Have you ever wondered what black people would actually do when placed in a horror movie? Well, Tim Story takes an ‘all black’ cast to remove the horror movie trope of the black character dying first. The Blackening is a horror comedy film about a group of Black friends who are trapped in a cabin by a killer who makes them play a game based on Black culture. The film is a parody of horror clichés and is based on a short film by 3Peat. The film stars Antoinette Robertson, Sinqua Walls, Jermaine Fowler, Yvonne Orji, and Dewayne Perkins.
When I first started to see advertisements for The Blackening, I thought that there was definitely some potential for it to be entertaining. It has been a while since someone has been able to build off of the success of the Scary Movie formula. I also questioned if we were still in a time where something like this would work. Tim Story succeeded in pulling off what I thought may be impossible. He created a movie that presented what many black people are thinking when watching a horror film while not making it feel corny or forced. Similar movies in this genre tend to go a little far when it comes to cultural or sexual jokes but this movie makes a parody of certain situations or characters without making the entire movie a joke. There was never a time when I thought that black culture was being used as the butt of the joke which shows that Tim Story is good at his job.
Early in the movie, the acting gave off the vibe of a Tyler Perry movie but once we got into the meat of the movie, I was locked in. Many will notice actors from other movies and shows like Insecure, American Auto, and Sorry to Bother You. The cast and the relationships between them in the movie are believable and there is a level of chemistry that comes through in the finished product. I am glad to see many of these actors working together and hope to see them in more movies in the future.
There was a level of familiarity I felt when watching The Blackening. Even though there were a ton of references to things in black culture, I think that this is a movie that everyone can enjoy. There were times while watching the movie where there was legit tension and even though there is a decent amount of predictability, I think it works well in a horror satire setting. This movie was a ton of fun and I encourage you to watch this with friends. I can’t wait until this hits streaming services. The Blackening is with a second watch.
