“The Blackening” is a dynamic horror-comedy mash-up that succeeds in blending the two genres. With the tagline “We can’t all die first,” the film looks at horror tropes and how black people are perceived in not only this movie but also in American culture. Excellent acting and chemistry between the principals makes this picture stand out from the typical slasher film.

In preparation for a Juneteenth holiday celebration, Morgan (Yvonne Orji) and Shawn (Jay Pharoah) have arrived first at a rental cabin. They notice that a game room that previously had a locked door now is open.

Upon entering, there is a game situated at the center of a table. Called “The Blackening,” when it is opened, the middle of the board is the face of Black Sambo.

A voice from the game encourages them to play. There are a series of cards which asks them different questions about African-American culture, such as name a horror movie where the black person survived. The drawback: if you answer incorrectly, you die.

Unfortunately for Shawn and Morgan, they do not answer correctly. An arrow slices into Shawn’s neck and he collapses, presumably dead. Morgan freaks out but is abducted.

Not knowing the fate of the two, other friends arrive the next morning. These include DeWayne (DeWayne Perkins), a gay person whose best friend is Lisa (Antoinette Robinson). He is concerned that Nnamdi (Sinqua Walls), Lisa’s ex-lover who proved to be unfaithful in the past, is coming to this event. When Nnamdi shows up, DeWayne is put out and even more so when he discovers that the two have hooked up again.

Nnamdi’s best friend is King (Melvin Gregg), who likes to mix Kool-Aid and alcohol with heaping doses of sugar. An odd character is Clifton (Jermaine Fowler) who doesn’t seem to fit in with the other friends due to his quirky gestures and idiosyncrasies. The group of friends is completed by Allison (Grace Byers), who is bi-racial, and Shanika (X Mayo), a take-no-prisoners personality.

The others think that Shawn and Morgan must have gone shopping. Later they wonder if they are trying to scare them by hiding.

The friends ultimately end up in the game room again. They also see “The Blackening” and decide to play. This time, however, they see a tied-up Morgan on the screen. A creepy masked character threatens them from the screen.

As they answer various questions from the game successfully, they finally get to one which is more of a demand. It asks them to sacrifice the blackest character. If they don’t, then all of them will die.
Clifton ends up being selected. He goes outside and is killed by arrows.

Now all hell breaks loose as the survivors try to avoid being killed by the unknown assailant. When King is shot by an arrow, Shanika stabs the killer in the foot. They escape outside, only to face the dilemma of splitting up or not.

Will anyone last the night? Who is the mysterious killer?

“The Blackening” does a good job of fleshing out its characters through their interactions prior to playing the game. We see them in normal settings such as playing cards, driving in a car, shopping in a convenience store, and having drinks. All of this makes it clear that they have been friends in the past. Even the fact that Clifton seems excluded and an odd inclusion in this group does not significantly diminish the group dynamics from being successfully explored.

The comedy is subtler in the beginning but becomes more pronounced as they struggle to escape the killer. In this stressful situation, it is their reactions to the danger that sometimes creates humor.

Of course there is the subtext of how African-Americans often face a different set of rules when it comes to surviving in a white-dominated culture. Are they applying skills from other real-life situations where they faced possible danger?

The horror trope of having not the black, but also the gay character, die first is of course rent asunder by the premise of the film. What does it mean to have an all-black cast in a slasher movie? What is the logical progression in terms of plot?

The commentary on what it means to be black generated by the game’s demand is telling. In asking them to sacrifice the “blackest” person in the room, the characters are forced to confront their own beliefs and stereotypes. Is the question of who is the blackest even matter or mean anything in the culture?

The imagery of Black Sambo is frightening to behold. It is such a shock to see such a throwback to worse times. In fact, the attack on these black characters evoked for me the lynchings of African-Americans. I found this was deeply unsettling.

I am not a fan of slasher films in general. While this film uses arrows from a crossbow as its weapon of choice, it still fits the type. That being said, when it was used in “Scary Movie,” I did find the humor in the trope.

What sets this picture apart in that regard is the resourcefulness of the targeted victims. They are often frightened, but when push comes to shove, they take action to fight back. Some of the assaults on the perpetrator are humorous and others are just ruthless. It was a nice balance.

The acting was particularly good. Since this is an ensemble piece, it is hard to pick out one person who stood out. In that sense, this is a wonderful piece of screenwriting by Tracy Oliver and Dewayne Perkins (Dewayne in the film). Each person felt like they legitimately inhabited their role.

There is some violence that makes this picture inappropriate for a younger audience. Does the fact that there is comedy throughout make a difference in whether or not it is appropriate versus a straight-up slasher film? I don’t think so as these characters are actually harmed in the course of the movie.

“The Blackening” takes the viewer into new cinematic territory. It is engaging and bloody. The humorous situations are very funny. The ending is perfect.

Four out of five stars

The Blackening centers around a group of Black friends who reunite for a Juneteenth weekend getaway only to find themselves trapped in a remote cabin with a twisted killer. Forced to play by his rules, the friends soon realize this ain’t no motherf****** game. Directed by Tim Story (Ride Along, Think Like A Man, Barbershop) and screenplay and screen story by Tracy Oliver (Girls Trip, Harlem) & Dewayne Perkins (The Amber Ruffin Show, Brooklyn Nine-Nine), The Blackening skewers genre tropes and poses the sardonic question: if the entire cast of a horror movie is Black, who dies first?

Starring Grace Byers, Jermaine Fowler, Melvin Gregg, X Mayo, Dewayne Perkins, Antoinette Robertson, Sinqua Walls with Jay Pharoah and Yvonne Orji
Directed by Tim Story
Screen Story By Tracy Oliver & Dewayne Perkins
Screenplay by Tracy Oliver & Dewayne Perkins