Review by Sean Boelman
It’s surprising that some of the wildest things happen in the most seemingly innocuous areas, like the world of high school sports. The punnily-titled BS High tells an insane story in an extremely cinematic way, which is surprising considering that it doesn’t really convince viewers of the impact of its events.
The film tells the story of the Bishop Sycamore scandal, in which a supposed high school football team was exposed as a fraud, committing all sorts of wrongs against its students. This story went viral just a couple years ago as the organization was subject to increased scrutiny, and this documentary recaps the scandal quite well. Throughout the movie, we get to see interviews with various parties involved, from the journalists who broke the story about Bishop Sycamore to the athletes who were victimized by this con. It feels like a very thought-out balanced way of telling this story, using it as a cautionary tale of what happens when something sounds too good to be true. However, perhaps the most shocking thing about this documentary is that the perpetrators behind this scandal were not just willing, but seemingly eager to participate in the film. These people are so oblivious to how badly they are exploiting these kids that they are proud to talk about it, and this makes the movie all the more disgusting and disturbing.
That being said, it feels like the film does not point a strong enough finger at the people and institutions responsible for these atrocities being able to happen against these kids. Of course, the founders and coaching staff of the “academy” are the main culprits, but the movie does not blame the legal system beyond saying that no laws existed, as they figured no one would be ridiculous — or evil — enough to attempt to pull something like this off. As such, it doesn’t really feel like this documentary will be able to inspire any real change.
Nevertheless, there’s no denying that the documentary is entertaining, if only because of the absolutely wild developments that happen in the story. As the injustices committed by these con artists become more and more egregious, audiences will become increasingly entertained by the absurdity of the situation. It also helps that, like many other films made by HBO Documentaries, BS High has slick editing and high production values. Directors Travon Free and Martin Desmond Roe cannily realize that this story doesn’t necessarily impact a ton of people, so they find another way to make the audience feel the stakes. BS High is an entertaining documentary, and while it doesn’t always prove to the audience why they should be watching this story, they will be hooked to the screen nonetheless. It’s the type of “comfort food” weird-but-true documentaries that viewers love to stream. BS High screens at the 2023 Tribeca Festival, which runs June 7-18 in NYC and June 19 through July 2 online. Rating: 3.5/5
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Reviewed by Jonathan Berk Nimona is the new animated film by directors Troy Quane and Nick Bruno, which was a long time coming. It stars Riz Ahmed as Ballister Boldheart is a knight in a futuristic medieval world who has made a stir by being the first knight not of nobility. He is framed for a serious crime and forced into hiding. That’s when Nimona, a mischievous teen who happens to be a shapeshifting creature (voiced by Chloë Grace Moretz) arrives to be his sidekick and help him as a super-villain. There’s clearly a miscommunication at first, but the two team up to prove Ballister’s innocence. If you’ve seen Ahmed’s performance in movies like Sound of Metal or Nightcrawler, you’d know how much emotion he can convey with just a look. His eyes are unbelievably expressive, which does no good for a voice-acting role in an animated movie. Yet, Ahmed proves that he can bring whatever emotion a character and story needs through whatever medium you ask. His performance in this film is outstanding, and he brings so much to the role. It’s almost as if you are seeing him through his animated avatar. Kudos to him and the animators for bringing his performance to life. Moretz also brings tons of energy to this role. In many ways, her manic repartee and constant jokes call back to her first cinematic bad-ass, Hit-Girl, from Kick-Ass. In fact, the first time Hitgirl shows up and demonstrates her fighting ability, “The Tra La La Song” kicks in and sets the energy for the scene. That song makes an appearance in a key action sequence when Nimona shows off her shapeshifting skills and takes on many knights. Nimona is a character who truly embraces who she is and has a lot of fun being the “monster”, which totally feels like a spiritual connection to Hit-Girl. This character has more deep-seated insecurities that play heavily into the themes of the film. The allegory of this story is a bit on the nose, but is so vital to the world we live in. The city the movie is set in is surrounded by a wall to keep the monsters out. Ballister keeps asking Nimona what her deal is and if it hurts when she shapesshifts. There is a lot about this film that mirrors the bigotry and push back of those perceived as “different.” While this film will likely upset many people who do not want to see LGBTQIA+ acceptance in our stories, it may also feel like it is pandering. It may be naive to still believe that a story has the power to change the views of someone, but Roger Ebert once said, “the movies are like a machine that generates empathy.” If that’s true, this film can put its audience in the shoes of a fictional character in a fictional world who struggles to be accepted exactly as they are… maybe it’s enough to change someone’s perspective.
