There is an august tradition in the African American community of talking back to the film screen loud enough to jolt the characters on screen. The Blackening doesn’t just hear those cries; it needles its crowd for more reactions, bigger this time.
From Tim Story, the director of Fantastic Four and Ride Along, the film starts with a group of college friends reuniting at a creaky woodland cabin – replete with drinks, drugs and marathon games of Spades. Premiering at last year’s Toronto film festival, Story’s feature releases this weekend pegged to Juneteenth – the emancipation holiday marking its second year in federal observance.
