The laughs never die in self-aware "The Blackening"

The Blackening (2023)

In horror movies, Black characters typically never make it far. They do, however, have more of a chance in “The Blackening,” a comedy-first slasher movie with a predominantly Black ensemble. It’s self-aware without really being a spoof, like the truly abysmal “Scary Movie 5” (yes, we made it that far) and two “A Haunted House” movies. It’s also based on “true events…that never happened” but really based on the Comedy Central 3peat sketch of the same name. As a knowing, long-overdue comment on Black stereotypes in the horror genre, writers Tracy Oliver (2017’s “Girls Trip”) & Dewayne Perkins (who co-stars) and director Tim Story (2021’s “Tom & Jerry”) have a fresh angle, even in a post-“Get Out” world, and run with it. 

The cold open with couple Morgan (Yvonne Orji) and Shawn (Jay Pharoah) manages to reference not one but two Wes Craven movies, ultimately making them the Maureen Evans and Phil Stevens of “The Blackening.” From there, Morgan and Shawn’s crew of friends is getting back together for the Juneteenth weekend in a cabin in the woods (even one of them comments about the clichéd setting). Lawyer Lisa (Antoinette Robertson), her gay best friend Dewayne (Dewayne Perkins), and outspoken, Rosa Parks sweatshirt-wearing Allison (Grace Byers) come in one car. Then there’s King (Melvin Gregg) and Nnamdi (Sinqua Walls), a hunky player who’s on and off and currently on with Lisa, and then chic life-of-the-party Shanika (X Mayo) and awkward Clifton (Jermaine Fowler) round out the crew. With their hosts missing, they pass around some Molly and play a game of Spades, until they find a game room. Inside is a board game called “The Blackening,” with a blackfaced “Sambo” at its centerpiece asking them to draw a card. These friends are actually the pawns in a game controlled by a twisted, Jigsaw-sounding killer. They just have to figure out who is the Blackest and maybe some of them can see the sun come up. Read the full review at Guy At the Movies.

Grade: B -

Lionsgate is releasing “The Blackening” (97 min.) on June 16, 2023.