Nimona is gorgeously animated and features a few different styles at the same time. The two leads have so much chemistry, and it bursts out of the screen, creating a fun ride for its audience. Between some cool set pieces, compelling characters, and lots of heartfelt comedy, Nimona is a powerful animated movie that’s sure to be in the Oscar discussion at the beginning of next year. Nimona will be streaming on Netflix June 30. Rating: 5/5 Reviewed by Jonathan Berk Director Kelley Kali’s film Jagged Mind is a mix of films like Groundhog Day and Unsane. It stars Maisie Richardson-Sellers as Billie, who slowly enters a relationship with Alex (Shannon Woodward). It becomes apparent to the audience that something isn’t quite right, as scenes begin to loop with slight variations. However, Billie’s blackouts and memory loss are easily tossed aside as early stages of dementia, a condition she likely inherited from her mother. As visions begin to accompany her blackouts, Billie suspects there is something more going on than she initially believed. Richardson-Sellers gives a good performance as Billie. There is a lot asked of her between repeating scenes with slight variations, and then dealing with the various revelations in the story. Woodward's performance is sometimes a little more wooden. There is a stiffness that comes as part of the role the character plays, but she never quite clicks into who Alex is supposed to be. It’s like she has an idea of who Alex is, but is unsure of how to fully realize the character. It’s possible, though, that this problem stems from the script, not the performance. Overall, the story moves well, and the boxes are checked as Billie goes through the various stages familiar with loop stories. Sometimes the dialogue feels a little too stilted, and even though the words are spoken by characters, it feels like we are reading a text message exchange. Lines of dialogue feel too blunt and end abruptly, as though displayed in a bubble with minimal inflection on any of the words. For a horror film that deals so much with a relationship, this inhuman form of speaking feels odd. It’s not always noticeable, but Alex’s character often feels the most impacted by the unusual dialogue. There is some justification for this in the story, but it still never felt like it fit the mood the film was going for.
The overall look and vibe of the Jagged Mind works, though. Whether it is the atmospheric lighting, the gorgeous production design, or the feel of the art-infused world that Billie inhabits, the movie does manage to suck you in. Thus, it’s easy to root for Billie, and hope she can figure out what’s going on. We’re informed of other bad relationships she’s been unable to fully escape from, and we want Alex to be a good one. It’s clear early that this is probably not the situation, as these blackouts and visions seem to suggest this could be the worst relationship anyone could find themselves trapped in. Still, there is enough going on to keep audiences engaged throughout. Jagged Mind is available on Hulu on June 15. Rating: 3.5/5 Review by Dan Skip Allen Film fans and comic book aficionados were first introduced to the Skrulls in Captain Marvel in 2019. Led by Talos (played by Ben Mendelsohn), in a twist from the comics, they were peaceful, and the Kree were the evil race of aliens. The popularity of the comic book series Secret Invasion made it difficult to do the comic book series as a film or television series because of that fact. Marvel and Kevin Feige had defied the odds from the beginning of the MCU, so he has created a Disney+ series about Secret Invasion anyway, and he relied on one of his most reliable actors in the franchise to return and reprise his role: Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury. Secret Invasion is a show rooted in reality. With the USA having multiple adversaries, including Russia, China, and Iran, it was easy for the creator of the series, Kyle Bradstreet, to set the show in a realistic world. With the help of director Ali Salim, he grounded the six-part series in a world we can all relate to. Throw in some CGI of actors transforming back and forth from Skrulls to humans, and you have an authentic spy-type show. That's what this series is in the end. Part of making the series as realistic as possible for audiences is casting great actors who give the show gravitas that it needs