From the box office success of original horror films like Weapons to the long-awaited return of Jason Voorhees in Sweet Revenge, I think it’s safe to say that horror is undergoing yet another mainstream boom. However, the single biggest sign that the genre has once again dominated popular culture has to be the fact that […]
From the box office success of original horror films like Weapons to the long-awaited return of Jason Voorhees in Sweet Revenge, I think it’s safe to say that horror is undergoing yet another mainstream boom. However, the single biggest sign that the genre has once again dominated popular culture has to be the fact that the Wayans brothers are finally reviving the Scary Movie franchise for a new generation of filmgoers.
However, in the twelve years since the last entry in the popular series of spoofs, the horror genre has expanded in new and exciting ways. This means that there are plenty of films to choose from if Scary Movie 6 intends to keep up. That’s why we’ve decided to come up with a list suggesting six scary movies that Scary Movie 6 should parody!
For the purposes of this list, we’ll be selecting films based on their cultural impact rather than overall quality. That being said, I’d also like to give a shout out to Bloody Disgusting’s own Terrifier and V/H/S movies, as I think we can all agree that both franchises have had a massive influence on the genre as a whole.
As usual, don’t forget to comment below with your own suggestions if you think we missed a film that’s ripe for parody.
It’s hard to single out a more influential film in the modern cinematic landscape than Jennifer Kent’s psychological horror flick The Babadook. While I heavily oppose the labeling of this film (and the others it inspired) as “elevated horror,” there’s no denying that this Australian thriller opened the door for countless genre flicks that double as artsy character studies.
In Scary Movie terms, this means that there’s a lot of potential here for jokes poking fun at high-brow interpretations of monsters meant to represent grief. And the best part is that a little bit of cinematic mockery might just nudge Hollywood away from what has become an annoyingly overused trope!
5. Tusk (2014)
During the past few years, Body-horror has gone from being one of the least popular niches in the genre to becoming an institution worthy of mainstream respect. However, back in the days before most critics took tales of fleshy transformations seriously, Kevin Smith decided to satirize the inherent absurdity of the genre in an infamous film known as Tusk. And while Tusk was already a comedic deconstruction of movies like The Human Centipede, I think the idea of a helpless victim being slowly and painfully changed into a silly animal could be even funnier if played completely straight in a spoof flick.
After all, with gruesome films like The Substance getting nominated for Academy Awards, it might be fun to remind audiences of the goofier side of this versatile sub-genre. Of course, it would be even funnier if the Wayans committed to the bit by providing Scary Movie 6 with state-of-the-art practical effects.
4. Longlegs (2024)
Longlegs may have set the horror world on fire last year, but its story isn’t exactly original enough to warrant a direct parody. The real reason it makes it onto this list has more to do with how Osgood Perkins chose to depict evil in the movie, as the director’s penchant for subtle background frights could very well be subverted by a clever spoof film.
Personally, I think it would be hilarious to watch a Scary Movie sequel where clever visual gags are hidden throughout the experience like a cinematic game of Where’s Waldo. The series is already known for certain recurring gags, so I love the idea of a running joke where Ghostface or some other villain is barely hidden in the background of every scene.
3. The Conjuring Universe (2013-Present)
Putting an entire franchise on the list may seem like overkill, but the fact is that the heavily fictionalized exploits of the Warren family have raked in billions at the box office since the release of Scary Movie 5 – a film that had the bad luck of coming out a mere two months before the first Conjuring movie. Thankfully, Scary Movie 6 has the chance to rectify this mistake by poking fun at over twelve years of supernatural jump-scares.
And with the final entry in the so-called “phase one” of the Warren saga releasing later this year, it would be fitting to finally see the parodies of horror icons like Valak and Annabelle in something a little more mainstream than A Haunted House 2.
2. Halloween (2018) / Scream (2022)
The Scream franchise has always been deeply indebted to the trends established by John Carpenter’s original Halloween, and this connection would only get stronger over time. That’s why it makes sense that both franchise reboots follow the exact same legacy sequel formula predicted by Wes Craven all the way back in 2011.
But what does this mean for Scary Movie 6? Well, it would only be appropriate for the upcoming spoof to make fun of this increasingly absurd fad where every popular horror franchise is being treated like an epic saga with recurring characters that must pass the torch to younger versions of themselves that just so happen to be going through the exact same situation.
1. Skinamarink (2022)
From Remedy’s Control to Kane Parson’s interpretation of The Backrooms, liminal horror has taken popular culture by storm, and I think a franchise hell-bent on satirizing genre trends would do well to pay attention to what this new generation of artists is putting out. That’s why it would make sense for Scary Movie 6 to poke fun at liminal horror on the big screen by parodying Kyle Edward Ball’s polarizing Skinamarink.
While this deeply odd mood piece wasn’t exactly a blockbuster hit, most horror fans are aware that the film exists either through memes (like this hilarious example) or the online discourse that’s still going on to this very day. This makes the film perfect source material for jokes about how younger generations appear to be terrified of empty rooms and hallways.
