And yes I’m excited! Like … beyond excited! When I saw a clip of “The Blackening” movie while scrolling on Instagram a few weeks ago, I was immediately on board. As much as I continue to say — I hate horror films, I always try to watch the Black horror films, since they tend to give us a different perspective. And well … “The Blackening” is definitely the different I’ve been dying for.
“The Blackening” centers around a group of Black friends who 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 motherfcking game. And if you’ve seen any of the clips, or the trailer (below), you know this is gonna be one hell of a ride. It’s also looking to be more comedy, than horror. But I’ll let you know how it all pans out once I see it.
Directed by Tim Story (Ride Along, Think Like A Man, Barbershop) and co-written by Tracy Oliver (Girls Trip, Harlem) and Dewayne Perkins (“The Amber Ruffin Show,” “Brooklyn Nine-Nine”), “The Blackening” skewers genre tropes and poses the sardonic question: if the entire cast of a horror movie is Black, who dies first?
The film stars Antoinette Robertson, Dewayne Perkins, Sinqua Walls, Grace Byers, X Mayo, Melvin Gregg, Jermaine Fowler, Yvonne Orji, and Jay Pharoah, and is produced by Jason Clark, Marcei A. Brown, E. Brian Dobbins, Tracy Oliver, Tim Story, and Sharla Sumpter Bridgett. Perkins serves as a co-producer, with Vicky Story as associate producer.
So When Will “The Blackening” Premiere At The Apollo In NYC?
As soon as I found out “The Blackening” would be premiering at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival (a few days ago) I immediately ran to apply for press credentials! There’s no way I was missing this premiere!
But what I didn’t know then, was that the new horror-comedy would premiere in Harlem (here in NYC) at the legendary Apollo theater on June 13. Insanely enough, I still haven’t had the pleasure of stepping foot inside the Apollo, so I’m super excited about this!
Plus, the film had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, which I freaking missed because of my birthday, last year — and it was met with raves and a wild, raucous midnight screening! So I can’t wait to watch this. Hell, I think I may be more excited to see this than I was to see “Nope“.
The Blackening Movie Trailer
The Blackening Movie Release Date
If you’re not attending the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival this year, then don’t worry, because the film opens in theaters nationwide just a few days later on June 16, 2023.
