Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror, 2019
This documentary, featuring a range of directors, actors, and academics explores the history of Black characters and creators in the horror genre.
I really enjoyed this a lot, and that's mainly down to just how engaging the set-up and speakers are. The interviewees---with just one or two exceptions--are filmed in a theater in groups of two. The interviews are highly conversational, and the various presenters do a great job of mixing their own personal experiences with a broader historical sense of the significance of different films.
The speakers talk about the historical dearth of Black characters---and specifically Black-led films---and that's really hammered home by the fact that (1) There are not a ton of people being interviewed and (2) That moderate-sized group manages to cover a LOT of the bases. Tony Todd is on hand, as is Keith David. There are representatives from
Bones, Tales from the Hood, and even
Blacula.
The combination of the personal and the academic is really expertly done, and the various interviewees are so fun to listen to. Even as they cover some very heavy topics---such as the resonance of the killing of Black characters by white mobs in different films--they never let it feel anything like a misery slog. This is a look at deep questions about representation and belonging delivered with just the right mix of depth and humor.
The final conversation in the film is about Jordan Peele's
Get Out, and I thought it was a powerful way to end the film. For starters, one of the interviewee's observes just how incredibly rare it is for an audience to root for a Black lead in a horror film. But their discussion of the ending of the film really brought me back to my own experience seeing the movie in the film, and the dread I felt when
WARNING: spoilers below
those police lights appeared
those police lights appeared
. The discussion of the ending of
Get Out also highlights the tricky positions that creators are in when they are featuring a group that is underrepresented: do you aim for realism, or do you do something aspirational? That tension seems to underlie a lot of the films they discuss.
It was also just interesting to note my own feelings as the interviewees offered critiques of films I personally love---like
Candyman. It can be hard to get past an initial defensiveness, but I think that the people being interviewed do a great job of giving the context for their interpretations and reactions to the films. It felt like a very accessible way to be challenged on some of my own interpretations and reactions and to think about how certain films might look from a different point of view.
Definitely worth it if you're a horror fan, and honestly such an engaging group of creators that it's probably also well worth it for even a casual horror fan or just someone who is interested in the history of cinema.