The Blackening

The Blackening proves to be one of the silliest, smartest and most memorable comedies of 2023.

Horror purists might find the picture lacking in genuine scares, but go into it expecting a hang-out comedy with a few jumps rather than a horror movie with a few jokes, and it’s unlikely to disappoint.

The Blackening takes very few prisoners and has a lot more to say about race than people are likely to give it credit for. It is funnier than most horror parodies I’ve seen over the past decade.

Where movies like Scream deconstruct sadism but also appeal to our cruel side, this cabin-in-the-woods movie about what it means to be scared of difference, which boasts an almost entirely black cast, is brazenly sweet.

[The Blackening] ends up toggling between those two modes, with limited – though also sometimes highly amusing – success.

Although the killer’s weapon of choice — a crossbow — is reasonably original, the film is rarely scary.

Drawing on classics of the genre like “Scream” and “Get Out,” the movie is self-aware and hilarious with rapid-fire one-liners and fresh takes on classic horror beats.

While it felt like there were plenty of jokes and cliches left to address, The Blackening is a satisfying and funny opening salvo. There’s certainly no reason this can’t become a franchise or at least stretch out to a trilogy.

The Blackening proudly stands next to films like Scream, Cabin in the Woods and Tucker and Dale Vs. Evil as a viciously funny horror-comedy and a sharp meta narrative about the whole genre. It’s just a shame it slightly fumbles the bag at the very end.

While the boisterous result doesn't summon enough story or suspense to earn the extended treatment, the script vigourously subverts racist clichés in slasher movies, right up to the pleasingly daring twist ending.