"The Blackening"

     ☆☆☆½ 

With Get Out and Us, Jordan Peele managed to be scary and socially trenchant. With Cabin in the Woods, Drew Goddard managed to be scary, funny and meta. But with The Blackening, Tim Story has created a film that's all of those things — while still being an engaging thriller with a mystery whose final revelation is one I never saw coming.

The Blackening begins with a pre-credit sequence that recalls movies like Scream with an unnerving twist as a couple visiting a remote house in the woods (more than a cabin one of the characters points out) to prepare for a 10-year college reunion timed to Juneteenth discovers a mind-numbingly racist board game. They decide to play a round. Bad move.

More of their friends show up, unaware of what has happened. The gang is made up of ridiculous stereotypes, which fuels the concepts of the film, and ensures the scenes in which we learn about their histories seemingly don't require too much in the way of attention — but offer ample opportunity for well-written zingers and one-liners. Then, in grand Agatha Christie style, they find themselves at the center of a sinister, murderous plot.

They're nominally led by Lisa (Antoinette Robertson) and Allison (Grace Byers), though it's truly an ensemble cast. In the midst of laughs and screams—and there are plenty of both, though the film is relatively bloodless for a slasher satire—their personalities come through thanks to a game cast and clever direction.

There's been no dearth of films with a similar approach recently: The Menu, Glass Onion, not to mention yet another Scream sequel, but The Blackening stands apart with its willingness to make cutting social observations and offer up some well-earned discomfort for viewers, while never forgetting its mission as a comedy, above all. At times you'll need to follow along closely, and by the end you may wish you had been listening just a little more closely at the start. The Blackening knows and appreciates that Black audiences will understand more of its references than non-Black audiences—and wears that knowledge proudly. Yet, few will ever really feel left out by its rare and winning combination of fun, games and just a little bit of gore.

Viewed July 4, 2023 — AMC Universal City

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