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As the Scream movies keep reminding us, the slasher genre is built on cliches. And one of the most notorious examples – that Black characters never survive – is the theme of this hilarious horror spoof’s brilliant poster.
“We can’t all die first” reads a tagline over a shot of a defiant African-American cast.
Seven college friends rent a remote house to celebrate Juneteenth, the national holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States.
If the isolated house in the woods wasn’t scary enough, its doors seem to have minds of their own. One suddenly opens to reveal a games room and a racist trivia board game called The Blackening, which features a terrifying talking plastic face.
Not only does the plastic quizmaster know all their names but it has a murderous human sidekick ready to jump out of the shadows.
If they can answer questions, such as naming the five Black actors who appeared on Friends, they can buy themselves a few more minutes of survival.
The Saw movies are clearly a big influence on the set-up but director Tim Story (Barbershop, Ride Along) isn’t overly interested in gore or suspense.
This is mainly about a great cast and the laughs, which a razor-sharp script delivers by the bucketload.
Co-writer Dewayne Perkins ensures his gay character, the waspish Dewayne, delivers the best lines but there’s not one weak link among the excellent ensemble cast.
Melvin Gregg deadpans wonderfully as reformed gangster King, and X Mayo and Jermaine Fowler deliver well-honed physical comedy as no-nonsense Shanika and nerdy Clifton.
British audiences may not understand every cultural reference delivered in this rapid-fire script.
But if you sense a joke went sailing over your head, the next barrage will probably slam square into your funny bone.
The Blackening, Cert 15, In cinemas now
