The Blackening (film)
The Blackening is a 2022 American comedy horror film directed by Tim Story and co-written by Tracy Oliver and Dewayne Perkins, who also stars.[1] Expanded from a 2018 short film by the improv comedy troupe 3Peat,[2] the film follows an all-Black group of friends who encounter a killer while staying at a cabin in the woods.[3]
| The Blackening | |
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 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Tim Story |
| Screenplay by | |
| Story by |
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| Based on | The Blackening by Dewayne Perkins |
| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Todd A. Dos Reis |
| Edited by | Peter S. Elliot |
| Music by | Dexter Story |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Lionsgate |
Release dates |
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Running time | 96 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
The ensemble cast includes Grace Byers, Jermaine Fowler, Melvin Gregg, X Mayo, Dewayne Perkins, Antoinette Robertson, Sinqua Walls, with Jay Pharoah, and Yvonne Orji.
The film premiered at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival on September 16, 2022, and was second runner-up for the People's Choice Award for Midnight Madness.[4] Lionsgate is set to distribute the film theatrically on Juneteenth weekend, June 16, 2023.[5]
Premise
The film interrogates the trope that the African-American character is often the first to die in horror movies by placing an all-Black group of friends at a cabin in the woods, where they are confronted with a masked killer who demands that they rank their degrees of blackness so that he can determine the correct order in which to kill them, and must rely on a combination of street smarts and their own knowledge of horror film tropes to survive.[6]
Cast
- Grace Byers as Allison
- Jermaine Fowler as Clifton
- Melvin Gregg as King
- X Mayo as Shanika
- Dewayne Perkins as Dewayne
- Antoinette Robertson as Lisa
- Sinqua Walls as Nnamdi
- Jay Pharoah as Shawn
- Yvonne Orji as Morgan
- Diedrich Bader as Officer White
- James Preston Rogers as Camden Conner
Critical response
Joe Lipsett of Bloody Disgusting rated the film four out of five, writing that "While the kills in The Blackening are decent and the killer's choice of weapon (a crossbow) is novel, it's the comedy and camaraderie between the friends that make the film stand out. Not only do these characters fight and support each other as real friends do, but Perkins and Oliver's script is also filled to the brim with smart, savvy jokes. The film is legitimately hilarious, tackling everything from obvious stereotypes to ingrained cultural prejudice within the group."[6]
For IndieWire, Rafael Motamayor gave the film a grade of "B", calling it "the first great horror parody of the post-Get Out era" and writing that "every slasher movie needs a good villain and here the killer wears a blackface leather mask. It's on the nose, but this parody has about as much subtext as Scary Movie and that's part of the fun. There is no toning down Blackness or explaining things to White audiences. If you don't know how to play Spades or what the Black anthem is, ask a friend."[7]
References
- Sarah-Tai Black, "How TIFF’s The Blackening rewrote horror-movie racial conventions with bloody abandon". The Globe and Mail, September 10, 2022.
- Erick Massoto, "'The Blackening' Cast and Writers on Subverting Horror Tropes and Cracking Up on Set | TIFF 2022". Collider, September 17, 2022.
- Radheyan Simonpillai, "TIFF 2022: The Blackening is horror comedy, not trauma porn". Now, September 9, 2022.
- Christian Zilko, "‘The Fabelmans’ Wins TIFF 2022 People’s Choice Award". IndieWire, September 18, 2022.
- D'Alessandro, Anthony (November 29, 2022). "Lionsgate Sets Juneteenth Release For Tim Story Movie The Blackening". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
- Joe Lipsett, "‘The Blackening’ Review – All-Black Slasher Is Equal Parts Comedy and Commentary". Bloody Disgusting, September 13, 2022.
- Rafael Motamayor, "'The Blackening' Review: Black Horror Parody Without Apology". IndieWire, September 13, 2022.