The Blackening

If you're a die hard, hard core horror fan, you probably won't like this.

If you're a casual, horror/comedy fan, this is right up your alley.

Make no mistake: this is a horror/comedy. There are numerous, over-the-top, smack-in-you-in-the-face tropes. Some of the more race-related ones will even make some viewers uncomfortable. All of that is fine, because - together - it all works.

Simply put: this film is about a bunch of black people (yes, that's relevant!) playing a deadly game. Correction: a deadly RACIST game. And yes, that's relevant, too. Some die, some fight back, some live...it goes around and around, with little twists and turns (some obvious, others not).

Overall, it's a fun movie. There was just enough gore to make me happy and just enough comedy to make me laugh.

I'd love to see more films like this.

"The Blackening" is a very surprising movie that I wasn't expecting to like as much as I did. With funny jokes and good pacing, it was a fun time.

Starting with the good, I thought all the acting was very good. Everyone gave personality to their characters. The script was hilarious. I was laughing multiple times throughout the movie and I felt the commentary was handled very well. The satirical nature the film provides I thought was really clever and if you don't get it then this movie isn't for you, but that also doesn't make the movie bad. The pacing was also pretty good, the movie never felt like it dragged and I was enjoying myself. And finally there was a lot of twists and turns that I wasn't expecting and it really caught me off guard. Overall it was a really fun reveal.

Now this isn't a perfect movie and while I think the comedy is great, the horror I felt was lacking a bit. I was never bored when the horror started, but it was very standard stuff. The movie could've used some more blood and more stakes. And finally the body count is low.

Overall despite a somewhat standard slasher narrative, it's saved but a great comedy narrative filled with good acting, fast pacing, and some good twists.

Don't mind the 1-star and adjacent reviews-clearly these movie goers either cannot appreciate Black comedy or was expecting some Stephen King-type horror plot. You get what you get with this film: some recognizable stars, plenty of good laughs, enough suspense to keep you going.

By all means, there are plenty of areas where the movie could've improved. While I don't think the horror elements need to be too clearly defined for a comedy, I would've appreciated more scary moments without the "cheese" (ie typical slasher film moments that felt cliché). I also think more character development wouldn't hurt. I loved the characters themselves but no one's arc was nearly developed enough.

All this is to say--see the movie for what it is: a dare to turn the narrative of what it means to feature black characters in horror films. It's meant to be edgy with a whiff of political. And if you can't accept that, then this movie isn't for you.

A few moments notwithstanding, 'The Blackening' is largely a dull affair.

At least they chose a run time of around 90 minutes, that stops the movie from overly dragging. Still, though, not enough is produced to entertain. The humour is probably its 'strongest' element (relatively), not that it's all that funny but bits of the dialogue (much of which was apparently improvised) are mildly amusing.

The antagonists are kinda lame and the twist isn't much of one at all. The cast, though, are all perfectly fine. Jermaine Fowler gives a solid performance, to be fair. Aside from him, X Mayo was the one I liked seeing onscreen the most. The board game element is a good one - think 'Jumanji', but racist.

Sounds like a sequel is on the cards. If so, hopefully it'll be an improvement on this unfortunately forgettable flick.

I have a soft spot for these kinds of horror comedies. Last year it was "Bodies Bodies," a hilarious takedown of performative ally-ship disguised as a slasher film. "The Blackening" gives us an all-black cast, and has a similar social commentary vibe. In this one, the characters have to decide throughout the movie which one of them isn't "black" enough, which gives the movie a chance to explore the topic of racial identity. But it's never heavy handed, and the movie stays mostly tongue in cheek. I never had to wait too long for an image or a line that would make me chuckle.

And I want the cabin featured in this movie. It's so nice that I'll even take it with the psycho killer included.

Grade: A-