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Scary Movie poster
7.2
Dimension Films Acclaimed

Scary Movie

Scary Movie Franchise · Scary Movie Collection

2000 88 min R
Critic7.2
Comedy Horror Parody
Paramount+ Netflix Apple TV Prime Video
Trailer Where to Watch

Overview

A group of teenagers hiding a deadly secret from the previous year are stalked by a bumbling masked killer, in a razor-sharp parody of 1990s slasher and horror films.
Story 6.0
Acting 7.5
Direction 7.0
Cinematography 6.5
Music 6.8
Pacing 7.5
Originality 8.0
Emotional Impact 6.0
Overall 7.2

Editorial Review

By FindEdition Cinema Desk

7.2 /10

Comedy that lands

The film's rapid-fire gags parody Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer with fearless, R-rated energy. Not every joke ages well, but the hit rate is remarkably high.

Star-making performances

Anna Faris' wide-eyed Cindy Campbell and Regina Hall's scene-stealing Brenda Meeks became instant comedy icons, anchoring the franchise for four films and returning in 2026.

Pros

  • Genre-defining parody humor
  • Star-making turns from Anna Faris and Regina Hall
  • Massive box office success on a small budget
  • Endlessly quotable moments

Cons

  • Some jokes feel dated by modern standards
  • Very crude R-rated humor is not for everyone
  • Thin plot by design
Verdict A crude, chaotic, and frequently hilarious parody that defined the spoof genre for a generation and remains the franchise's gold standard.

AI Review

The genre-defining 2000 horror parody from Keenen Ivory Wayans — Scream meets sketch comedy, launching a six-film franchise worth over $1.1 billion worldwide.

A crude, chaotic, and frequently hilarious parody that defined the spoof genre for a generation and remains the franchise's gold standard.

Watch it first before any other franchise entry — ideally after seeing Scream (1996) to catch the references.

Awards

Teen Choice Awards

Film — Movie of the Summer · Won

BMI Film & TV Awards

BMI Film Music Award (David Kitay) · Won

Bogey Awards

Bogey Award in Silver · Won

MTV Movie Awards

Best Kiss · Nominated

Timeline

Release Date
Theatrical Date
Digital Date
Physical Date
Premiere
Status
Development

Developed at Dimension Films from competing spoof scripts; the Wayans brothers' draft merged with Friedberg and Seltzer's 'Scream If You Know What I Did Last Halloween'.

Principal photography

Shot in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada in late 1999 under director Keenen Ivory Wayans.

Release

Opened July 7, 2000 to a $42.3 million opening weekend, a record at the time for an R-rated comedy.

Teen Choice Awards

Film — Movie of the Summer Won

BMI Film & TV Awards

BMI Film Music Award (David Kitay) Won

Bogey Awards

Bogey Award in Silver Won

MTV Movie Awards

Best Kiss Nominated

Production

Development

Developed at Dimension Films from competing spoof scripts; the Wayans brothers' draft merged with Friedberg and Seltzer's 'Scream If You Know What I Did Last Halloween'.

Principal photography

Shot in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada in late 1999 under director Keenen Ivory Wayans.

Release

Opened July 7, 2000 to a $42.3 million opening weekend, a record at the time for an R-rated comedy.

Streaming

Paramount+ Netflix Apple TV Prime Video

Cast

Anna Faris Cindy Campbell
Regina Hall Brenda Meeks
Marlon Wayans Shorty Meeks
Shawn Wayans Ray Wilkins
Jon Abrahams Bobby Prinze
Shannon Elizabeth Buffy Gilmore
Cheri Oteri Gail Hailstorm
Lochlyn Munro Greg Phillippe
Dave Sheridan Deputy Doofy Gilmore
Carmen Electra Drew Decker
Kurt Fuller Sheriff
Dan Joffre Kenny

Characters

Cindy Campbell Anna Faris
Brenda Meeks Regina Hall
Shorty Meeks Marlon Wayans
Ray Wilkins Shawn Wayans
Bobby Prinze Jon Abrahams
Buffy Gilmore Shannon Elizabeth
Gail Hailstorm Cheri Oteri
Greg Phillippe Lochlyn Munro
Deputy Doofy Gilmore Dave Sheridan
Drew Decker Carmen Electra
Sheriff Kurt Fuller
Kenny Dan Joffre

Crew

Keenen Ivory Wayans Director
Shawn Wayans Writer
Marlon Wayans Writer
Buddy Johnson Writer
Phil Beauman Writer
Jason Friedberg Writer
Aaron Seltzer Writer
Eric L. Gold Producer
Lee R. Mayes Producer
Bo Zenga Producer
David Kitay Composer
Francis Kenny Cinematographer
Mark Helfrich Editor

Videos

Official Trailer

Soundtrack

  1. Scary Movies (Sped Up) — Bad Meets Evil (Eminem & Royce da 5'9")
  2. The Inevitable Return of the Great White Dope — Bloodhound Gang
  3. Too Cool for School — Fountains of Wayne
  4. I Wanna Be Sedated — The Ramones
  5. Original Score — David Kitay

Trivia

  • The title 'Scary Movie' was actually the working production title of Scream (1996), which the film primarily parodies.
  • It was Anna Faris' film debut and launched her career as a comedy lead.
  • Made for $19 million, it became one of the most profitable films of 2000, grossing over $277 million worldwide.
  • It held the record for the highest-grossing film directed by an African-American filmmaker for years after release.
  • The franchise returned in 2026 with a Wayans-led sixth installment that reunited Faris, Hall, Marlon and Shawn Wayans.

Quotes

"Wazzuuup!"

"I see dead people... at the box office."

Goofs

  • In the garage scene, the position of the killer's mask changes between shots.
  • During the theater scene, the audience layout changes between camera angles.

Community

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7.2 expert rating
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Community Insights

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Collections

Part of Scary Movie Collection

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Universe

Scary Movie Franchise

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Franchise

Scary Movie Franchise

First film of the six-part franchise (2000–2026) and still its highest-grossing entry at $277M+ worldwide.

Browse franchise →

Recommendations & Alternatives

A similarly themed alternative is Despicable Me 3.

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AI Recommendation Insight

The genre-defining 2000 horror parody from Keenen Ivory Wayans — Scream meets sketch comedy, launching a six-film franchise worth over $1.1 billion worldwide. Similar picks: Shared Cast, Similar Horror

Scary Movie