=link= | The Blackening

I can also compare this film to other like Get Out if you'd like to see how they differ!

In the standard slasher film, when a group of friends stumbles upon a dusty, locked box in a remote cabin, curiosity usually kills the cat. But in Tim Story’s The Blackening , when the ensemble opens that box, they don’t find a cursed diary or a rusty knife. They find a board game. A black board game. With one instruction: “Play or die.” The Blackening

The brilliance of The Blackening lies in its character work. Since the entire cast is Black, the film cannot rely on the "Token Black Friend" trope. Consequently, the characters must embody the archetypes usually reserved for white characters in horror, but with a distinct twist. I can also compare this film to other

. Originally based on a 2018 viral sketch by the comedy troupe They find a board game

Most slasher films rely on the audience rooting for the virgin or the final girl. The Blackening subverts this by having a cast of characters who are all aware they are in a horror movie.