Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

The Blackening 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman August 19, 2023

How good are you at playing Trivial Pursuit? How good would you be if, say, it was one of those "designer" versions of the game, this one crafted specifically to test your knowledge of your own cultural and/or ethnic background? That's the underlying premise to the often funny if not quite consistently funny enough The Blackening, a film which was inspired by a short done by Dewayne Perkins which attracted enough attention that it was developed into this feature length offering. And therein lies at least part of the rub, as the attempt to get this basic storyline to feature film length results in what the film actually spends a good deal of time skewering, namely stereotypes. The screenplay (co-written by Perkins and Tracy Oliver) does a rather snarky job "deconstructing" what owning a so-called "black card" may mean for various African Americans, but the film also relies on plot tropes that include a pretty generous supply of padding, especially in the film's opening third or so, which spends a lot of time fitfully trying to establish characters, before (slasher film pun unavoidable) cutting to the chase and pitting a coterie of often panicked Juneteenth celebrators against a villain with a crossbow. That group of friends arrives at their veritable Cabin in the Woods after two other friends have gotten there early to get things prepared, discovering a bizarre "game room" in the cabin that has an obviously racist boardgame called The Blackening which the two characters probably unwisely open, which then starts the plot machinery into motion. Suddenly, the game seems to "come alive", with a voice emanating from an intentionally provocative central figure that is also a timer, challenging to the two to the first of the film's often kind of interesting "black history" trivia questions, with a further "rule" imparted that if they answer incorrectly, they die.

That last bit of course leads to the first demise of the film, which won't be spoiled here other than to say the film's tag line "we can't all die first" may actually be funnier than some of what then transpires as the rest of the crowd arrives. That happens of course only after the obligatory stop at the local gas station and grocery store, where Shanika (X Mayo) is freaked out by one of the locals, a clerk with one eye, and then a moment later maybe even more freaked out when a long ago friend (or at least acquaintance) named Clifton (Jermaine Fowler) appears and announces he's headed to the same Juneteenth party as Shanika is. In the meantime, several other characters have also been introduced, including Lisa (Antoinette Robinson), Allison (Grace Byers), King (Melvin Gregg), Nnamdi (Sinqua Walls), and Dewayne (Dewayne Perkins). Suffice it to say there are passing allusions to various relationships as the story progresses, but it hardly matters, and in fact since the film has already offered up its first killing, the gist of the "horror" side of things here is simply wondering who's going to be the second (and third, and fourth, but I digress).

If The Blackening never attains the lunatic heights it's aiming for, it's often quite deft, though I'd argue that one thing that keeps both the horror and the comedy from resonating completely is simply the chaotic nature of so much of what goes on. Sometimes, as in a boisterous finale that sees one character bludgeoning a perceived villain to smithereens, which then devolves into an argument between characters as the culprit is clearly "not quite dead yet", things approach a nice balance between the gonzo and the Grand Guignol. But at least at times here there's a significant amount of noise and fury without much to show for it in terms of either outright scares or laugh out loud hilarity.

Now, it probably should be emphasized that co-writer and co-star Dewayne Perkins has overtly stated that he wanted to make a horror film for black people, but as someone who's not part of that demographic I can say a lot of The Blackening offers some decidedly provocative material within a generally surprisingly genial if occasionally graphically violent ambience. One way or the other, the fact that Perkins and his creative collaborators are brave enough to venture where angels fear to tread in terms of probably blatantly un-PC material is itself notable.

The Blackening 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Note: Screenshots are sourced from the 1080 disc included in this release.

The Blackening is presented in 4K UHD courtesy of Lionsgate Films with an HEVC / H.265 encoded 2160p transfer in 2.39:1. The IMDb doesn't have much technical information as this review is being written, and while I was able to find some interesting online content involving cinematographer Todd A. Dos Reis, I couldn't find anything mentioning cameras or the resolution of the DI. Considering the generally lustrous look of things though, despite some intentionally shrouded environments, my hunch is this had a 4K DI (as always with my reviews, if someone can point me to verifiable authoritative information, I'll happily post an update here). This 4K UHD presentation is kind of interesting from a couple of angles. In terms of HDR, there are some really nice new highlights in a palette that is often intentionally shrouded, but, to cite just a couple of examples, the greens in the game room and some of the blue grading in the outdoor nighttime material looks subtly if still noticeably more nuanced in this version. Kind of oddly, though, I'd argue that HDR doesn't really add much to shadow definition, though perhaps my expectations as to what might be on tap probably played into this. Detail levels enjoy a nice uptick, especially in the brightly lit daytime sequences earlier in the film. That said, there is still some marginal detail improvement in even some of the darkest scenes, at least on elements that can be clearly seen.

The Blackening 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Blackening features a nicely designed Atmos track that offers some fun effects despite some often pretty claustrophobic environments. Even in the "game room", which is obviously enclosed, there's good directionality, even startlingly so in the case of the voice that suddenly emanates from the game's figurehead. The fact that the killer uses a crossbow offers some fun if fast panning effects, and there are some attendant "squishy" noises when those arrows find their targets. When the panicked partygoers venture outside (because of course they do), there is further engagement of the surround channels with ambient environmental effects, and it may be here that the most noticeable Atmos element kicks in, though some of the crossbow material also provides some. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English and Spanish subtitles are available.

The Blackening 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Audio Commentary with Director Tim Story and Writers Dewayne Perkins and Tracy Oliver


• Do the Write Thing (HD; 13:32) is the first of several featurettes offering some of the same interview subjects. This features both Dewayne Perkins and Tracy Oliver discussing some of the adaptive process from the short (which I really wish had been offered on this disc, and which doesn't seem to be available online that I could find).
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• They Can't All Talk First (HD; 8:53) offers a reunion of the cast and crew answering various questions like if they'd ever go to a cabin in the woods alone.


• Shall We Play a Game? (HD; 3:50) focuses on The Blackening game, including some of its intentionally provocative imagery.


• Cabin in the Woods (HD; 3:11) looks at production design.


• Who's the Blackest? Gameshow (HD; 11:27) is a funny spoof on game shows with the cast and crew competing in a Family Feud like setting.


• Deleted Dewayne Dance Scene (HD; 1:23)


• Outtakes (HD; 4:29)


• Theatrical Trailer (HD; 2:19)

Additionally, a digital copy is included and packaging features a slipcover.

The Blackening 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Methinks there may well be a Blackening 2, with an emphasis on that "well" part (you'll get it if you see the film), and there's a lot to like about this maybe franchise starter. A little less obvious self awareness and a few more actual punchlines might improve things, but The Blackening even with some passing qualms is an impressive debut for several associated with the film. Technical merits are solid and the supplements very enjoyable. Recommended.