The Blackening: Impact & Importance
As a young horror fan in the 90s and early 2000s, you quickly learn that the black person dies first. An idea developed from many horror films and cemented as trope by becoming a cultural understanding. Most of my young horror fan days were spent laughing at this idea as a joke. Referencing it off hand in conversation and lamenting it when a favorite actor of mine would appear early in a horror movie (Omar Epps and Jada Pinkett Smith deserved better). Horror movies even began to self-referentially mock this idea in their movies. Even though this idea has been mostly absent from the genre for over a decade, the joke will still gain traction. Evidence being in the new horror/comedy, The Blackening, from writer/director Tim Story. Its tagline (“We can’t all die first”) positioned on the movie poster above its all black cast, alludes to the strength of this idea in the genre, but also (and more importantly) what to expect from this film. The Blackening is a satire, and a very good one.
Horror has always been a perfect backdrop for larger cultural commentary. It’s easily accessible for metaphor and has been used as such since its creation. Modern horror has taken this to its next level and is now offering a space for marginalized creatives to express their perspective through horror. Which is part of the reason the trope of a black person dying first has died. This is exactly what Tim Story is accessing with his slasher film. A satire so deep and rich that it surpasses the simple quality check we do with films to reach the desired place of impact and importance. One so hyper focused on its ideas that reach is also irrelevant.
This is a film about and for black people. It’s satire rooted in the black experience and thus its commentary points in that direction. The Blackening is not a film that excludes anyone, but takes on more of a family meeting feel. Approaching and commenting on topics specific to that community. The larger macro themes can be stretched to fit to any group, but the specifics are unique to this one. More important than its intended audience, is its execution and in that regard it’s outstanding.
A game as the plot device perfectly delivers its horror and commentary. It’s a wildly clever idea. A succinct way to present a scenario that is genuinely terrifying alongside opportunities for humor and deep cultural criticism. The game also called “The Blackening” asks our group a series of questions about black culture. Answer enough questions correctly and they not only save their own lives but the life of their friend (Yvonne Orji), all the while determining how they black they are.
The perfect setup for a satire, because the longer the game goes, the more ridiculous it becomes and thus proving the larger point of the film. However, The Blackening leans further into its satire to deepen its commentary and expand it, once the game ends. Dragging this idea of how black someone is into hyper focus. Ending in a place of full examination of this idea, including the greater point, which is what we do to each other because of this idea.
The idea that you can place value on one’s blackness and thus determine their place or value to the community within it is one that is likely rooted in the collective suffering of a minority group. In looking at blackness specifically, the rise and subsequent dominance of blackness in American culture can, when unchecked, create a cast system amongst the minority group. Whether your blackness, when viewed from the outside, can bring interest, engagement and success, then there is value in it. Selling out or trying to “play the game” is a byproduct of capitalism and is a complicated conversation for a minority community to have.
The Blackening however, mostly leaves this idea to the side. Avoiding the logical assumption that we can lay this problem at the feet of white people. Instead it touches this idea light enough to be overtaken by it. But the mere acknowledgement of it leaves room for the audience to connect the dots of this blackness rating system to the people that created this idea and subsequently forced us into this impossible choice.
The more focused commentary is on the act of rating blackness inside the community. Black people place value on a simplistic version of what it means to be black. Attaching it to stereotypical tropes and ideas, which in turn create the caste system that ultimately divides a group of people through simplicity. Does interaction with culture determine someone’s worth? How can that be a barometer of someone’s place amongst a people group in a country that searches for, takes and distorts culture for capitalistic gain? Blackness can’t be whittled down to if you watch “Living Single” or “Friends”, or if you can quote Nas’ “One Mic”. It can’t be based on what food you eat, personality characteristics or how much history you know.
Those things remove the diversity and complexity of the black experience. They make it quantifiable on a level that allows others to poach the culture and ultimately feel as though they too are black. In the wrong hands this can be seen as exclusive or create more division along the lines of race and/or culture. The proper view does the opposite. Ultimately, this is where The Blackening lands. Blackness isn’t quantified by traits, or by some cultural checklist. It allows the community to thrive in its uniqueness, evolve with its experiences and interact with its environment.
This is what makes The Blackening such an important film. These ideas don’t get the space that is required in the public sphere for examination. It’s presented with tact, cleverness and sharp wit. All of which give space for examination. On top of that it’s a very good film. Even though it doesn’t quite hold up as a horror film, with only real scare of the film coming from its opening, it still works enough to allow the other elements to shine. The Blackening is a funny movie, with layers to the humor that will have each person laughing in the audience. Its satire is pitch perfect, which ultimately makes it a very good film alongside being an important one. It’s incredible work by all involved.
