The Blackening Review: A Hilarious and a Fresh Slasher!

Although the horror genre has been thriving for the last couple of years with a number of incredible films, it is safe to say that the tropes in the genre are typically still present, whether one is dealing with slasher films or “elevated” horror. Tropes are what make a genre enjoyable for some but the over utilization of them can get a bit stale. One of the most widely known tropes is having the black character die first to which The Blackening’s tagline is “We Can’t All Die First,” thus letting the audience know ahead of time that it will be a trope bending and comedic look at classic slasher films.

To celebrate Juneteenth, a group of friends rent an Airbnb cabin in the woods to reunite with one another, some not having seen each other since college. When they discover a board game in the “game room” called The Blackening, this group of friends must play the game or face death by a lurking masked killer.

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The cast of the film is the best horror movie ensemble I’ve seen in a decade. Grace Byers, Jermaine Fowler, Melvin Gregg , X Mayo, Dewayne Perkins, Antoinette Robertson, Sinqua Walls, Jay Pharoah, and Yvonne Orji are sensationally funny as a group and their constant humor flows seamlessly, really giving off the illusion that this cast has known each other for years. This is one horror movie where every single character in the group gets their time to shine and they all possess unique characteristics that make them all intriguing.

The pace is sharp and consistent the entire time. The film barely has any dull moments that stop us in our tracks only to move back to the horror and comedy at hand. Instead, the momentum continues the entire runtime, with the ability to find new things to laugh at everytime one watches because of the constant quick banter. The comedy certainly outweighs the horror in the film, causing it to lack any real scares or terror. This is the case most of the time with these genre bending films. It would have been interesting to see a truly terrifying movie that utilizes the amount of comedy it had.

Another major plus of The Blackening is that the characters play on horror movie tropes while also falling victim to them in a comedic way. Even though they are resistant to playing the creepy game or splitting up with a killer on the loose, it becomes evident that life and death circumstances sometimes warrant split second decisions, that may not be the smartest. It is easy for us sitting in the theater with no danger around to be able to logically think of solutions to onscreen problems.

However, The Blackening makes it known that those in fear for their life may not be able to think clearly, as we all can. The film is a hilarious fun ride that is enjoyable regardless of any of its flaws. It will definitely be a movie to put on during Halloween for laughs and thrills.

‘The Blackening’ Rating – 3.5/5

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