The Blackening is a horror film written by Dewayne Perkins and Tracy Oliver, and it is directed by Tim Story. It stars Antoinette Robertson, Dewayne Perkins, Grace Byers, Jermaine Fowler, Melvin Gregg, X Mayo, and Sinqua Walls. Additional cast include Yvonne Orji, Jay Pharoah and James Preston Rogers.

The story begins with a couple, Morgan and Shawn (Yvonne Orji and Jay Pharoah) at a remote cabin in the woods. While waiting for the rest of their friends to arrive for their Juneteenth celebration, the couple stumble upon a game room in the home. Inside, they discover an offensive board game called, The Blackening. To their surprise, a voice from the game instructs them to answer questions correctly, or face death.

We are then introduced to the rest of the group, which includes seven friends with unique and hilarious personalities. First, we see Lisa (Antoinette Robertson), Dewayne (Dewayne Perkins), and Allison (Grace Byers), as they ride together towards their destination. Then we are introduced to Shanika (X Mayo) who stops at a gas station where she encounters a creepy gas station attendant (James Preston Rogers), as well as Clifton (Jermaine Fowler), who insists he is an old friend.

At the cabin, Nnamdi (Sinqua Walls) and King (Melvin Gregg) are already waiting. The group realizes that Morgan and Shawn are nowhere to be found but assume they will arrive later. To pass the time, the group begins to party with drinks and spades. While playing, the lights suddenly go out and when they come back on, the group discovers that the only unlocked door led to the game room.

Inside, they find the same board game that Morgan and Shawn encountered earlier, as well as a television showing footage of Morgan trapped. To save their friend, they must answer questions correctly, and if they refuse to play, they die. What ensues is a hilarious struggle to survive the night.

The Blackening is a really fun film. Although it starts off a bit slow, once all of the characters are introduced, the laughter just keeps on rolling. The ensemble cast had a lot of chemistry, and each brought a lot of personality and humor to their roles. My favorite characters, however, were Dewayne and Clifton; every scene they were in was so funny! This is a film you want to see with a full theater, as the laughter is contagious. It is definitely a nice change of pace from the elevated horror that has consumed recent years, but it manages to balance a deeper, relevant meaning, while still having fun.

We give The Blackening a 4/5 for its great cast, hilarious writing, and comedic timing.