Same Struggle, Different Day: Tales from the Hood 2 Steps Into the Present
Tales from the Hood is one of my favorite scary movies (I know- I say this a lot. But my scary movies are ranked in different categories. Leave me alone sis). If you are unfamiliar with this classic 90s anthology movie I suggest you check it out. The movie, executive produced by Spike Lee, discussed issues plaguing the African American community (police brutality, gang culture, etc.) and turned them into horror stories. This concept is also what I believe made Get Out so popular- real issues dramatized and turned into our greatest fears as African Americans. The stories in that movie all resonated with me. Even at a young age I understood the powerful messages behind the short stories. So imagine my delight when one of my friends sent me a link to the poster for Tales from the Hood 2! I couldn’t believe it! The sequel is executive produced by Spike Lee, just like the original, and follows the same theme- a storyteller walking characters through different stories with a message.
Overall, I really enjoyed this movie. Keith David was the perfect casting choice for the new storyteller. He really can play any role, from New-New’s dad to Pastor Greenleaf, he is one of my faves. The stories definitely resonated with today’s trying times. Of course the character he is telling the stories to, Dumass Beach (I really loved this play on words. Perfect!) basically embodies all the MAGA hatred that is going on in this country. This movie touched on so many important issues such as African Americans in politics voting against their own people, allowing other races to belittle our culture and appropriate it, rebuilding the black community, and so much more. I would say the one story that I felt was a little forced was the vampire tale. Of course this one was necessary to speak to the #MeToo movement but the story felt very forced. However, it was still very important to mention this super important movement that is all over the headlines. The original and the sequel really did a perfect job of taking stories from the headlines and from within our community and showing the viewer that there really is horror within the truth. Basically, it’s a movie about Kanye. But I digress.
Although this sequel came 22 years later, it did not disappoint. Watch it on Netflix and share your thoughts!