Scary Movie 6

What’s it about?

In this sixth instalment of the horror comedy franchise, a character’s daughter is attacked by a ghost-faced killer, pushing her to call on friends for help. The film reunites characters from earlier films and slapstick chaos happens.

The facts

• Directed by Michael Tiddes
• English language
• Runtime: 96 minutes
• Starring Regina Hall (One Battle After Another) and Anna Faris (The House Bunny)
• A Wayans Family production

Why did it get this rating?

This film was classified by Te Mana Whakaatu, Classification Office. You can find out more about the classification process and ratings here.

Sex scenes, sexual material and nudity

The film contains over-the-top sex scenes. Crude sexual references and innuendos feature throughout. Images of genitals are used in a gag. The strongest scenes include:

• Water gushes, representing ‘squirting’ during a sex scene
• A brief close-up of pubic area is shown, and the labia appears rolled to look like a joint
• References to ‘hand jobs’, ‘blow jobs’, ‘banging dudes’, ‘licking ass’, ‘pegging’ and ‘eating pussy’. Genitals are referred to as ‘dick’, ‘pussy’ and ‘coochie’.
• Characters handle sex toys (a rose, a butt plug, and various dildos)
• A character explains how to perform oral sex

Drug Use

Drug use is shown in silly, surreal, and comedic ways. Characters often treat drugs and alcohol as a normal part of everyday life, with little attention given to the dangers or consequences. The strongest scenes include:
• A character takes large amounts of prescription pills, with many empty bottles shown around her.

• A character uses another person’s morphine drip to get high.
• A character gives out party food mixed with drugs. Characters make casual jokes about using drugs, including mushrooms and cocaine.
• A character smokes cannabis and has strange hallucinations.

• Cannabis gummies are accidentally given to children.

Offensive language

“F**k’, ‘motherf**ker’, ‘b*tch’, and ‘ho’ used to insult and threaten. ‘F’’k’, ‘sh*t’, ‘Jesus’, ‘hell’, and ‘b*tch’ used casually or as exclamations for comedic effect. Black characters call each other the ‘n’ slurr and at times use insults against whites such as ‘white b*tch’ and ‘honky’.

Violence

Exaggerated violence is mixed with slapstick jokes and for comedic effect. People are stabbed, shot, cut, and attacked, usually only with small amounts of blood shown. The strongest scenes include:

• • A character’s head is cut off during a livestream video. Some flesh can be seen at the neck afterwards.
• Two characters are stuck on large wooden spikes in a trap. One has no visible injuries, while the other has blood on his clothes but does not seem hurt.
  • A character is stabbed, and his penis is cut off off-screen. The attacker later holds it up, while blood can be seen on the victim’s trousers.
  
  • A character is stabbed through the mouth from behind.

Self-Harm

A mentally unwell character repeatedly hits his face against a table. The scene is shown from a distance, and his face becomes bloodier as it continues.

Cruelty

• Cops beat a Black man on the roadside in a scene that satirizes racism in law enforcement.
• Several characters tie up others and douse a room in petrol. The perpetrators walk away as the house burns.

Horror

The film includes serial killer themes and gross body horror, but the silly comedy tone and limited blood detail keeps it from being intense.
• A clown, dressed as Santa, gives children severed body parts as presents.
• A character’s back splits open and a hand comes out from inside their body.

Youth Advisory Panel

A Youth Advisory Panel member attended the screening and noted the film’s absurd storyline. They identified drug use, sexual content, and offensive language as the most prominent elements. They said the nudity (including bare genitals) was unexpected. They also noted frequent offensive language, including use of the “n-word” by Black characters among themselves. They considered the sexual content to be non-graphic and the violence not especially shocking, although they recalled some detail in a beheading scene. As a fan of the franchise, they felt the violence and language were consistent with expectations. They also noted a depiction of police brutality and a joke they interpreted as transphobic. Overall, they felt the film was intended for adults but suitable for viewers aged 16 and over, with warnings expected for drug use, violence, offensive language, sexual material, and nudity.

When content stays with you:

We all have our boundaries, and it’s completely okay if something you’ve watched is weighing on your mind. If certain content lingers with you, consider having a chat with friends or whānau to debrief about what you’ve just seen. But if you’re still feeling affected, please reach out to any of the following helplines for support.

• 1737
• Safe to talk
• Lifeline
• Youthline

Further information

Why are ratings and content warnings important for me and my whānau?