X
- 2023
- R
- Lionsgate Films
- 1 h 37 m
- 2023
- R
- Lionsgate Films
- 1 h 37 m
Summary A group of Black friends 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
Written By: Tracy Oliver, Dewayne Perkins
- 2023
- R
- Lionsgate Films
- 1 h 37 m
- 2023
- R
- Lionsgate Films
- 1 h 37 m
The Blackening
67
5.0
Summary A group of Black friends 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
Written By: Tracy Oliver, Dewayne Perkins
Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 34 Critic Reviews
67
71% Positive
24 Reviews
24 Reviews
24% Mixed
8 Reviews
8 Reviews
6% Negative
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 34 Critic Reviews
67
71% Positive
24 Reviews
24 Reviews
24% Mixed
8 Reviews
8 Reviews
6% Negative
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
The Blackening is tense, funny, and thoughtful. It’s a miracle when any movie expertly hits that hat trick but even more so when it does it with this much confidence.
While it will not win many (if any) awards, The Blackening is hands down the best time that has been offered up in a movie theater since the Dungeons and Dragons movie last March. This horror comedy plays with genre conventions in a sparkling and vividly delightful way.
User Score
Mixed or Average
Based on 58 User Ratings
5.0
40% Positive
23 Ratings
23 Ratings
24% Mixed
14 Ratings
14 Ratings
36% Negative
21 Ratings
21 Ratings
User Score
Mixed or Average
Based on 58 User Ratings
5.0
40% Positive
23 Ratings
23 Ratings
24% Mixed
14 Ratings
14 Ratings
36% Negative
21 Ratings
21 Ratings
People on here complaining about racism against white people, come on, it's a movie so lighten up and don't take yourself so seriously. Or are you just so racist yourself that you're looking for any opportunity to point the finger and claim you're a victim too? Really all you're doing is proving the message the film was putting across. This was a fantastic film, very funny, just silly fun so enjoy it for what it is. I swear some people read politics into everything. What a way to live. If you're white YOU ARE NOT A VICTIM.
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Ofc you know a bunch of "I'm not racist butttt" white people up in they feelins about this. But ignore the honkeys. If you're black, you'll love this. Funny, witty, relatable, the drama is spicy but doesn't invade the film too much. The Yties just upset they feel called out. Be black and proud about it, don't let them make you feel like you're being "too divisive" or whatever for just sharing your authentic experience.
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The Blackening is a flat-out satire from frame #1, and there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s a breath of fresh air in what has become a very stale multiplex atmosphere.
The movie is highly entertaining, while being oddly validating and very funny. It cleverly weaves the horror tropes that it rebukes right into the narrative. And it’s done without slipping into parody like the Scary Movie series, where similar notions are skewered more broadly and, with The Blackening now on the table, way less successfully.
The framing may use the tropes of horror, but the film’s light tone — with jump scares more often used for comedic effect — defuses the tension required to make viewers feel on the verge of snapping.
It succeeds as a comedy but not quite as a horror film, the genre merely a setting and style for sending up insidious character stereotypes.
The Blackening feels like a cash grab, a film so blatantly made because “horror is so hot right now.” There’s no love for the genre, and if you don’t admire something to some degree, it’s hard to properly satirize it.
Don’t let these modern-day **** ruin it for you. This is great fun! Watch it with your friends,
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I've never been so happy to see a white savior.
While The Blackening doesn't quite live up to its full potential, it manages to convey its intended message with a satisfying blend of humor and entertainment.
Certainly, the mix of comedy and social commentary doesn't mesh smoothly, leading to a slight disconnect with some of its proceedings, but it's important to note that the movie never deviates into a negative territory, maintaining a sufficiently balanced tone that proves that its simplicity can be effective and enjoyable in its own right.
Far from anything special, but it was entertaining. That's good enough.
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Seven Black college friends get together 10 later for a fun weekend at a cabin in the woods. Turns out there's a killer who forces them to play the titular game, which revolves around Black trivia. Even though the potentially scary moments aren’t very, the social commentary and continuous wisecracks provide a healthy dose of laughter. The actors do a good job of making their characters interesting, while landing the comedy. Last year's BODIES, BODIES, BODIES (my review) took a similar trope using entitled twenty somethings, but the references didn't always work. For this film, the jokes mostly land and there are plenty of them to keep the focus on the fun. The final gag (during the closing credits) hilarously sums up the whole movie with a spot–on reference to authority's handling of Black crowds.
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I found the racism too much for my liking. Otherwise, it would have been an ok comedy/horror. It did make me laugh, but it was rather predictable. Then again, it's exactly what you would expect from these kinds of movies, which is a good time, except maybe if you're white, then be prepared to be rediculed for the whole thing...
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Production Company
Catchlight Studios,
Lionsgate Films,
MRC Film,
Media Rights Capital (MRC),
The Story Company
Release Date Jun 16, 2023
Duration 1 h 37 m
Rating R
Tagline We Can't All Die First
Website
https://www.theblackening.movie/
Awards
Black Reel Awards
• 2 Nominations
Image Awards (NAACP)
• 2 Nominations
ReFrame
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
