Film Review: “Black as Night” Lacks Substance but Is Still Watchable
Blumhouse Productions is doing well for itself. Founded in 2000 by Jason Blum, the film and television studio champions low-budget but highly creative content that addresses social issues through horror and suspense. Movies like Get Out and The Purge franchise are not only thrilling and terrifying to watch, but these scary pictures cover topics such as racism, class, and violent extremism with fervor. Of course, the studio produced a couple of duds, like the critically panned Fantasy Island. But at least Blumhouse Productions is willing to give directors like Sophia Takal (director of the brilliant Into the Dark episode “New Year, New You”) and Jordan Peele (who never created a horror picture prior to Get Out) a shot. With that said, Black as Night, a film that is part of Welcome to the Blumhouse anthology series on Prime Video, barely lives up to the potential of the previously mentioned films. Although the coming-of-age teen horror feature is watchable thanks to its winning teen cast and wicked set pieces, its commentary on the homelessness crisis in New Orleans lacks substance.
Directed by Maritte Lee Go, Black as Night follows Shawna (Asjha Cooper), an insecure Black teenager from New Orleans who just wants to chill during the summer despite the drama in her life. And boy, there is drama. Her parents are separated, her brother Jamal (Frankie Smith) teases her for having a darker skin tone than him, and her high school crush Chris (Mason Beauchamp) barely acknowledges her existence. Thankfully, Shawna has something to look forward to. Every day during their break, Shawna and her gay Latino best friend, Pedro (Fabrizio Guido), take a bus from their working-class neighborhood to the French Quarter, so they can sneak into an apartment complex and relax from the scorching heat. However, down below vampires are attacking the downtrodden near a decrepit housing complex called The Ombreaux. Unfortunately, a vampire attacks Shawna’s mother, Denise (Kenneisha Thompson), a struggling drug addict, and turns her into a vampire. With revenge on her mind, Shawna recruits Pedro, Chris, and perky vampire nerd Granya (Abbie Gayle), to help her defeat the bloodsucking fiends.
It is commendable that writer Sherman Payne, whose works include Scream: The TV Series and Legacies, uses horror to comment on New Orleans’s homelessness crisis. However, the film’s execution of this issue is at best shallow and at worst problematic. Throughout the film, former slave turned vampire leader Babineaux (Keith David) and his second-in-command Lefrak (Craig Tate) attack homeless people and drug addicts so they can stay under the radar and build their army. Though there is a history of vampires attacking the weak and the helpless, it feels wrong to use homeless people as the vampire’s victims. These people are already at a low point in their lives. So, why kick them when they are already down – or drive a stake through their chest? It also does not help that the film “others” homeless people by never giving them a redeemable character arc. Perhaps if Payne gives unhoused characters more agency, the film may feel less icky.
Despite the film’s weak social commentary, the young actors carry the movie with their compelling performances. Cooper kills it as teen vampire huntress Shawna, no pun intended. She mixes insecure teen and vengeful heroine well, particularly when she contemplates becoming a vampire huntress or trying and failing to holla at Chris. And unlike most narrative voice-overs, her narration is lively and engaging. Guido does not just play Shawna’s gay best friend, Pedro. Instead, he plays a track star with textbook knowledge of New Orleans’s history and culture. Beauchamp may not be as strong as Cooper and Guido, but he brings sincerity (and eye candy) to his role as Chris. And Gayle gels well with the Black Vampiric Scooby Gang as Granya, despite being the token white girl of the group.
Unfortunately, the vampires in Black as Night are not as engaging as the teens. Unlike the young actors, the supernatural beings are wholly two-dimensional and corny. Though David’s role as Babineaux is intriguing (he is the voice behind Dr. Facilier in Disney’s The Princess and the Frog), he gives a watered-down and flat performance. When Babineaux is not spewing hate about the world from his literal soapbox, he is either killing his victims or fighting off the teen vampire hunters. It is like the film sucks out all the fun out of Dr. Facilier, or uh, Babineaux, and replaces it with bitterness and rage. Regarding the other villains, Babineaux’s second-in-command Lefrak’s only motivation is to seduce young women, which is a tad bit cringy for a teen horror movie. And the only vampire minion who gets a smidgen of character development is Marvin, the homeless man. Sadly, the only thing we know about him is that he regrets getting turned into a vampire.
Nonetheless, Black as Night’s production design is pretty good despite its financial constraints. Not only are the establishing shots of New Orleans gorgeous, but the old houses and churches help enhance the gothic feel of the film. The fight sequences may not all be bombastic, however the one between Tunde, an 800-year-old vampires and Shawna’s protector, and Babineaux’s vampire coven is well-choreographed. And since the film is for teens, the blood and gore are not too grotesque. Instead of dying in a horrid way, they poof into ashes in a hilarious fashion. The film even includes a couple of bops, such as “Wiggle Low” by New Orleans bounce artist Gotty Boi Chris. However, it is a little disappointing the film does not include any jazz songs.
Not every film or television show from Blumhouse Productions is going to disrupt the cinema world. And that’s okay. Sometimes we just need a movie to help us get through the day, especially these days. Black as Night may not dig deep into what plagues New Orleans, but it makes up for it with its performances and production design. If anything, it is a solid horror romp that is appropriate for teens – and their parents. And for what it is worth, Black as Night is not as bad as Fantasy Island. That movie can stay in the trash bin where it belongs.
