The gentrification of genre is a real and consequential development, and yet the prevailing feeling watching the latest Scary Movie is of vague disinterest, and also narrowly missed opportunities.

The new “Scary Movie” is stuck somewhere between then and now, with one foot in the early-millennial absurdism that spawned the series’ most beloved gags, and the other planted way too firmly in quote-unquote edgy humor.

We laugh because we’re defeated. That requires more effort than Scary Movie is usually willing to expend, but every once in a while, it gets there.

Given the horror wave sweeping across cinemas and the dearth of successful comedies, even a movie that wallows in jokey asides about its own existence and history feels like a mild breath of fresh (OK, mostly stale) air.