Welcome to the Blumhouse: Black as Night movie review (2021)


The script by Sherman Payne is filled with voiceover for high schooler Shawna (Asjha Cooper), and while that storytelling tactic normally can be a bit much, it does help plant the story firmly in her perspective, and let Cooper’s compelling performance reflect on the many pieces that then come into play. Shauna was born right after Hurricane Katrina, and bits of her world show the impact 15 years later—her mother is addicted to drugs and living a scary life in a low-income housing community called the Ombreux. When Shauna enters the space for the first time in the film, it has its own haunted air, one that the movie effectively repeats throughout as the script fills its world with brief but meaningful notes about issues of race, history, and maturity. 

“Black as Night” is about a truly vampiric force who has been preying on the homeless in the area, as seen in a pre-credits sequence where one man is tackled to the ground by three others, their fangs ripping into his flesh as he screams. When the vampire hunt becomes personal for Shauna in an effective, shocking development that creates deep personal stakes, she opts to become a vampire hunter, to stop the powerful figure who has been using the homeless of New Orleans. She’s assisted with some hesitance by her friend Pedro (Fabrizio Guido), and a crush named Chris (Mason Beauchamp). Sometimes Pedro or Chris struggle to be on the same page as her, and these moments of hesitation hold the movie back when its sense of adventure should be going full throttle. 

The script works though a whole list of familiar elements from bloodsucker lore: coffins, sharp fangs, garlic, wooden stakes, etc. More often than other movies that find characters confronting a genre face-to-face, the scenes of them discovering these tropes can feel tedious. Any time it’s about Shauna and her friends simply understanding the “rules,” it takes a little life out of the fun in seeing vampires, and it sets up some standard action scenes that create baseline thrills and plainly shadowy sets. The jump scares don’t really work, and they blend into the rote horror aesthetic that unfortunately takes up a lot of space. 

You can view the original article HERE.

Elon Musk Goes After Jennifer Lopez for Not Warning People About Diddy
Elon Musk Goes After Jennifer Lopez for Not Warning People About Diddy
N.Y. Assemblyman Introduces ‘Peanut’s Law,’ Says Investigation Request Ignored
N.Y. Assemblyman Introduces ‘Peanut’s Law,’ Says Investigation Request Ignored
‘B.M.F.’ Big Meech Gets Porcelain Veneers After Prison Bid
‘B.M.F.’ Big Meech Gets Porcelain Veneers After Prison Bid
How TV news anchors gear up for election night
How TV news anchors gear up for election night
Clint Eastwood’s Juror #2 Releases on Max This Month
Clint Eastwood’s Juror #2 Releases on Max This Month
Nothing Left to Prove: Quincy Jones (1933-2024) | Tributes
Nothing Left to Prove: Quincy Jones (1933-2024) | Tributes
Daryl Dixon – The Book of Carol Ending, Explained
Daryl Dixon – The Book of Carol Ending, Explained
Every TV Series Coming to Major Streaming Services in November 2024
Every TV Series Coming to Major Streaming Services in November 2024
Kneecap to headline alongside CMAT, English Teacher and more
Kneecap to headline alongside CMAT, English Teacher and more
I was crying at a certain point because I felt that I had hurt him
I was crying at a certain point because I felt that I had hurt him
Gina Zollman To Perform Her Show “ORI gina LS” At The Arthur Newman Theatre, Palm Desert, CA, Sunday 11/24/24
Gina Zollman To Perform Her Show “ORI gina LS” At The Arthur Newman Theatre, Palm Desert, CA, Sunday 11/24/24
Iggy Pop announces “landmark” 2025 London and Glasgow shows
Iggy Pop announces “landmark” 2025 London and Glasgow shows
Mahomes, Chiefs keep undefeated season alive with OT win on MNF
Mahomes, Chiefs keep undefeated season alive with OT win on MNF
The 3 Biggest Scandals in Sports History
The 3 Biggest Scandals in Sports History
Kiss918 on the Edge: Pushing the Boundaries of Digital Casino Innovation
Kiss918 on the Edge: Pushing the Boundaries of Digital Casino Innovation
Patriots’ Maye clears concussion protocol, will play vs. Titans
Patriots’ Maye clears concussion protocol, will play vs. Titans
Scavengers Reign Season 2 Gets New Trailer, Despite Netflix Cancellation
Scavengers Reign Season 2 Gets New Trailer, Despite Netflix Cancellation
The End Trailer Arrives for 2024’s Most Audacious Film
The End Trailer Arrives for 2024’s Most Audacious Film
Taylor Sheridan is Correct: Critics Have Become Irrelevant
Taylor Sheridan is Correct: Critics Have Become Irrelevant
Silence of the Lambs Influenced Daisy Ridley’s New Movie Magpie
Silence of the Lambs Influenced Daisy Ridley’s New Movie Magpie
Editor’s Pick: Mulberry Pimlico Satchel
Editor’s Pick: Mulberry Pimlico Satchel
Banana Republic’s Holiday Campaign, Burberry’s Stock Rises
Banana Republic’s Holiday Campaign, Burberry’s Stock Rises
The Best-Dressed Stars at LACMA Art + Film Gala 2024
The Best-Dressed Stars at LACMA Art + Film Gala 2024
Beauty Made In Italy Brings A Big Crowd To The West Hollywood EDITION Hotel
Beauty Made In Italy Brings A Big Crowd To The West Hollywood EDITION Hotel