Fans of the horror genre have surely been eating well at the cinema this year, thanks to the releases of some quality flicks. The critically lauded M3GAN and the praised Evil Dead Rise are just a few of the scary titles to grace the silver screen this year. This week marks the debut of another feature, and it’s a creepy comedy called The Blackening. Unlike the previously mentioned movies, this one is looking to make audiences both laugh and shriek. Now, ahead of its opening, the reviews are finally in, so what are critics saying about it?
Horror and comedy can be tricky to balance and, ideally, you don’t want one to overpower the other. That’s the challenge that director Tim Story and co-writers Tracy Oliver and Dewayne Perkins were faced with here. Of course, they also had to craft a story that made sense and featured believable characters. And based on a number of the reviews that have been released thus far, they mostly succeeded. CinemaBlend’s own Mike Reyes mostly enjoyed The Blackening. While he noted that it’s slow to start, Reyes noted that it hits the mark when it really starts to rev up:
When The Blackening starts to lock into its rhythm of survival and shenanigans, it does so pretty quickly. The jokes are fast and well-crafted, and the entire crew of performers compliment each other through every step of the way. Though you might already pick out a couple of the twists present in the plot, it never distracts as the speed of those later acts lets loose.
This movie is a change of pace for a number of reasons, with one of the key ones being that it features a main cast fully composed of African American talent. It’s no secret that scary movies of the past have employed a plethora of clichés and stereotypes when it comes to characters of color. But as Aisha Harris pointed out while praising the film in her review for NPR, this creepy entry manages to deftly steer away from those pitfalls. As a result, its key players are far more dynamic than what many of us are accustomed to:
Most refreshing is that these characters are far and away among the smartest would-be victims of a deranged movie stalker. That doesn't mean less-than-ideal choices aren't made sometimes or that everyone makes it out alive – you can place your bets ahead of time if you'd like – but it seems safe to say many Black viewers have yelled at the screen for the preposterous decisions made in countless movies like this one.
The movie centers on a group of friends who reunite for a weekend at a cabin, where they plan to celebrate Juneteenth. While the festivities start off fun and breezy for the crew, things take a dangerous turn when they learn that they’ve become the prey of a sadistic killer. Variety critic Owen Gleiberman seemed to appreciate both of those elements, based on his glowing review. In addition, he highlighted the social commentary while also likening the flick to other notable entries in the genre:
‘The Blackening’ is a slasher movie that’s also a slapdash enjoyable social satire. That the satire turns out to be sharper than the scares isn’t a problem — it’s all part of the film’s slovenly demonic party atmosphere. The set-up, which feels like a ‘Friday the 13th’ sequel by way of “Bodies Bodies Bodies,” reunites nine old college chums to celebrate Juneteenth weekend in a big roomy house they’ve rented near the woods.
Not all of the reviews have been positive, however. Mike Shutt of SlashFilm is one of the critics who wasn’t as taken by the film. Although he was impressed by the premise and found it promising, Shutt believes Tim Story’s latest ultimately fails to make its case:
Enter "The Blackening," the latest addition to the horror comedy canon, and it is sadly one of the more disappointing ones in recent memory, especially given the potential of its premise. For a film that could either be an extremely sharp satire of the horror genre or a silly gagfest, it lands in the most milquetoast middle ground imaginable, leaning on tired jokes and undercooked commentary that feel like Twitter from five or six years ago.
Still, there seem to be more admirers than detractors in the mix. Marcus Shorter, while writing for Consequence, shared some high praise for the cinematic endeavor. In his estimation, the jokes and plot mostly work, but what really seems to stand out for Shorter is the way in which the movie side steps tropes and poses meaningful questions:
The Cabin in the Woods played with similar ideas but from the perspective of an audience who craved, nay, demanded the film follow a certain logic. On the other hand, The Blackening takes the viewpoint of someone asking a fundamental question: ‘Why?’ Why do Black characters usually die first? Why do they split up when we all know the outcome? Why not use a gun if you have one, when the killer has an unwieldy and impractical crossbow? And, probably the most important, why play a psycho’s game? The Blackening answers all those questions comedically within its narrative. Balancing comedy and horror is the equivalent of jumping off a high dive and landing gracefully – and safely – in a kiddie pool.
Again, that balance is incredibly important and something that shouldn’t be taken lightly. (Two of the film’s stars, Melvin Gregg and Jay Pharoah, understand that blend particularly well.) So all in all, it would seem that those who love horror movies may want to do themselves a favor by checking this flick out. It’ll be interesting to see if general audiences are as high on it as the pundits are.
The Blackening opens in theaters on June 16 as part of the schedule of 2023 new movie releases. After you’ve seen (or even before) read up on other upcoming horror movies that are set to drop this year and beyond.
