on for Entertainment Weekly’s guide to watching the Scary Movie franchise in order.
Scary Movie (2000)
Andrew MacPherson
The film that reignited the parody genre after a stagnant decade-plus, Scary Movie grossed $278 million worldwide and launched a new era of gross-chasing for Dimension Films.
The plot is basically Scream — a killer in a Ghostface mask picking off teenagers one by one — combined with the backstory of I Know What You Did Last Summer. One year ago, Cindy Campbell (Faris) and her friends accidentally killed a dude and got away with it. Until now, that is. The gang starts getting creepy, threatening notes right as Ghostface shows up and starts mowing local teens down.
Brenda (Hall), her brother Shorty (Marlon Wayans), and her closeted boyfriend Ray (Shawn Wayans) join Cindy as they try to survive amid a wave of possible suspects, including reporter Gail Hailstorm (Cheri Oteri), as the body count rises.
Amid copious references to Scream, as well as some set pieces recycled wholesale, Scary Movie parodies teen slashers both past (the O.G. Halloween) and present (Urban Legend).
Where to watch Scary Movie: MGM+
Scary Movie 2 (2001)
Linda R. Chen
The whole gang returns for this sequel, which takes the form of an elaborate haunted house tale, namely the many iterations of Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House and similar stories. As such, Scary Movie 2’s primary aim is supernatural horror — most directly the 1999 Jackson adaptation, The Haunting, and the similarly themed House on Haunted Hill (1999).
One year after the events of the original, our returning quartet is recruited by the saucy, sinister Professor Oldman (Tim Curry) to spend a night at a haunted mansion, subtly dubbed Hell House, for a psychological, paranormal experiment. Various new characters join in on the fun, including Chris Elliott’s Riff Raff-style butler and Tori Spelling’s obnoxious try-hard friend, Alex.
The film gets spoof material from supernatural classics — The Exorcist (1973), The Amityville Horror (1979) — and contemporary hits like The Sixth Sense (1999) and What Lies Beneath (2000). Even more preoccupied with toilet humor than its predecessor, Scary Movie 2 hauled in substantially less at the box office.
Where to watch Scary Movie 2: Amazon Prime Video (to rent)
Scary Movie 3 (2003)
Marni Grossman
As the Wayans family departed the franchise, the studio brought on another group of established spoof veterans. Between them, David Zucker and Pat Proft had Airplane!, Top Secret!, and the Naked Gun and Hot Shots! series under their belts.
In addition to the new creative voices (including future Chernobyl and The Last of Us writer Craig Mazin), Scary Movie 3 has plenty of new references to work with, thanks in part to the rise of American J-horror remakes. Indeed, The Ring (2002) is the film’s jumping-off point, with a plot revolving around a cursed videotape that kills all who watch it.
Cindy, now a local TV reporter covering a crop circle mystery — yes, this was made in the wake of M. Night Shyamalan’s Signs (2002) — comes into possession of the tape after Brenda falls victim to it. Cindy subsequently joins forces with a farmer, Tom (Charlie Sheen), and his battle-rapping brother, George (Simon Rex), to get to the bottom of it.
With this third entry, the franchise moved from R-rated vulgarity into more tame PG-13 territory. Zucker, Proft, and star Leslie Nielsen (playing an inept U.S. president) deliver a wackier, more old-school spoof. It paid off at the box office: Scary Movie 3 is the second highest-grossing installment, accruing more than $220 million worldwide.
Where to watch Scary Movie 3: Amazon Prime Video (to rent)
Scary Movie 4 (2006)
Marni Grossman
Boy, how horror appetites change in just three years. Scary Movie 4 arrived in an era when Saw (2004) had pushed onscreen violence to extremes, at least by American multiplex standards. This fourth installment finds plenty to mine from Jigsaw and his diabolical traps — and yes, that silly tricycle-riding clown gets some screen time.
The film combines The Grudge (2004) and War of the Worlds (2005) while also parodying broader pop culture figures and viral moments, like Tom Cruise jumping on Oprah’s couch.
Cindy, having married George and weathered his untimely death, takes a caretaking job at the home of Mrs. Norris (Cloris Leachman) and winds up falling for her next-door neighbor, Tom (Craig Bierko). Oh, did we mention that Mrs. Norris lives in a house currently haunted by a ghost child? Meanwhile, Earth itself is suddenly besieged by an alien invasion.
Where to watch Scary Movie 4: Paramount+
Scary Movie 5 (2013)
Peter Iovino
Malcolm D. Lee (The Best Man, Undercover Brother) took directorial reins for this terminally confused fifth installment, which parodies Paranormal Activity (2007), Black Swan (2010), and Mama (2013), among others.
This was the first entry that didn’t feature franchise mainstays Faris and Hall. Rex and Sheen, however, are back, albeit as different characters. In the opening scene, Sheen plays himself (alongside Lindsay Lohan) so that he can crack uncomfortable wink-wink references to his then-recent “Winning!” meltdown. Rex fares slightly better as Dan Sanders, the brother of the (now-deceased) actor Charlie Sheen. (Are you following all this?)
Dan and his wife, Jody (Ashley Tisdale), eventually become surrogate parents to Charlie’s three children, who went missing before being discovered in an abandoned cabin, completely feral. But the would-be happy new family has an unwelcome paranormal visitor lurking about…
Scary Movie 5 took in a franchise-low $32 million domestically ($78 million worldwide). That put the nail in the coffin, albeit temporarily.
Where to watch Scary Movie 5: Paramount+
