Seven friends go away for the weekend, only to find themselves trapped in a cabin with a killer who has a vendetta. They must pit their street smarts and knowledge of horror movies against the murderer to stay alive.
Director: Tim Story
Cast: Grace Byers, Jermaine Fowler, Melvin Gregg, X Mayo, Dewayne Perkins, Antoinette Robertson, Sinqua Walls, Jay Pharoah, Yvonne Orji
Release Date: June 16, 2023
Genre: Comedy, Horror, Thriller
Rated R for pervasive language, violence and drug use
Runtime: 1h 36m
The Blackening is a funny and a surprisingly effective skewering of racial stereotypes and clichés from the horror genre. Tim Story gives his film a playful tone that never goes into full parody even if it does lean dangerously close to it. He uses beats from Scary Movie, Clue and Saw for the overall structure of the film which gives it a familiar feel especially for horror fans. The script and director are clearly fans of the genre but they don't rely on self referential Easter eggs to carry the film. The script is sharply written, providing plenty of solid laughs as most of the jokes land thanks in large part to an excellent cast. The ensemble cast has a natural chemistry together which makes the whole thing work. Their characters are mostly written as types but the cast is clearly having such a great time playing them that their comedic energy shines through the screen. Each member is given plenty of screen time to show off their impressive comedic timing, X Mayo's Shanika is a real screen stealer, especially as they bounce off each other as the situations get more dire and silly at the same time. The set ups and comedy is all well done even though looking for some surprises or actual scares might be a little disappointed. The film loses a little steam in its final act with a predictable reveal that leaves you wishing they'd gone for something a bit more surprising. Even though it stumbles a bit as it heads towards the finish line, The Blackening is the kind of horror comedy that's sure to be a cult classic in the coming years.
B+