to be believed. Marvel and Kevin Feige have always gotten the best to portray roles in their films and television series, and this one is no better than the rest. It co-stars multiple Oscar and Emmy Awards winners in key roles, starting with Olivia Colman as an MI6 agent, Emelia Clarke as the daughter of Talos Giah, and Kingley Ben Adir — no stranger to chameleonic performances, because he's played Barack Obama and Malcolm X, and will be Bob Marley in a film later this year — as the leader of a terrorist group of Skrulls trying to start World War III between the USA and Russia. This great cast really brought their A-game to this show. I was a big fan of the comic book series Secret Invasion because it wasn't like much I'd read before, and I love the fact that I didn't know who could have been a Skull or not. That series is vastly different from this one, though. This series has a few components that made it stand out. One of them is a flashback element, helping viewers get an idea of what the motivations of the main bad guy were, and how he is connected to Nick Fury. Why is this a fight? Nick Fury has to fight on his own without superheroes. That is an excuse not to have them in the series. From the two episodes of six I have seen, this is for a more subtle approach to the story from the popular comic book crossover series. A few things I noticed in the show that stood out to me while watching the first two episodes were the cinematography by Rami Adefaresin. He went against the grain in how he lit and made this series look. It has a gritty neo-noir look to it, with many scenes shot at night in dark alleyways or in London in the rain. The look of the show played into the whole Spy Game mixed with Invasion of the Body Snatchers vibe the showrunner was going for. The second is the score by Kris Bowers. He created an intense score that played into the whole trust issues of the series. The music was moody and atmospheric. I loved how it made me think about what was going on at various times. It's like a character in the show all on its own.
Samuel L. Jackson had had a lot of success in his career, but arguably he hasn't had as much popularity in his career as when he uttered those famous words at the end of Iron Man, "we need to talk about the Avengers Initiative." Those words in that scene launched his career into the stratosphere. This series allows him to be more dramatic than he has been in the MCU. He has been more comedic. It almost seemed as if he hadn't taken his role as Nick Fury as seriously as he should have. Maybe he's winking at the camera at various times in his MCU career. Well, that's not the case here. He brings his A-game, and that's one of the best reasons to see this show. Secret Invasion is one of the best MCU series I've seen thus far. Grounding it in a realistic setting and using a spy or political thriller setting makes it stand apart from other MCU shows. Also, the look of it and the music give a feel and sound that is dramatic. Add in a stellar cast of actors who have won a bunch of awards or been nominated for awards, and you have a good mix. The best ingredient in this six part series is Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury. He knows what he's doing with this character at this point in his career. He brings everything he has to this character and this show. I'll just have to wait to see how it unfolds. Secret Invasion streams on Disney+ beginning June 21. Two out of six episodes reviewed. Rating: 4/5 Review by Cole Groth The decline of Disney animation has been somewhat tragic to watch. With both their in-house studio and Pixar churning out flop after flop in Lightyear, Strange World, and now Elemental, it seems like the tides are shifting against what was once the biggest animation powerhouse in cinema. Unfortunately, Pixar’s latest is annoying, trite, and heavy-handed. It’s no surprise that what is potentially the studio’s worst film is directed by Peter Sohn, who also directed The Good Dinosaur, another all-time failure. Elemental doesn’t have much of a plot. We’re thrown into Element City, a Zootopia-like combination of the different elements: fire, water, earth, and air. Element City is a generic-looking home for our heroes, Ember Lumen (Leah Lewis) of a fire family and Wade Ripple (Mamoudou Athie) of a water family. The two eventually form a romantic pairing that goes against