10 Great Horror Movies You Definitely Missed In 2023
7. The Blackening
In The Blackening, several black friends are celebrating Juneteenth in an isolated cabin when they discover a terrifying (and highly offensive) board game in the basement. The gang are informed by a masked killer that they will be slaughtered unless they play the game and correctly answer questions centred around African-American culture.
Even though The Blackening is a great idea, it could've fallen apart if it was in the wrong hands. Also, horror fans probably weren't expecting much, since it was directed by Tim Story, the same guy behind awful movie adaptations of Tom & Jerry, Taxi, and the Fantastic Four pictures of the 2000s.
But thanks to the sharp writing of Tracy Oliver and Dewayne Perkins, The Blackening is an absolute blast. It cleverly pokes fun at the genre's stereotypes, without being crass or going for low-hanging fruit. The funniest moments usually involve the ensemble being forced to embrace horror tropes. (One character gags when she realises they need to split up to survive.)
Rather than being a full-blown parody, The Blackening does take itself seriously when it needs to. The ensemble have a lot of depth, and the villain's backstory and motivation is more tragic than viewers were probably expecting.
Not only is The Blackening better than it should be, it might be Tim Story's finest work yet.