The 5 Best Wayans Brothers Movies, Ranked
Scary Movie (2026) marks the Wayans Bros.’ first time back to the franchise in years, and it doesn’t disappoint those who have been there from the start. However, it also reminds audiences just how many great movies the Wayans have made over the years.
Scary Movie may be a key franchise for them, but they’ve changed comedy in other ways that still hold up. This list will explore some of the best movies they’ve helmed and what makes them worth watching even now. Head over to Hulu, Prime Video, and more to check them out now and rank them for yourself.
A huge return to form for the Wayans Bros., Scary Movie (2026) couldn’t have come at a better time, considering that horror films have evolved in major ways since their last outing in the franchise. But for all that changes, some things stay the same.
Scary Movie (2026) expertly spoofs the seemingly endless Scream sequels, as well as the ideas in reboots like Halloween (2018) and new hits like Sinners (2025). Scary Movie (2026) is both a great jumping-on point, but it also leans heavily on its long history, which is why it ranks last on this list.
White Chicks is a generational comedy film still quoted today, especially when Terry Crews sings “A Thousand Miles” by Vanessa Carlton. Following Marlon and Damon Wayans as cops disguising themselves as two spoiled white girls to catch a criminal is just the start of an already wild premise.
White Chicks endears itself to the type of humor it is without being offensive. It’s also incredibly heartfelt and even inspirational by the end. Both Wayans tell a story about self-confidence masked as a hilarious police comedy.
Films set in the hood were a major part of 1990s dramas, and while they all had something to say, they also set the Wayans Bros. up to say something as well. A title that amalgamates Menace II Society (1993), South Central (1992), Juice (1992), and Boyz n the Hood (1991), Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood’s wild title makes sense.
This was the spoof film that allowed the Wayans Bros. to cut their teeth on this type of comedy, and it didn’t disappoint. Still incredibly hilarious, the only thing holding it back is that more people don’t know about it. It’s a fantastic comedy and easily one of Marlon Wayans’ best performances.
Inspired by movies like The Haunting (1999), Scary Movie 2 brought the Wayans Bros. back to the world of Cindy Campbell and didn’t disappoint. With an iconic introduction spoofing The Exorcist (1973), this sequel proved the humor hadn’t missed a beat and was long overdue for a return.
Ironically, Scary Movie 2 has every right to be considered the best of the Wayans movies, but what makes it runner-up is that everything that makes it great was built on the back of the first. Nevertheless, it’s hard not to look at Scary Movie 2 with admiration for how it used the same formula twice and stuck the landing.
The spoof film to end all modern spoof films, Scary Movie (2000) marked a key moment in comedy because it wasn’t a comedy film with sense as its foundation. With Scream (1996) as the true foundation, the Wayans Bros. started a whole new trend in comedy that continues even now.
What makes Scary Movie (2000) so great is that even with its toilet humor, the jokes were smart and trendy to the times and made fun of some of the most overplayed horror tropes that so many franchises got away with. Why it’s the best of the Wayans Bros., though, is that it showed them at their best, and audiences adored it.
