It’s funny the kind of old movies that gain a resurgent popularity on streaming. Sometimes it’s bonafide classics that folks love to revisit. Other times it’s underrated films that didn’t make a big impression in theaters and find the attention they deserve online. Alternatively, sometimes really awful movies inexplicably find themselves dominating the charts. That’s the case with the terrible horror-comedy that’s finding new life on Netflix this week — 2006’s Scary Movie 4.
Following the Wayans exiting the franchise after the first two films, David Zucker took over the reins. Getting the director of Airplane!, widely regarded as the greatest spoof movie ever, onboard seemed like a great move for the series, but Zucker’s two entries — Scary Movie 3 and 4 — are a far cry from his best work. That said, they brought the box office numbers back up after things slumped with 2 so they must’ve been doing something right.
Likewise, SM4 is proving popular on Netflix right now. As per the latest stats from Flix Patrol, it’s currently the ninth most-viewed movie on the streamer in the United States. No doubt its surge in views is to do with the fact that Halloween’s just a couple of weeks away and Netflix users are looking for something fun and undemanding yet horror-themed to watch.
The movies being spoofed in this one include The War of the Worlds, Saw, The Village, and The Grudge, all recent hits at the time. As well as bringing back Leslie Nielsen and Charlie Sheen from the third one, the fourth film is notable for being the final installment to star Anna Faris and Regina Hall. 2013’s Scary Movie 5 featured Ashley Tisdale, but it failed to reboot the series with any success.
Scary Movie 4 is the only entry in the franchise currently available to stream on Netflix.
