“The Blackening” is a funny skit created by a comedy group called 3Peat for Comedy Central. It’s about a group of friends who go to a cabin in the woods for some fun. In the past, people thought that in horror movies, Black characters always died first, but that idea has been proven wrong. However, filmmakers like Wes Craven and Jordan Peele have made fun of this idea in their movies, and 3Peat is doing the same in their skit.
In the skit “The Blackening,” a group of friends visits a cabin in the woods and encounters a masked killer. The killer uses their perception of blackness to determine the order in which the friends will be killed. The skit humorously highlights the arbitrary nature of defining blackness and pokes fun at the idea of using race as a basis for judgment and violence.
“The Blackening” skit has now been expanded into a full-length movie, with Tim Story, known for directing films like “Barbershop” and the “Ride Along” franchise, at the helm. The script for the movie was co-written by Tracey Oliver and Dewayne Perkins. The film had its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2022 and received an early positive reception. It is scheduled for release as a new movie in 2023.
The Blackening release date
“The Blackening” will be released in theaters on June 16, just in time for the Juneteenth weekend. After its theatrical run, the film will likely become available on Video on Demand (VOD) platforms for viewers to watch at their convenience.
The Blackening cast
Antoinette Robertson, known for her roles in “Dear White People” and “The Haves and the Have Nots,” is making her debut in movies as the lead character Lisa in “The Blackening.” Dewayne Perkins, who co-wrote the film and has appeared on Netflix’s “The Upshaws,” coincidentally portrays a character named Dewayne. Jay Pharoah, a former cast member of “Saturday Night Live,” takes on the role of Shawn. Yvonne Orji, recognized for her work in Issa Rae’s HBO comedy “Insecure,” appears as Morgan. Grace Byers, known for her roles in “Empire” and “Harlem,” is portraying the character Allison in the film.
Completing the cast of “The Blackening” are Sinqua Walls, known for his role in “Power,” X Mayo from the series “American Auto,” Melvin Gregg from “Snowfall,” Jermaine Fowler from “Sorry to Bother You,” and James Preston Rogers from “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story.”
The Blackening plot
“The Blackening” revolves around a group of Black friends who come together for a Juneteenth weekend trip, but their plans take a dark turn when they become trapped in a secluded cabin with a deranged killer. The friends are forced to participate in a deadly game orchestrated by the killer, and they quickly discover that the situation is far from a mere game—it becomes a terrifying fight for survival.
Directed by Tim Story, known for his work on films like “Ride Along,” “Think Like A Man,” and “Barbershop,” and featuring a screenplay and screen story by Tracy Oliver, who wrote “Girls Trip” and “Harlem,” and Dewayne Perkins, known for his work on “The Amber Ruffin Show” and “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” “The Blackening” cleverly satirizes common genre tropes. The film playfully raises the sardonic question of who would typically be the first to die in a horror movie if the entire cast consists of Black characters.
The Blackening trailer
Check out the trailer for The Blackening released by Lionsgate below:
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