all odds as they try to discover if fire and water truly can mix, going against all societal norms. If it isn’t already clear, Elemental is a bold metaphor for race-mixing. It’s so incredibly obnoxious in its presentation and ultimately misses the mark. Any good intentions here are squashed by over-the-top dialogue like “you speak really well for a fire girl” and the clearly bigoted views on other elements that Ember’s dad has. It’s an exhausting experience that seems to have no clear target audience. Typically, the animation for these films elevates them, but this time, Pixar has failed. Elemental is consistently ugly, suffers from poor design, and is let down by weak voice acting. Leah Lewis and Mamoudou Athie just don’t cut it. Their voices are too generic and feel like placeholders for voice actors with more talent. It doesn’t help that Ember and Wade are terrible characters. Our two leads are unlikable and almost laughably one-note. Wade is introduced as an incredibly annoying inspector who makes it his job to shut down Ember’s store. He cries a lot and is the punching bag for most of the jokes. When he tries to be funny, it doesn’t work, and when he tries to be emotional and serious, he’s finally funny. Ember is brash, simple, and generic. She throws hissy fits at nearly every inconvenience thrown her way and comes across as pretty dull.
As far as scripts go, this is undoubtedly the worst from Pixar to date. From a screenplay by John Hoberg, Kat Likkel, and Brenda Hsueh, and a story from the three and director Peter Sohn, this script is full of awful dialogue and a story with zero direction. The romance plot is uncomfortably cringe, and there’s nothing else going on interesting story-wise. It’s a shame that there’s a whole world introduced here, and only two of the elements are explored. It feels like a very surface-level exploration of the city, with most interactions between the elements feeling played out and uninteresting. Pixar movies have no right being this dull. Elemental represents the worst of modern animation stories. It’s entirely style over substance, and the latter is completely abandoned for a style that’s simply terrible. Kids will be bored by the slow-moving plot and uncomfortable moments of romance, and adults won’t like the weirdly inappropriate jokes and tone. It’s a predictable mess of a movie that feels like a first draft. With a $200 million budget attached to this, Disney’s got a bomb on its hands. Hopefully, they can learn from the failure that is this movie and focus their efforts on making something good for a change. Elemental releases in theaters starting June 16. Rating: 1.5/5
Review by Sean Boelman
Created by Danny McBride, the religious satire The Righteous Gemstones has amassed a sizable cult following thanks to its unique brand of humor. With its third season, The Righteous Gemstones remains one of HBO’s funniest comedies, even if it takes a very different direction from previous seasons, trying to be much more emotional to mixed results.
This season picks up with the Gemstone siblings — Jesse, Judy, and Kelvin — running the family’s megachurch empire on their own after their father has stepped down, and to no one’s surprise, things are *not* running smoothly. The result is some antics that go extraordinarily over-the-top in the best way. If this season does nail one thing, it’s creating a consistently funny, buoyant atmosphere. The humor here feels a lot less dark and mean-spirited than previous seasons, and has some more sophomoric gags at times, but these jokes — no matter how immature they may be — almost always get the laugh. Interestingly, this season takes a much more grounded approach, compared to the outlandish, larger-than-life antagonists of the first two seasons. Sure, there is Steve Zahn’s doomsday cult leader, but even he takes a backseat to the rivalry that is still brewing within the Gemstone family. This approach is what gives the show its Succession-like feel this time around.
However, there are some characters who are disappointingly absent from most of the season. For example, Skylar Gisondo’s Gideon doesn’t have much of an arc — with only an ancillary role as the driver for John Goodman's patriarch — although the cliffhanger in the finale leaves the door open for him to have a bigger role again next season. Even Goodman feels like much less of a dominant force here.
