The Blackening (2023)
Black friends on Juneteenth weekend escape a deadly game; ideal for horror-comedy fans, not for faint-hearted or slapstick haters.
Genres: Horror, Comedy
Cast
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The Blackening(2023)
Overview
Seven black 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.
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Featured Comments/Tips
Not funny enough to be a comedy, and not scary enough to be horror/thriller. Someone recommended this movie bc I love Scary Movie, but sadly this is nowhere near that level. The writing is just.. too weak. I would've forgiven it if it just been scary like Jordan Peele's movies, but no, it failed in that too. Very few deaths (and non creative ones at that) for a supposed slasher. Had no rewatchability. This is one of those movies that you will forget even existed by next year. Sad bc the premise had so much potential.
This movie is a clear example of why Jordan Peele is so next level. It is also an example of how much better this genre has become. Not a great movie. But better than Scary Movie.
Nowadays you have to be careful when laughing at certain issues, I think it was done correctly here. And the fact that horror is also defendable is an additional plus.
Went into it thinking it was going to be something like Scary Movie..... nothing like that. Painfully unfunny. Couldn't finish it.
An interesting idea to have a meta horror comedy made by people that don’t appreciate or even like horror and also don’t like comedy.
It’s sort of like if Scary Movie was really a Horror/Comedy and not a spoof. The Blackening is as stupid as it is fun. Jermaine Fowler as Clifton is like Steve Urcle in a Horror movie.
A fun, winning time, pure and simple. The cast is game and giving 100%, there’s some quality gags, a nice camaraderie, and a charming script. The story’s not as clever as it wants to be, but it doesn’t need to be, and seeing it in a theater with a bought in audience really completed the experience. Hope Tim Story gets to do more like this instead of FFs and Tom and Jerrys.
I noticed a lot of people saying it's not scary. it was not supposed to be scary it's a satire like Scary movie. but it's focal point of it's jokes is more inside jokes to Black community. I enjoyed it.
Better than I expected it to be , not nearly as funny or as clever as the filmmakers think it is.
Now this is a great unique film as it is and isn't a dark comedy and horror movie at the same time. It keeps you on the edge of your seat the whole time waiting for either the next great joke or the next jump scare, as this film follows a group of black friends who are reuniting from their college days by renting out a cabin for the weekend but it suddenly turns into horror as they are seemingly hunted in the house. The plot development and character development is great, but what makes this for such a great watch is the uniqueness of the blend of racist comedy and horror. Its like "Haunted House" except that the horror part is actually real. And of course there is a big plot twist at the end.
Consistently funny. Definitely worth watching.
fun, surprisingly lighthearted, and endearing performances from the cast I do feel like it played things a bit too safe and the ending/villain reveal was anticlimactic but overall a good time!
Rated a Connor 5, normal 7
was fun, could have been shorter.
It had its moments of being funny. Just wish it had more bite. Played things fairly safe with the horror aspect and could have used a few more jokes. Entertaining enough to watch
Painfully dull. makes scary movie 5 feel like a comedy .
If you understand that this is a comedic take on a horror movie and are black and aren't from vermont or are an oreo with a chocolate creme then you'll love this movie. It's chock full with a lot of inside black jokes so it's understandable if you don't like it
Not as good as Bodies Bodies Bodies, and the end was too long and had too much talk. But overall, entertaining little slasher comedy. Well done, folks.
Had some good ideas and several solid moments throughout, but many were short lived and it slowed to a crawl in parts. Was expecting a little bit more pace to this. That said it featured some good performances. 6.1
A very self-aware comedy that knows exactly what it is and who is aimed at. It has some real laugh out loud moments and a clever plot that features all of the black horror tropes. Solid cast and great movie.
I thought it was hilarious. The ending was predictable, though. The nerdy guy was miscast. And the villain didn't have the iconic design of other slasher movies.
Like a Cajun barbecue on Juneteenth: tasty, cultural and blackened.
Featured User Reviews
Director Tim Story‘s “The Blackening” isn’t your typical genre film; it’s a horror spoof with an edge. The perceptive and clever story from co-writers Tracy Oliver and Dewayne Perkins is packed with timely social commentary about stereotypes and “blackness,” which gives this sophisticated satire a fresh and unexpected twist. It’s uncomfortable, it’s whip-smart, and it’s a whole lot of fun. A group of friends (Perkins, Antoinette Robertson, Grace Byers, X Mayo, Jermaine Fowler, Yvonne Orji, Jay Pharoah, Melvin Gregg, Sinqua Walls) plan a reunion at a remote cabin in the woods over the Juneteenth holiday weekend, but there’s a danger lurking nearby. They discover that they are being stalked by a masked killer who plans to murder all of them, starting with the person they deem the “blackest.” The killer works through a very racist looking board game that supposedly tests their “blackness” by asking a series of racially-specific questions. This tests the limits of the group’s friendships as they fight to survive the night. It’s a funny and clever premise for a movie, and the mostly all-black cast really pulls it off. Perfectly cast, the actors are appealing and have terrific comedic timing. The character development is substantial, which makes this one of the more thoughtful horror films in years. The overall vibe is a bit of “Scary Movie” mixed with “Get Out,” but merged together in an original way. It’s really not very scary and isn’t as funny as it probably could’ve been, but the minor stumbles (and predictability) is outweighed by the insightful script. While Story doesn’t quite nail the two genres, there’s still a lot to like. “The Blackening” is a movie that pushes boundaries, challenges audiences, and will inspire many deep discussions. Even better is that it’s also an enjoyable ride.
So a group of friends with the usual collection of personal relationship baggage arrive at a rural cabin after ten years of not meeting. After a brief exploration of the place, they find themselves at the mercy of a board game that requires their undivided attention else a crossbow will put paid to each of them. Initially they are all petrified - especially as two of their number take fairly early exits (perhaps they'd read the whole script?) - but gradually they realise that team work might be their only hope of salvation. What now ensues is just a mess. It contrives to include just about every stereotypical character known to man in what seems like an overlong hundred minutes of attitude that really just fell flat. After about twenty minutes I was merrily supporting the would be killer who just couldn't mow down this lot fast enough. There's a bit of a twist at the end which might have worked better had I cared in the slightest about their survival, but even that seemed engineered only to create something that, horrifyingly, suggested that a sequel might be in the back of someone's mind! Sorry, it's neither funny nor frightening and I was glad when the credits started to roll.
A few moments notwithstanding, <em>'The Blackening'</em> 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 <em>'Jumanji'</em>, but racist. Sounds like a sequel is on the cards. If so, hopefully it'll be an improvement on this unfortunately forgettable flick.
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