Hello Cinephiles,

You got that popcorn ready? I hope so, because it’s time for a documentary review!

Today I’m sharing my review of Horror Noire – A History of Black Horror. 

I’ve had this movie on my to watch list for over a year on Shudder, mainly because I don’t tend to favor documentaries. But when I decided to broaden my horizons for Black History Month, I thought this would be a marvelous opportunity to educate myself on the history of black horror.

Alright, let’s see how this documentary went!

Blurb

Delving into a century of genre films that by turns utilized, caricatured, exploited, sidelined, and finally embraced them, Horror Noire traces the untold history of Black Americans in Hollywood through their connection to the horror genre. Adapting Robin Means Coleman’s seminal book, HORROR NOIRE will present the living and the dead, using new and archival interviews from scholars and creators; the voices who survived the genre’s past trends, to those shaping its future.

IMDB

Shudder

The Review

It’s not often that I watch documentaries, but I absolutely loved learning more about black horror with this film.

A number of famous black figures offer insights into the history of black horror and the great obstacles that were overcome for film and media to become what it is today. I had hearts in my eyes especially for Jordan Peele, Rachel True, and Tananarive Due’s appearances in this documentary, but all figures had something important to say in regards to the topic.

This documentary spans from black horror’s beginnings in the early 20th century all the way to today. There’s a consistent parallel to how African Americans were treated in film in relation to how they were treated in real life, and with America’s violent racist history it’s no wonder why so many of us resonate with the horror genre. For many marginalized groups, it is our everyday lives to be mistrusted, unfairly judged, and looked down upon.

But this documentary is a story of resilience. African Americans went from being the face of horror to cliche sidekicks to heroes and final girls. It shocked me how long prejudice and discrimination prevented so many talented black actors, producers, and writers from opportunities. This lasted at least until the 90s, and arguably goes on to some extent today more subtly. However, I was overjoyed at the perseverance of the black community to be seen and heard, and not to be belittled into stereotypical caricatures of human beings.

This documentary left me feeling hopeful for the future and gave me a lot of film recommendations to consider. If you want to learn more about horror and the underlying issues of its past as a genre, you’ve got to give this a watch!

That’s A Wrap!

Well that’s it for this movie review. If you like what you see, please consider leaving a tip!

Have you seen this movie? Are there other similar movies you’ve seen that you simply have to gush about? Feel free to leave a comment. I’d love to start a conversation!

Have a great day!

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