That being said, when it comes to the three main siblings, all of the performers are firing on all cylinders. Danny McBride, Edi Patterson, and Adam Devine have never been funnier in these roles than they are here. Also highlights are Walton Goggins, who continues to steal scenes, and Tim Baltz, who finally gets more to do than be the butt of the joke. Season 3 also has the same awesome production design and technical aspects that draw us into the world of these televangelists. Although it’s hard to explain exactly how without spoiling some of the best moments, there are several scenes that up the scale of the show significantly. And, of course, there are plenty of great comedy songs that satirize Christian music. Although this new season of The Righteous Gemstones never quite reaches the heights of season 2, the new direction the series takes still offers plenty of hilarious moments. After all, the reason that most people watch this show is the hijinks, and this season offers them in droves. The Righteous Gemstones debuts on HBO on June 18 at 9pm ET/PT. All nine episodes reviewed. Rating: 3.5/5
Review by Sean Boelman
Fans are hoping that the second time's the charm for Mad Men alum John Slattery, as his debut feature God’s Pocket received a lukewarm response. Despite being one of the more star-studded films in this year’s Tribeca lineup, reuniting Slattery with his former co-star Jon Hamm, Maggie Moore(s) is a big letdown due to less-than-satisfying writing and direction.
The movie follows the residents of a typically sleepy small town as their lives become infinitely more interesting when two women with the same name are murdered within days of each other. This tale of mistaken identity is told from the perspective of both the sheriff investigating the crimes and the buffoons who order and execute the killings, which sounds like an interesting setup but bafflingly comes up short. The biggest issue with Maggie Moore(s) is its pacing, which desperately wants to be a mystery despite everything being so painfully obvious. Although what we have here is not a whodunnit by any means, this film would have been so much more effective had it fully embraced the fact that the audience knows who the bad guy is and created a reverse whodunnit — a formula perfectly by the Peacock series Poker Face just this year. It also certainly would have helped if the characters in the movie were more compelling. Slattery is clearly trying to go for the small-town charm of modern neo-noirs, but it backfires on him here. For example, why are we supposed to care about the owner of a sub shop franchise who uses moldy meat and cheese — a SUBplot which is far too prominent for how meaningless it is.
Because the film is so weighed down by its web of subplots, it becomes difficult to tell exactly what the movie is trying to say. The core message seems to be that bad people will get their comeuppance, but this is defeated by the fact that the film is fundamentally about two undeserving murder victims. Ultimately, the movie ends up feeling off-puttingly nihilistic, and doesn’t back that up with an insightful perspective.
Although the cast is filled with talented A-listers, that doesn’t make any difference when they feel woefully miscast in their roles. For example, whose idea was it to cast Jon Hamm as a character that’s socially awkward? He’s occasionally very funny, but it simply doesn’t feel right seeing him not be charming. Tina Fey is playing a character that is slightly more on brand, but is wasted as the love interest. Nick Mohammed — who you might recognize as Nate from Ted Lasso — is only seldom funny as the sidekick. And what the hell is Happy Anderson even doing in his nonverbal role? The film is also shockingly bland from a visual standpoint, which is surprising considering that there are so many influences from which Slattery could have drawn. Instead, the movie adopts an aesthetic reminiscent of the type of shabby roadside motel that pops up a few times in the film. Maggie Moore(s) is a massive waste of potential considering how talented Slattery is, as well as the cast he managed to assemble. It’s a disappointingly dull crime dramedy that is light on laughs and even lighter on thrills. Maggie Moore(s) screens at the 2023 Tribeca Festival, which runs June 7-18 in NYC and June 19 through July 2 online. Rating: 2/5
Review by Sean Boelman
I.S.S. is one of the highest-profile premieres at this year’s Tribeca, thanks to a combination of an A-list cast and a great, expansive premise. Although the film is somewhat predictable and straightforward, its charm lies in its simplicity, as it’s a lean, consistently entertaining thriller that takes advantage of its strong premise.
