(Credits: Miramax Films / Dimension Films)

Somehow, in a world of chic dramas, AI thrillers, and existential true crime, Scary Movie has climbed its way back up the Netflix charts, and honestly, that’s the kind of plot twist it would’ve made fun of itself.

Ranking at number 10 on Netflix right now and released in 2000, the film was never meant to be timeless. It was just a juvenile and loud attempt at making a spoof of an iconic film. But two decades later, it is the cinematic equivalent of that one funny friend from high school who still knows how to make everyone laugh at a party.

What’s wild is that Scary Movie didn’t just parody horror but practically created its own genre of parody horror. Before the internet could collectively roll its eyes, the Wayans brothers were already doing it in real time. They poked at Scream, I Know What You Did Last Summer, and every teen slasher cliché imaginable. You remember: the “what’s up” call, the haunted house, the white girl running towards danger. It was ridiculous, and that’s exactly why it worked.

Watching it now, the jokes land differently altogether. It is not scary anymore (it never was), but it’s boldly stupid in a way that feels kind of hilarious. In an era where comedy tries to be clever or satirical, Scary Movie just wins hearts by being honest and stupid enough. And somehow, that honesty holds up.

Fun fact: it was made on a budget of about $19 million and went on to gross over $270 million worldwide. That’s right, a movie featuring a talking weed plant and a possessed fridge made more money than some Oscar winners that year. It also turned Anna Faris into a cult comedy icon because anyone who can scream, sob, and deliver deadpan all in one scene deserves their own acting school.

And sure, the sequels got… progressively chaotic. By Scary Movie 4, they were parodying War of the Worlds, The Grudge, and, for some reason, Brokeback Mountain. But that’s part of the charm. The franchise never knew when to stop, and that lack of restraint is what made it Scary Movie. It wasn’t trying to impress critics; it was trying to make you snort-laugh popcorn through your nose.

Rewatching it on Netflix in 2025 feels a bit like rediscovering your old MySpace profile. You get nostalgic and half-embarrassed but completely entertained. But in the case of Scary Movie, it’s impossible not to admire the craftsmanship of its stupidity. Every gag, no matter how absurd, is built on a real understanding of horror tropes. It knew exactly what it was mocking.

There’s a reason it’s climbing the charts again. People miss movies that don’t care about looking smart. Scary Movie was made before irony became a personality trait, before memes could summarise entire plots. It was unfiltered, crass, and often inappropriate, but it was funny in the purest sense: relentless and self-aware. And maybe that’s why it still works.