If there’s one trope of horror films that for years never changed it was that the black character was nearly always one of the first to be bumped off but with Scream and later Jordan Peele’s ‘Get Out’ both films opened the door to addressing that stereotype and far more. But its comedy horror The Blackening that ups the ante with an all black cast in a remote woodland cabin being stalked by a masked up serial killer that gives the film its tag line, ’We Can’t All Die First’. Directed by Tim Story (Ride Along) and written by Tracy Oliver and Dewayne Perkins who stars in the ensemble piece as the gay friend looking out for his female friend about to get back with an old boyfriend.
With its opening scene a homage to the opening scene of the Scream films this has two characters alone in the cabin in the woods finding the board game The Blackening in the basement. With a racist caricature stereotype on the board spitting out questions and somehow able to answer back to the players they soon find themselves at the mercy of the serial killer when they get a question wrong. It’s one of several savvy insights into black culture when the questions include, ‘Name five black actors who appeared on ‘Friends’?’ or How many seasons did “Dark Aunt Viv” get on the Fresh Prince?’ with all of the cast understandably struggling to answer.
But the film is not afraid to laugh at so many tropes of black characters in films, some subtle (a characters sideways pistol grip is adjusted to the upright position as he shoots) to each of them arguing as to who is the blackest amongst them, and to that end Allison (Grace Byers) as the bi racial woman gets a lot of clever laughs addressing the perception of blackness. In fact all the cast get the chance to revel and poke fun at the stereotypes they play. King (Melvin Gregg) is the gang member now peacemaker and yet is the one who turns up to the weekend’s melee packing a pistol. Allison is whose beef with The Man traces back to her white father. Shanika (X Mayo) veers from loud mouthed queen bitch to voice of reason before reverting back to type again. Clifton ( Jermaine Fowler) is the who reveals his support for Trump and it’s Fowler having worked with Eddie Murphy in Coming 2 America seems to channel Murphy’s execrable title role in ‘Norbit’. The script positively revels in undermining the tropes and stereotypes but at times the actors play it so enthusiastically that many of the best lines are garbled and lost
The script leaves no stone unturned and right from the start when the film starts with the legend that reads, ‘Based on true events’ before adding ‘….that never happened’ sets the tone as parody but as the film progresses it veer back and fore between comedy-horror wanting to have a foot in both camps. The Blackening unashamedly sets it sights on its demographic audience and the rest of us are along for the frequently very funny ride.
related feature: Can we expect a ‘Nope’ sequel?
related feature: At the UK premiere of Disney’s ‘Haunted Mansion’ director Justin Simien introduces the film
related feature: Our evening at a special screening of The Blackening
Here’s The Blackening trailer…..
The post The Blackening – REVIEW appeared first on Any Good Films.
from Any Good Films https://ift.tt/htQqgfE
