“Happy Juneteenth!”

Story: A group of friends gather together for the first time in ten years…in a cabin (actually a pretty sweet house) in the woods. Sounds familiar? Well, this time Our Gang is gathering to celebrate Juneteenth. That’s right; they’re black. But instead of their sheer numbers giving the Big Bad apoplexy, and thus saving their lives? They’re told they need to sacrifice one of their friend group. How to choose: “Who’s the blackest?” Aaaaaaand GO.

Genre I’d put it in: Comical Cabin Horror
Release Date: 2023
Remake, Sequel, Based-On, or Original: Parodies the slasher movie subgenre, and a short film by the comedy group 3Peat.

Gotta say: “The following is based on true events… That never happened.” That’s what you’ll see at the very start of this film. So get yourself prepped for a eye-winking, self-aware, horror satire that centers the fun on showing every bit of the nonsense horror tropes actually are. All the while crafting whipsmart comedy that will have you guffawing first, then thinking hard later.

First things first; this ensemble cast is absolutely incredible. They feel like actual friends, with their equal amounts of love and exasperation. The combination of talented cast and a director that knows how to get the best out of his performers makes this an instant horror-comedy classic. (Not that this is surprising; the short film is equally well done.) The cinematography and staging lets each scene shift between hilarious and horrifying with ease. And the set design. Hoo boy, that board game y’all. Whoever crafted that knew exactly what viewer’s reactions would be, and it’s disgustingly perfect at setting the creepy level for the film. Ditto the mask that covers the identity of the hunter; a weirdly stitched-together blackface mask. It’s shocking, and along with the game board, lets you know that this film is absolutely gonna Go There. The gore/blood isn’t too bad, considering the slashy subgenre this film is in, though there are plenty of “NOOOOO!” moments that’ll have you reflexively crushing your popcorn bucket.

The plot itself is kind of chaotic, as you’d probably be if you and your friends were being attacked by masked killers intent on killing you. But the dialogue is fantastic, from the start of the film where everyone is hanging out and re-connecting, to when they’re trying to stay alive. A few moments are a bit too dead-on (pun not intended but hey) with how they poke fun at tropes and/or stereotypes, but Blackening more than makes up for that with the sheer number of moments where I laughed so hard I missed a few lines afterward. Luckily, this film is more than enjoyable enough for a second viewing. Or a third. Or a purchase once it hits streaming/Blu-ray. If I had a nickel for every time I said “oh no they – oh they’re gonna” out loud, before something crazy happens? I’d be writing this on my brand new yacht.

Okay, one thing; the token “Carlton” of the gang, Clifton? Is so outrageously Other, it feels like he’s autistic. Which feels a bit ableist, and took me out of a few scenes. Clifton’s exaggerated mannerisms are never explained, which is kind of a bummer. I don’t count this as a powerful negative, just something that some – like me – might find head-scratching. Oh, and there is an…upper GI disruption…in the film. Again, for folks like me, who can’t deal. It’s no Knives Out total gross-out, but it does happen. FYI, yada yada. I wracked my brain for a special shout-out in this review, but honestly? The cast does such a fantastic job working together, they all get my humble thanks.

Note – this movie is written for the black gaze. If you don’t get a joke, reference, or sing-along? That’s absolutely fine. I didn’t. (I did get the O’Reilly Auto Parts jingle though, which made me so happy when the whole theater burst into song…) In my eyes, that makes Blackening something more than just a fun popcorn-fest. It makes it important. And yeah, I kinda hate myself for being that pretentious. But facts are facts; we need different voices, ones from outside the typical white, upper-middle, suburban blah-blah that we see more than enough of. Different voices makes things interesting – Jordan Peele, Bong Joon-ho, Karyn Kusama, anyone? And Blackening is definitely interesting, along with being an absolute hoot.

#Protip: The Blackening would make a fantastic double-feature with Tucker and Dale vs. Evil. Both are cabin-in-the-woods horror comedies with a twist, and both rely on small casts with big talent. Enjoy!