Scary Movie's Ghostface Reveal Is More Satisfying Than Scream 7

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This article contains spoilers for "Scream 7" and "Scary Movie."

The "Scream" franchise has become celebrated for many reasons: its clever deconstruction of the horror genre (and the slasher film specifically), its satire of Hollywood and the film industry's tropes, its look at the blurred lines between the real and the reel, its suspenseful setpieces and inventive kills, and its whodunit structure, where the killer behind the Ghostface mask is someone different every time. The "Scary Movie" franchise may have begun as a direct "Scream" parody, but it's gone in its own unique direction, moving past just one series or subgenre of horror and taking parodic aim at anything it wants, all while sending up the latest horror hits. Other than utilizing similar source material, the two series should not be in competition with one another, as one's aim is to scare and thrill, while the other tries to make folks laugh anyway it can.

Yet like a pet and their owner resembling each other over time, "Scream" and "Scary Movie" have exchanged places here and there. One could say that "Scream 3" is a more successful comedy than the first "Scary Movie" was, for instance. Now that the new "Scary Movie" is back poking fun at the long-running horror franchise (it uses 2022's "Scream" as a framework), it manages to do something unexpected: it has a better Ghostface reveal than the one which just happened in the supposedly more reputable sequel, "Scream 7." To be fair, "Scary Movie" is playing on a different level; it's a parody movie, and thus the plot is a deliberate afterthought. Yet while there's little logic to be found in its Ghostface reveal, it's a far more entertaining and satisfying one than the belabored and uninspired "Scream 7" finale.

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In addition to all the usual pitfalls of diminishing returns in any long running franchise, the "Scream" series has it tough with continually finding ways to make its Ghostface killers feel both relevant to the current trends in Hollywood and horror of the time as well as to the protagonists. "Scream" (the 5th) and "Scream VI" injected some new life into the series by introducing a group of new characters, where the killers could have motivations tied to these new folks as well as to the original films and legacy survivors. "Scream 7" throws much of that out the window in its kowtowing to Sidney Prescott and actress Neve Campbell, as the movie is one long mea culpa for not involving Sidney in "Scream VI." To drum up some drama, the film introduces the idea of AI being used by the Ghostfaces as a way of torturing Sid with the visages of her past tormentors. Thus, Matthew Lillard, Laurie Metcalf, Scott Foley, and others make cameo appearances. However, the real Ghostfaces turn out to merely be Sidney's new neighbor Jessica (Anna Camp) and her supervisor at a mental institution (Ethan Embry), both with a flimsy motivation.

"Scary Movie" 2026 sticks close to copying "Scream" 2022's plot. As such, the first Ghostfaces to be revealed are the boyfriend (Cameron Scott Roberts) and the party girl (Ruby Snowber). Yet they are quickly dispatched by the real Ghostfaces, who are Ray (Shawn Wayans), Shorty (Marlon Wayans), Anthony Anderson, and Shaquille O'Neal. As opposed to "Scream 7" elevating a pair of new characters to killer status and fumbling it, "Scary Movie" goes ahead and gets some of its biggest actors past and present to be the killers.

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"Scary Movie" trotting out some big name cameos wouldn't necessarily make for a better Ghostface reveal alone. What gives the comedy the edge over "Scream 7" is how the entire reveal of Ray, Shorty, Anthony and Shaq (who says he's there representing Kevin Hart due to the comedian turning down an appearance) is a meta commentary on the Black sidekick characters getting revenge for being sidelined (mostly, save Regina Hall's Brenda) by the white protagonists of the franchise. Then a third twist follows, whereupon Ray and Shorty assume their real life personas as Shawn and Marlon Wayans and turn on Anthony Anderson and Shaq for taking their places in the David Zucker-directed, Wayans-less "Scary Movie 3" and "4." This is a callback to the reveal of Ray and Bobby (Jon Abrahams) being the Ghostfaces of the original "Scary Movie," where Ray/Shawn describes being so upset over the cancellation of the 1995 "The Wayans Bros." sitcom.

The righteous indignation then gives way to a fourth twist, where Ray and Shorty decide to team up with Cindy (Anna Faris) and Brenda to kill off Cindy's daughters Sara (Olivia Rose Keegan) and Tuesday (Savannah Lee Nassif), thereby securing their position as the true inheritors of the franchise rather than the newer, younger actors. Is this a deliberate satire of the subtext of "Scream 7" pushing Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega aside? Or is it an earnest sentiment on the part of Faris, Hall, and the Wayans? It could be either one, or both, or even neither, given how loose the continuity of "Scary Movie" is. What is clear is that a parody movie has done the franchise it's parodying one better. How funny is that?