The movie follows a group of astronauts aboard the I.S.S. who — after an act of war between the United States and Russia — are pitted against one another, following orders to take control of the station by any means necessary. It’s a high-concept, tense thriller — something which we don’t see often anymore, but could connect well with audiences. Coming in right around 90 minutes before credits, this is a tightly-paced film that keeps the viewer on the edge of their seat the entire time. Although the story beats are somewhat predictable and you know the direction the movie is heading in, it still manages to be suspenseful thanks to Cowperthwaite’s adroit direction. Admittedly, the script by Nick Shafir is very simplistic when it comes to its themes. The film asks some pretty straightforward questions about the dangers of patriotism, and offers answers that are perhaps a tad too black-and-white for its own good. It’s also unfortunate that — given that the film pits the U.S. against Russia — it will be read as a political statement when it was clearly designed to be more about the core humanity (or lack thereof) in the situation.
The character development is also somewhat weak, all of them being somewhat archetypal in nature. Although the movie manages to get its point across, it does so with characters that the audience doesn’t have much reason to care about. There simply isn’t enough time for their dynamic with one another to be the emotional crux, and they aren’t given a ton of backstory.
One of the most intriguing things about the film is how large of a scale it feels like it has despite what is clearly a small budget compared to many movies of the genre. Apart from a few sequences that feature space walks — the film is largely set within the corridors of a somewhat minimalistic set. Yet, Cowperthwaite manages to very successfully create a feeling of claustrophobia. The movie also boasts an impressive cast that manages to elevate it beyond its somewhat simplistic writing. In the lead, Ariana DeBose gives an unfussy performance that impresses considering that she is largely known for being showy. Chris Messina, Pilou Asbæk, and John Gallagher Jr. are also all quite good. This is a true ensemble piece in that no one person dominates. Cowperthwaite has come a long way since her origins in documentary filmmaking, now creating what is a stunningly effective thriller in I.S.S. Although the film is certainly simple, it’s hard to deny how entertaining it is. I.S.S. screens at the 2023 Tribeca Festival, which runs June 7-18 in NYC and June 19 through July 2 online. Rating: 4/5 Review by Dan Skip Allen Star Trek: Strange New Worlds left fans on quite the cliffhanger in the last episode of Season 1 of this prequel series. Una Chin Reilly (Rebecca Romjin), an El-Aurian, was arrested for concealing her identity on her Starfleet Application. Season 2 picks up with that particular thread in episode two, but there is also a bit of that story in episode one of Season 2 as well. Episode one was a good old-fashioned adventure, with Spock (Ethan Peck) stealing the Enterprise to help La' An Noonien Singh (Christina Chong), who was embroiled in the throes of a Klingon moon. They interrupt a mission to start a war against the Klingons. Doctor M'Benga (Babs Olusanmokun) and Nurse Chapel (Jess Bush) get into a huge fight with the Klingons and almost die. This was a great way to start Season Two of this fantastic series. Another lingering plot thread from Season One was the lingering war with the Gorn and lizard-like species that plant their eggs in those they capture until they burst out and kill them. They are a nasty race of creatures with an Alien sense about them. They were only in one episode of the original Star Trek series called "Arena," where Captain Kirk fought one in a fight for his life. They have gotten more screen time in this series, though, and have become a main threat for the crew of the Enterprise and the Federation in Strange New Worlds. They are added to the threat of the Klingons and the Romulans, who are already the main threats. The main character of the show is Christopher Pike (played by Anson Mount). He is the captain of the Enterprise in the 23rd Century when this show takes place. Mount has had an interesting career so far, but I think he is just getting his sea legs — or space legs, if you will — playing this character. He hasn't had that breakout episode like he did in Season One yet. He has just played his Captain's role in all the episodes given to me to review. His dreams of his impending doom from Season 1, I'm sure, will pop up again this season. Just not yet. As the main character, he has been lacking a little bit this season. My favorite episode of Season 2 of the six I watched is "Charades," where Peck's Spock and Bush's Nurse Chapel are on a mission to explore an anomaly, and Spock somehow gets turned into a human. This makes for some fun stuff, where Spock learns about his new human traits, and he has to do some stuff with his wife, her parents, and his mother, which has to do with his Vulcan impending marriage. The thing is, he's still human, so this is a problem. I enjoyed all the fish-out-of-water moments that a Vulcan being turned into a human could cause.
