The Blackening

We had a horror movie. We had a black horror movie. But there hasn't been a black horror movie making fun of black horror movies. This is a perfect teasing and breaking down of all the classic clichés of (not only) black films; the classic characters, the "we have to split up" or "the black guy always dies first in the film", and the equally over-the-top scenes make this unambitious B-movie a pleasant ultimate guilty pleasure. It certainly doesn't want to be a good movie, but rather fulfills the secret wish of the filmmakers to sum up the bad habits of black movies in one film and just have fun. It's true that we don't get blood or a body-count, the film doesn't get into horror at all and a lot of details about black people's wisecracks or their history are not fully absorbed by the viewer, but I actually had a good time within the limits, despite how predictable and simple the whole film was. It won't offend, it won't excite, but horror-black-comedy fans can add a little extra point. (07/09/2023)