PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Horror and humor go so well together, especially when well-placed laughs get sprinkled into intense situations. The Blackening pulls this off excellently! A dark sense of humor is necessary for survival when someone goes through a lot of awful experiences. “Laugh to keep from crying” is an actual saying that can be a reminder of that.
In The Blackening, 9 college friends reunite at a cabin in the woods to celebrate Juneteenth. But two of the friends are mysteriously absent as everyone else begins to arrive. Eventually, the friends discover a mysterious game room, with an eerie board game called ‘The Blackening’ in the center.
The game starts as simple trivia, basically testing everyone’s knowledge of Black culture and history. Things get real once the final question is asked “Who is the Blackest of you all?” Not only do they have to pick a friend from their group who they deem ‘the blackest’ but also, they’ll be the first to die.
It’s a pretty genius idea for a horror comedy! The Blackening started out as a Comedy Central sketch by troupe 3Peat. Co-writer Tracy Oliver (Girl’s Trip 2017) reached out to Dewayne Perkins (Brooklyn Nine-Nine 2021) to collaborate on developing it into a feature film. After bringing director Tim Story (Fantastic Four 2005) as a producer, after reading the script, he couldn’t help but feel that it was something he wanted to experience as a director.
I had the pleasure of interviewing Oliver and Story to talk about their film. And it was clear to me how passionate they are about the story they were telling, as well as how excited they are for audiences to enjoy The Blackening and have a good time watching it. It truly is a good time! At first, one might think of the ways it could go wrong, but Oliver and Perkins did such a phenomenal job that all you do is laugh, cringe, and squirm.
Each character is so wonderfully written and performed, and how they navigate the situation presents so many golden comedic moments.
The Blackening is so much more than Scary Movie meets Saw. I mean, both are great too, but there’s something unique about the vibe and execution of The Blackening’s story. And it makes for a fantastic cinematic viewing experience. I highly recommend watching while it’s in theaters, with your closest friends.
The Blackening is currently showing at select theaters and opens nationwide on June 16th!
Have a look at the trailer below!