A few of the other members of the bridge crew have stand-alone episodes where they are being featured. Nyota Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding), Erica Ortegas (Melissa Navia), and La'An Noonien Singh (Christine Chong) all have character-building episodes where they get the chance to shine in Season 2. Throw in a few guest appearances from characters from Season 1, including Paul Wesley as James T. Kirk, and you have a good batch of new episodes so far. I just feel Season 2 isn't as good as Season 1. Akiva Goldsman, Alex Kurtzman, Dan Liu, and Jenny Lumet have created a fine Star Trek show. They have taken the spirit of the original series and infused it into this series nicely. They just haven't hit their stride on Season 2 yet. The last four episodes still remain, and maybe the creators will salvage this season yet. I feel Season 2 lacks the fun and enjoyment of Season 1. Nevertheless, it's still new Star Trek, and we should all be thankful for that, I guess. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds streams on Paramount+ beginning June 15. Six out of ten episodes reviewed. Rating: 3/5
Review by Sean Boelman
The Tim Story-helmed The Blackening debuted at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival, where it was quickly snatched up by Lionsgate for a theatrical release this year. Taking advantage of its creative concept to deliver some amazing laughs, The Blackening is best described as a mix of spoofs like Scary Movie and genre-bending flicks like Bodies Bodies Bodies.
The movie follows a group of old friends from college who meet at a cabin in the woods for a reunion, only to discover that they are being tormented by a masked killer who wants to interrogate their “Blackness.” The film’s conceit is based around the trope that the Black character always dies first in a horror movie, asking the question of what would happen if the entire cast is Black. It’s important to note that, while this is being positioned as a horror-comedy, it’s more accurately described as a spoof. There’s nothing about the film that is particularly scary or suspenseful. Granted, the movie isn’t *totally* predictable in that it feels like anything could happen, but that doesn’t necessarily translate to an “edge-of-your-seat” feeling. However, what the film lacks in scares, it makes up for in absolutely gut-busting laughs. The movie is broadly funny enough for mainstream audiences to enjoy, with one gag coming to mind that played better with the audience than any other bit in memory. However, for those who are familiar with horror tropes — particularly as they relate to Black people and other people of color — this is sure to be one of the funniest movies of the year. The film’s central theme is the idea of “Blackness,” and while the comedic approach to this topic prevents it from digging deeply enough for it to be a conversation in and of itself, it asks plenty of interesting questions. Some ideas are visibly left on the table — like cultural assimilation, a discussion of which would have felt very in-place in this movie. Still, the aspects of Black identity that the film does choose to explore are very interesting. Of course, the premise of the movie naturally lends itself to the characters being very archetypal. After all, the purpose of the film is for it to poke fun at the tropes of a genre not exactly known for its subtlety and nuance when it comes to character work. However, the movie treads this line carefully, ensuring that it does not deal overly heavily in stereotypes. The film boasts a cast full of hilarious Black comedians. The funniest person is probably Dewayne Perkins, who has several moments that will leave audiences rolling in their seats with laughter. However, Jermaine Fowler, X Mayo, Jay Pharaoh, and Melvin Gregg all have some truly hilarious bits. The Blackening is without a doubt one of the funniest movies of the year. Horror fans will be delighted with the many ways in which it pokes fun at the tropes of the genre, and general audiences will just be able to laugh at its frequently riotous jokes. This is the type of comedy best enjoyed with as large of an audience as possible. The Blackening screens at the 2023 Tribeca Festival, which runs June 7-18 in NYC and June 19 through July 2 online. Rating: 4/5 |
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